In 1981, New York witnessed the formation of the first successful white hip-hop group. Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA emerged from the hard-core punk scene of the late 1970s and fought for our right to party to a different sound. Their "Licensed to Ill" sold 720,000 copies in six weeks, making it Columbia'

Agitated, Bombast, Clever, Ebullient, In-your-face, Sardonic, Wise assy

The Ramones formed in 1974 and revolutionized the sound of punk with their speedy, solo-less songs and vacant lyrics. The original lineup featured Joey on the drums, Dee Dee sharing guitar with Johnny, and Tommy as their manager. They left high school in Forest Hills, New York, and moved to Manhattan

Bubblicious, Clever, Manic, Pop, Punk, Rebel, Slangy, Wise assy

A portrait of Tibor Kalman's middle-aged face almost passes as commonplace: a receding hairline, squinting eyes, and a toothy, sincere smile. Kalman's design career, however, has questioned all boundaries and expectations set by the ordinary. Born in Budapest in 1949, Kalman was educated in journa

Huge, In-your-face, Overflowing, Playful, Postmodernism, Rebel, Wise assy

It is the rare novelist who can elicit a contract for his death, but Salman Rushdie managed to do precisely that with a Postmodern, playful rumination on religion and politics that made Islamic literalists gnash their teeth and ready their Kalashnikovs. Born on the eve of India's declaration of indep

Dense, Epic, Excessive, Expansive, Magical realism, Playful, Political, Post-colonial literature, Postmodern fiction, Profane, Round, Sprawling, Wise assy