| 100% | ORNETTE | 7 | & 6D US jazz saxophonist and composer whose 1958 debut album was Something Else!!!! |
| 36% | COLTRANE | 8 | John —, US jazz saxophonist and composer who died in 1967 |
| 35% | DELASOUL | 8 | US hip hop group whose 1989 debut album was 3 Feet High and Rising |
| 35% | GILEVANS | 8 | Toronto-born jazz pianist and composer whose albums include 1958’s New Bottle Old Wine |
| 31% | TORIAMOS | 8 | US singer whose debut album was Little Earthquakes |
| 31% | GUNSNROSES | 10 | US rock band whose 1987 debut album was Appetite for Destruction |
| 30% | ETERNAL | 7 | British girl group whose 1993 debut album was Always and Forever |
| 30% | SONNY | 5 | & 21A US jazz tenor saxophonist born in 1930 whose albums include 1966’s Alfie |
| 29% | ISAOTOMITA | 10 | Japanese composer whose albums of electronic music include Snowflakes Are Dancing and Pictures at an Exhibition |
| 28% | COLE | 4 | & 15A US composer-lyricist whose musicals include Du Barry Was a Lady and Panama Hattie |
| 28% | KATE | 4 | Singer and actress whose 2007 debut solo album, Made of Bricks, was a UK no 1 |
| 26% | CHIC | 4 | US group founded by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards whose self-titled debut album was released in 1977 |
| 26% | CHARLIEPARKER | 13 | Jazz saxophonist with the album "Bird and Diz": 2 wds. |
| 26% | NAS | 3 | Rapper whose debut album was "Illmatic" |
| 25% | BEETHOVEN | 9 | Composer whose works are hidden in 30-, 39- and 48-Across |
| 25% | HOLIDAY | 7 | Billie —, US jazz singer whose nickname was Lady Day |
| 25% | ELLE | 4 | Singer King whose 2015 debut album was "Love Stuff" |
| 25% | NYRO | 4 | Laura —, US singer-songwriter whose 1967 album debut was More Than a New Discovery |
| 25% | IGGYAZALEA | 10 | Australian rapper whose 2014 debut album was The New Classic |
| 25% | ICET | 4 | Rapper whose debut album was "Rhyme Pays": Hyph. |
| 25% | LITA | 4 | Ford whose debut album was "Out for Blood" |
| 25% | BRUBECK | 7 | Dave —, California-born modern jazz pianist and composer whose albums include 1994's Just You, Just Me |
| 25% | FATSWALLER | 10 | US jazz pianist-singer whose compositions include Honeysuckle Rose and Ain't Misbehavin' |
| 25% | SAM | 3 | Smith whose debut album was "In the Lonely Hour" |
| 25% | BALTIMORE | 9 | US city whose sports teams are ravens and orioles |