George Martin

George Martin, the "Fifth Beatle," transformed The Beatles' raw songwriting into orchestral pop masterpieces, pioneering studio techniques on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band that changed recording forever. His use of tape loops and varispeed on that album—which sold over 32 million copies—was faster than the average innovation of its era. Martin's 23 UK number-one singles outpace #3's actual rank here, but his classical arrangements remain a benchmark that outperforms #2 Dr. Dre's funk-based soundscapes in genre versatility.