Zucchero

I may not be a fan, but to me, he is a very respectable artist: he knows how to write melodies. He doesn't fall into the boring and repetitive trap like many others, and he has a great ease in moving from cheerful, summery tunes (often with somewhat silly lyrics) to deeper songs. He also attracts the attention of great musicians and collaborates with well-known figures. Alright, it may be cliché as much as you want, but I don't think he should be criticized for that.