The influence of this former juvenile delinquent-turned-ultimate entertainer is hard to overstate. After getting his start in Detroit doo-wop combos in the mid-'50s, Wilson exploded into the mainstream with a flurry of hits, including his boppy first single, "Reet Petite," and the Berry Gordy-penned "Lonely Teardrops," an ambitious soul-pop crossover that demonstrated Wilson's acrobatic vocal range and sold more than a million units. His joyous approach to soul is perhaps most infectiously captured by the propulsive rhythms, soaring strings, and ecstatically snapping vocal backing of 1967's ("Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher."