Mix Tape for Moog

Robert Moog, the man who invented the electronic synthesizer, died on Sunday. His influence on popular music was profound and his instruments helped give birth to an entire generation of electronic music performers. A short list of essential Moog tunes should include these classics:

• Donna Summer: "I Feel Love"
• The Beatles: Abbey Road (including George's "Here Comes the Sun," Paul's "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," and John's gorgeous "Because.")
• Stevie Wonder: Music of My Mind
• Parliament: "Flash Light"
• Wilco: "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"
• the collected recordings of Kraftwerk and Devo
• Emerson, Lake & Palmer: "Lucky Man"
• "The Conversation" from the climax of Close Encounters of the Third Kind
• the "voice" of R2D2

It's no exaggeration to say that without this man's work, the realms of pop, jazz, and even classical music would be much poorer today.