Yes, Mark. So many countries, so many genres, styles, it's hard to make an objective list. English music alone would account for a huge list, as would the U.S., Ireland, etc. Are we comparing apples and oranges with such a list? Maybe, but maybe it's possible to pick out the greatest, most influential recordings, taking all that into account. As with others, I come up with more artists than can fit into one list. Don't know how I left Dick Gaughan's "Handful Of Earth" off my list. In trying to sort out essential recordings from just personal favorites, it would be necessary to go into types of music one normally doesn't listen to, but with an awareness that a particular recording was highly influential. I don't listen to alot of country music, and couldn't name a particular Carter family collection, or a Bill Monroe record, but am aware that they were pioneers in country and bluegrass music, respectively. I would guess that there were particular recordings by those artists that were very influential.

-chanteyranger