Paul Westerberg

As the lead singer and principal songwriter of the Replacements, Paul Westerberg is one of the most influential and beloved figures in American underground rock, noted for his ability to wed gloriously sloppy, guitar-heavy rock with lyrics that are smart, introspective, and emotionally revealing just as often as they are snarky, raucous fun. As a solo artist, Westerberg dialed down the more outré side of his personality in favor of work that played up the literate singer/songwriter influences in his songs. His early solo albums, such as 1993's 14 Songs, were the works of an artist finding a middle ground between anarchic spirit and adult professionalism, while later efforts like 2002's Mono were home-recorded projects that indulged his idiosyncrasies while showing he wasn't a spent force as a songwriter.