Cult heroes: Mostly Autumn – rockers with a penchant for polished prog
The grandeur of Floyd and Genesis plus echoes of Celtic folk filter through the anthemic epics and soaring ballads of a band with a determinedly loyal following
Cult heroes: Neutral Milk Hotel – alt-rock enigmas who shied away from the spotlight
Their 1998 album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, informed everyone from Arcade Fire to Beirut. So why did the band call it quits the moment they saw their name in lights?
Cult heroes: Carter USM – wagers of pop's cultural wars
Les ‘Fruitbat’ Carter and Jim ‘Jim Bob’ Morrison bought back indie’s anti-establishment rage with their searing social commentary and mockery of squeaky-clean pop
Cult heroes: Kashif – inspirational pioneer of boogie and R&B
A brilliantly innovative producer, the late Kashif revitalised post-disco pop with his spacious, synth-based sound – and made Whitney Houston a superstar
Cult heroes: Broken Social Scene – bruised, beautiful and chaotically epic
Pitchforked to stardom, the indie collective have in turns enthralled and infuriated fans with hazy songs and rambling live sets. But when the chemistry works, it really works
Cult heroes: Thousand Yard Stare – Slough's indefatigable jacks of all trades
One of the UK’s most active 90s live bands, this pre-Britpop five-piece were lumped in with shoegaze. But – as shown by the only song ever dedicated to the 0-0 draw – their lyrical touch gave them an extra edge
Cult heroes – Fishbone: ska-punk-funksters of the LA underground scene
Their idiosyncratic mixture of personal, protest and party music earned Fishbone some famous fans, but bad timing, bad luck and a religious cult set them back
Cult heroes: Terry Allen – country music outlaw and renaissance man
The Texas-born artist’s work is found in the Museum of Modern Art and he’s creating a sculpture from Nashville legend Guy Clark’s ashes, but his reissued 1970s concept album might be his greatest work of art
Cult heroes: Betty Davis – blistering funk pioneer and fearless female artist
With her unabashed sexuality, powerful voice and raw funk-rock, the times have finally caught up with the ‘nasty gal’; a pivotal influence on women performers and her husband Miles’ sound
Cult heroes: Raspberries – 60s-loving progenitors of powerpop
Like Big Star, this Cleveland quartet ditched the beard-stroking of prog to channel the wham and bam of pop’s golden age into something catchy and current
Cult heroes: Jacques Dutronc - the epitome of 60s pop chic
Inspired by American rock’n’roll, the suave, handsome boulevardier graduated from teen idol to become a hugely influential grand fromage of French music
