2009 Fiona Apple

Fiona Apple's music is intricate and spellbinding, and her lyrics are some of the most intelligent poetry currently on display in rock. Her 1996 album, Tidal, was a huge hit with critics and put her in the same league with performers like Alanis Morissette, Tori Amos and P.J. Harvey.

In some ways her songs went beyond the usual painful vocals that the rest of the alternative rock community was calling their own and her first widespread hit single, 'Shadow Boxer,' proved that she was an independent talent who couldn't be underestimated. Her live performances are so highly regarded that Fiona Apple concert tickets sell out fast whenever she graces fans with the rare gift of a live performances.

Her edgy videos were in the MTV spotlight early in her career and propelled her to an unexpected notoriety unlike that of her peers. In 1997 she had her first top 10 pop hit with 'Criminal' and found success in her live performances by going on the Lilith Fair tour and hitting the road with the Wallflowers. 'Criminal' also won her a Grammy, and she wrapped up the year with Rolling Stone naming her Best Female Performer.

In 1998 Apple released When the Pawn..., which had the top 40 single 'Fast as You Can' and later collaborated with Johnny Cash on his rendition of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water.' She ended 2005 with her third album, Extraordinary Machine, and re-established her place as one of the most respected and gifted women in music.

She is one of only a few artists to emerge from the alternative rock genre and prove herself a powerful force with an unparalleled imagination and unending creative drive. Her material from Extraordinary Machine is heavy on percussion and translates superbly in her live show. Tickets to see Fiona Apple are in high demand and the chance to see songs like 'Fast as You Can' and 'Paper Bag' performed in her characteristically meditative style can't be missed.