Dido

The electronic pop chanteuse Dido entered London's Guildhall School of Music at age six; by the time she reached her teens, the budding musician had already mastered piano, violin, and recorder. After touring with a British classical ensemble, she accepted a publishing job. Meanwhile, she sang with a series of local groups before joining the trip-hop outfit Faithless — helmed by her older brother, the noted DJ and producer Rollo — in 1995. The group released its debut album, Reverence, the following year. It went on to sell over five million copies worldwide, and Dido parlayed her newfound success into a solo deal with Arista Records.

Dido's ethereal solo material combined elements of acoustic pop and electronica. She released her debut LP, No Angel, in mid-1999, and supported the release by joining the Lilith Fair tour that summer. However, her biggest break arrived in 2000, when rap superstar Eminem sampled one of her tracks, "Thank You," for the chorus of his hit single "Stan." The result was a surprisingly touching song, and demand for the Dido original quickly escalated. "Thank You" became a Top Five smash in early 2001, as did the accompanying No Angel, whose album sales topped 12 million copies worldwide by the time Dido returned to the spotlight two years later.

In September 2003, she released her long-awaited follow-up, Life for Rent. This sophomore effort was layered with personal hardship and heartbreak, marking some of Dido's more honest material yet. An eagerly anticipated record, it became one of the fastest-selling albums in U.K. history, quickly going multi-platinum at home while also moving several million copies in America. Following a world tour, Dido once again retreated from the public eye in 2005 to work on her third solo release. Safe Trip Home arrived in 2008, featuring collaborations with Brian Eno, Mick Fleetwood, and Citizen Cope.