Jeff Buckley

Jeff Buckley's hushed, angelic interpretation of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" marked him as one of the most moving, influential (on everyone from Radiohead to Damien Rice) vocalists of the '90s. Jason Castro's American Idol version was a surprise 2008 hit, making Buckley's recording a #1 download and introducing a new generation to his dreamy delicacy. The romantic, goose bump-inducing quaver and lighter-than-air vocal acrobatics on "Lilac Wine" showed him to be the Michael Jordan of singers. We dare you to keep a dry eye when his bittersweet sob hits Edith Piaf's "Je n'en connais pas la fin," especially upon realizing the title's translation, "I Do Not Know the End," foreshadows star-crossed Buckley's early death. What should have been a long, fruitful voyage became a tantalizing tease, but the greatest moments are here — there's plenty more where "Hallelujah" hails from.