Hall & Oates

Despite the fact that he once recorded Aleister Crowley-influenced songs with prog master Robert Fripp — seriously, we can't make stuff like that up — Daryl Hall has never been given the credit he deserves. Of course, you can't blame the public for its perception of Hall and his sidekick, John Oates; as Hall & Oates, the twosome once epitomized slick, plastic-coated pop. But their '80s hits like "Maneater" and "Private Eyes" have a soulfulness and sophistication that drew from their stint as '70s R&B balladeers — and taken as a whole, their catalogue is an impressive one, full of risky moves and inveterate trendsetting. And just to show how universal their appeal remains, Hall and Oates have been working on a collaboration with funky neo-wavers Chromeo. It's a bit of a step down from Crowley and Fripp, but it just goes to show that Hall (and his group's smooth hooks) can hang with just about anybody.