5. BOB WILLS

Temptation is to point to Waylon Jennings’ “Bob Wills Is Still the King” as though it were some sort of lyrical checkmate, because Wills is a king of a lot of music that comes from Texas and nobody would argue with Waylon when he was around. Here’s the thing: Despite that declaration, Wills is still underappreciated today as his hold over popular music fades over time. Sure, Milton Brown belongs on any list such as this one. But Wills is a patron saint of all that is Texas music. He wasn’t alone in hearing the big band music of the 1930s and wanting to put his spin on it. But he did so in an inimitable way that made him a superstar, putting a regional spin on a national sound. Nerds can argue in defense of Brown or Spade Cooley or others as the true inventors of western swing, but Wills put the music and mythology together, with songs that held enduring sway.

Most Texas musical moment: It’s hard to argue with “New San Antonio Rose.”