The Britpop explosion bought Neil Hannon’s talents to a wider audience, and richly deserving of such a breakthrough he was too. The single ‘Something For The Weekend’ was a masterclass in pop songwriting, distinguished by its ingenious lyric, brilliant melody and superb arrangement. Elsewhere, on Casanova, Hannon addressed relationships, laddism, cultural trends, middle-class dysfunction and, on the Father Ted-soundtracking ‘Songs Of Love’, the irony that shy songsmiths such as himself composed the songs swooned over by loved-up couples. A treasure trove of sonic delights, Casanova remains a towering achievement.

No 48 in 2009, as voted for by over 200 Irish musicians.