Robert Christgau was a name spoken with reverence around the music community, particularly in NYC where i grew up and cut my musical listening teeth. When I was a kid the Village Voice was still a pay for weekly and a must have for the NY entertainment listings. Would always get to Christgau's column after scanning the live show listings. He helped form many a purchasing decision back in the days of the record store.
Make sure to stop by his blog and check out some of his vast collection of reviews. After all he is the "dean of American rock critics."
Pingback: Download Music » Music critic with great POV