Ben Folds/Nick Hornby

Combined with lyrics that can go from heartbreakingly earnest to biting and humorous, Ben Folds' knack for crafting engaging melodies helped fuel his slow dive into the mainstream, from piano-bashing college rock upstart to commercial crooner. The North Carolina native emerged on the greater music scene in the mid-'90s as the leader of the piano power trio Ben Folds Five. The group made it into the Top 50 in North America, the U.K., Australia, and Japan with both their second album, 1997's Whatever and Ever Amen -- featuring the plaintive alternative hit "Brick" -- and the fol...