26:

Mary Chapin Carpenter - having randomised these entries, these two go together, as do the next two. Just the way the cards fall. So, Mary Chapin. I don't honestly remember how I first heard her, or of her - on a compilation CD, I shouldn't wonder, but I remember learning to play her songs on the guitar. This must be 1995 or so - the internet is still pretty heavily text based, and one of the things I quickly discover is OLGA - now a shadow of its former self, but then a cornucopia of resources for the amateur guitarist. I find all sorts of things I'd love to learn, and then I find all the songs from 'Come On, Come On' - these, for some reason, are the ones I find most comfortable to learn. I must sound pretty odd, belting out 'He thinks he'll keep her', but I persevere, and I come to truly appreciate these songs as little gems of the songwriter's craft - there's nothing like learning to play a song to help you appreciate its inner beauty.