E is for...

A fair number of good Es, but we'll limit it to 10 in no particular order:

- Brian Eno

- Eyeless in Gaza

- Eurythmics

- Roger Eno

- 808 State

- Einsturzende Neubaten

- Efterklang

- ELP

- ELO

- Echo & the Bunnymen

For those who know me, no surprises about Eno. And even his brother gets in. I've always loved Eyeless in Gaza (pictured, along with Mr Ambient), underrated, the missing link between folk, pop and experimental, and still going strong. Eurythmics are included for their first two or three albums only; Neubaten for continuing to plough their own unique furrow. 808 State were great & influential in the early 90s. I'm ashamed to say that Efterklang are the only 21st century combo amongst this lot.

What can I say about the inclusion of Emerson Lake & Palmer and Electric Light Orchestra?! ELP were certainly of their time, like most prog. But it was a genre I grew up with (along with Kraut, punk, new wave etc). It's true I went through a subsequent period of self-denial, but am happy to confess. Pompous, overblown and ridiculous? Yes! As for ELO, I was a sucker for their great period between 1976-79ish, in parallel with punk & new wave, when they released a succession of perfect pop singles. I even saw them on the 'spaceship' tour and will always remember Tony Curtis stepping out onto the stage to introduce 'the greatest band in the world'. Guilty pleasures.

Bubbling under: 801 (a one-off live band so don't really count), The Eagles (actually, they had their moments), Egg, Etron Fou Leloublan, Electronic (if only for their first single with the Pet Shop Boys), Eruption, Embryo, Eroc, Experimental Audio Research, Everything But The Girl, Editors, Erasure and, if pushed, Enya?