One of the earliest and most important influences on punk rock (not to mention on post-punk female songwriters like PJ Harvey), Patti Smith mated French Symbolist poetry with rock & roll, creating a musical style to match. In the process, she further shattered rock's gender barrier. Her 1975 album, HORSES, is one of the most seminal, acclaimed rock records of all time. Ironically, her biggest hit came with a 1978 version of Bruce Springsteen's "Because the Night." Smith spent much of the '80s and '90s away from the music business, but re-entered the fray in earnest starting with 1996's lauded GONE AGAIN.