Lucio Dalla

Between the late '60s and the early '80s, he was one of the most original and innovative Italian singer-songwriters. At the height of his success, he inevitably slipped into mediocrity, with declines in inspiration and questionable choices, but every now and then he still remembers to be an artist. If he had stopped in '86, after "Caruso," the rating would be 5; instead, it’s 3.5.