Surprisingly, it had been 13 years since we last heard a studio album of new recordings, but that silence ended earlier this year when he released his latest album, The Way of the World.

NPR: Mose Allison: The Piano Man Returns

He played the Scarecrow in the 1978 movie version of "The Wiz, " and released the album "Off the Wall" in 1979.

CNN: Michael Jackson, pop music legend, dead at 50

After signing with Sugar Hill Records in 1997, he released his debut solo album Aloha From Nashville, which paved the path for his solo success in years to come.

NPR: Darrell Scott On World Cafe

Two years after marrying Klum, he released his 5th album, System, which included a duet with the supermodel.

FORBES: Heidi Klum And Seal Divorce: How Much Is At Stake?

He toured last year, and released an album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, which has been called his best in decades.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In 1956, he released his landmark album Saxophone Colossus, which is widely considered to rank among the finest jazz discs of the era.

NPR: Sonny Rollins: Elder Statesman of Jazz

Blunt's sophomore album, "All the Lost Souls, " was released on Tuesday and he joked that he was eager to take on 50 and Kanye.

CNN: Behind the scenes: Kanye rises to the top

He's just released arguably his most commercially accessible disc, The Believer, and "Question" closes the album with a sweet slice-of-life sketch detailing a marriage proposal.

NPR: Rhett Miller: 'Serial Ladykiller,' Lovelorn Crooner

His monologue was charming and funny and he can sing. (MacFarlane has released an album of standards.) Although his animated shows push the boundaries of taste more than almost anything on TV, MacFarlane showed he can be funny without resorting to abortion jokes.

FORBES: Seth MacFarlane Is A Great Pick For Oscar Host

He released his first official album, Thank Me Later, in June and it debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 447, 000 copies sold in its first week.

FORBES: Names You Need to Know for 2011: Drake