31. Amadou and Mariam

During the nineties, Amadou Bagayoko and Mariam Doumbia -- a singer and guitarist couple, both blind, from Mali -- earned local fame as Afro-hippie songsters while roaming the world playing French folk, Cuban son and the blues. Produced by Manu Chao, Dimanche is like a Richard and Linda Thompson album run through a rainbow: Tunefully playful love songs like "Senegal Fast Food" mix soukous riddims with bluesy melodies, concocting a pan-ethnic travelogue while tugging at your heartstrings.

Next: The Go! Team, Thunder, Lightening, Strike