49. SCOTT JOPLIN

By some metrics, there isn’t a more influential musician on this list. As the “King of Ragtime” Joplin was the genesis of so much that followed — from the Harlem Renaissance party vibe of Fats Waller to the birth of rock ’n’ roll. But, since the man from the Texarkana area preceded the recording age, he’s mostly a sheet music messiah. It dulls his relevance and forces us to rely on legend, but there might be none more important.

Most Texas musical moment: He expected his music to be performed as is, without improvisation.