Oasis.
I hate to admit how much I like the album Definitely Maybe when everything else about Oasis grates on my nerves not unlike fingernails to a chalkboard. Noel Gallagher and crew are amongst the upper reaches of arrogance for no reason. If I could detach myself form the abundance of whiny rockstar stories from the 1990's that Oasis were part of, perhaps I could listen more clearly to their body of work, unfortunately I am not able to at this time.
Now on the complete opposite side of opinion, I do really like Defintely Maybe. Somehow, someway, they pulled their heads from their 4th points of contact to create Defintiely Maybe which, in my modest opinion, is their pinnacle and perhaps swansong. The production on this album as well as the mix and order of tunes is extremely well done. The songs are high quality British Pop on level with XTC or the Beatles around Sg. Pepper (though I hate to make that comparison). Perhaps one day I will be able to remove my stigma towards this band and appreciate all of their music. Perhaps it is all as good as Definitely Maybe. Once I accomplish that small feat, maybe the same can be said for Prince, The Grateful Dead, Jimmy Buffet, and number of other band s that I partially like. we will see...

What can you say about Frank Zappa that easily describes the man and his music? Well, the word "easily" has to be removed before you can even begin. Covering every popular musical style from Rock to Jazz to Country, Ragtime, Big Band & Classical, it's hard to categorize Zappa beyond the words original and innovative. His contribution to music is often overshadowed by his own sense of humor and cynicism towards popular culture.
Most people aquaint the name of Frank Zappa with his funny songs like "Don't Eat The Yellow Snow", "Titties & Beer" or "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee". Unfortunately this tends to undervalue the width and breadth of his work. Having been influenced by a number of genres, he writoe a number of scores for full orchestra (listen to London Symphony Orchestra Vol. I & II or Yellow Shark), wrote doo-wop (Cruisin' With Reuben & The Jets), played jazz (Hot Rats, Waka Jawaka), progressive rock and classical (Ship Arriving Too Late...), worked as an early innovator in the use of Midi and Digital mediums (check out Jazz From Hell) and acted as a guitar god for many players looking to break away from the standard licks (hear Shut Up & Play Yer Guitar and Guitar)- Zappa has influenced all walks of the musical spectrum, usually without intending to do so. Even having said a mouthful like that, I can also say that I just grazed the surface of his work.
He also helped a number of young and relatively unknown musicians gain more precedence in the world of music (Adrian Belew, Terry & Dale Bozzio, not too mention many others). He produced and directed a number of experimental and innovative films (200 Motels, Uncle Meat, Baby Snakes). And in 1990 briefly worked with the Checkoslovakian government as a Special Ambassador to the West on Trade.
The last years of Zappa's life were spent primarily in his studio (The Utility Miffin Research Kitchen)working on the production and remastering of his vast library of recordings. The experimental Civilization: Phase III & the live Yellow Shark recordings were completed during this time.
Having been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1991, Zappa soon passed away in 1993. In 1997 he was awarded a posthumous Grammy Lifetime Acievement Award for the body of work he left behind.

Opinions of Pink Floyd usually center on their more well known albums (Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall), specific songs (Wish You Were Here, Another Brick In The Wall) or the abundance of feuding following the brakup of the band in the early 80's. Though these are all integral to the band, I think it all has to be considered in the context of what they succeeded in doing over the course of the years.
Starting out as a Psychedelic band in the 60's, they contributed largely to the underground sounds of the time. Songs like "Arnold Layne" & "See Emily Play" are normally forgotten these days, but are a good representation of the music of that period. The psychological problems of their co-founder/leader, Syd Barret, led to the eventual addition of guitarist Dave Gilmour and the shift to a more progressive sound. Albums like Meddle & Ummagumma show the experimental changes the band was going through leading to the well known Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973.
The advent of Dark Side Of The Moon signaled the beginning of Floyd's mainstream of creativity. Follow up albums such as Atom Heart Mother & Wish You Were Here, continued to build their fanbase as well as their overall grasp of playing both live and in the studio. The culmination of this era was their creative masterpiece "The Wall", released in 1979, followed by it's epilogue, the depressing "Final Cut" in 1983, which also signalled the demise of the band.
In 1987, Pink Floyd was regenerated minus original member Roger Waters with the release of A Momentary Lapse Of Reason. This album sparked a new generation of fans, many of which were unaware of the long history of the band. Follow up concerts and releases including The Division Bell helped to re-cement Pink Floyd's place in music history.
Most recently, Pink Floyd reunited with Waters to perform for the for the Live 8 concert held in Hyde park on July 2, 2005. David Gilmour, speaking on the importance of the event, was quoted as saying, “Any squabbles Roger and the band have had in the past are so petty in this context, and if re-forming for this concert will help focus attention then it's going to be worthwhile.”