Blues, R&B, soul, and especially funk would all sound a bit different today without landmark New Orleans songwriter, producer, and singer Allen Toussaint. His productions and songs (covered by Elvis Costello, Irma Thomas, Lee Dorsey, and many others) helped define music in the Crescent City starting in the early '60s, and he was a legend by the time he released his 1975 solo album, Southern Nights. His ear for a hit meant he was especially good at playing for a mainstream audience, but he never watered down his hometown's legacy.