Ben Folds Five
When the Five arrived with "Underground" in 1996, it was greeted with horrified cries of "ELO!" But pianist Ben Folds knew he had a livin' thing, and his trio rocked as hard as anyone with guitars. Despite hitting with "Brick," Folds dismissed the group and then fashion by working with William Shatner.

Jellyfish
Jellyfish formed with the intention of becoming an American Queen. In 1990. Among a thicket of Vedders and Weilands, Bellybutton's brilliant baroque 'n' roll quickly became a beloved bargain-bin fixture. Their vision of hit records based upon handclaps and harpsichords would have to wait for Semisonic to realize it.

Elliott Smith
Currently the songwriter's songwriter, Elliott Smith recently took his Beatles obsession to its logical conclusion by recording at Abbey Road. He's as introspective as any self-respecting angst-rocker, but prefers to wrap his cries for help in harmonies as worried-over as everything else in his life.

Matthew Sweet
Matthew Sweet's ability to do just about everything on his albums marked him as a potential breakout star in the early '90s. Despite "Girlfriend" landing on MTV, that big hit has eluded him. His dedication to life-affirming jangle pop, however, has outlasted his peers and inspired plenty of today's songwriters.