Joe Meek for sure.

Amazed he's not been mentioned.

Joe Meek veritably invented the psychadellic record style with 'I Hear a New World'. Which, imo, achieved everything that Pet Sounds did 5 years earlier.

It's only a shame the album was largely non-lyrical therefore dooming it to commercial failure, and forcing the commercial rock world to pick up the pace a half decade later.

Fleetwood Mac - You Make Loving Fun - YouTube

There are very few pre-1980 songs I like. That is one of them, because it sounds like it could be from the early 80's (for a while, I didn't realize it was from the seventies). The pacing and length later became standard for pop-rock songs, the guitar-playing feels ahead of its time somehow, and singing about sex was ahead of its time for the genre.

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...tT_hTQe5e8Nx5w

No matter what people think of Pink Floyd especially post- Barrett, there is no denying the sonic sound of Interstellar Overdrive or the quaint, melancholic charm of Bike or The Gnome. The British music scene especially 'the bedroom poets' of the 80's and 90's were hugely influenced by Barrett's unique style and delivery. David Bowie has always cited him as a massive influence and he has influenced enough artists himself.