Eccentrics

"Music says nothing to the reason," according to A Clockwork Orange author Anthony Burgess. "It is a kind of closely structured nonsense." As our mix of great eccentrics clearly demonstrates, Burgess is onto something: in the universe of rock 'n' roll, the line between madman and genius is fine. Start with Syd Barrett's "Gigolo Aunt".

What makes a true rock eccentric? The absurd vocal stylings of Genesis on "I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)", Devo's antic art-rock cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", the falsetto shrieks of Nardwuar, the dark poetry of Randy Newman, the cool foppery of Jarvis from Pulp? All of the above . . . and more.

Since rock 'n' roll is one big costume ball, any musician who can turn heads with the clothes on his back deserves honorary inclusion in our Eccentrics playlist. Nardwuar never leaves home without an oversized toque, David Byrne favours absurdly large suits, but the king of the sartorial eccentrics is, hands down, Bootsy Collins.

None of the true eccentrics on our playlist chose rock 'n' roll as a career option — rock 'n' roll chose them and provided the means for them to spread a little of their antic genius round the world. Each one of them is unique and irreplaceable: from the Fall's Mark E. Smith and his exquisite Mancunian ranting to Little Richard and his primal Southern howling. Look at the world anew through strangely tinted spectacles: go eccentric.