Patti Smith.
Winner for the sheer scale of the coast.
A fantastic single, two good singles, an arty party record and a half good art rock record and she got to play a major cultural figure aloof from mere pop music in all the papers for decades and is beloved by people who have put out the kind of music she pretends to make.
What if I had a band, not my band you understand but a band, play "My Generation" but we pretend like we can't play it. Oops, not me, them. I'm sure this is a new idea in current year *checks date* 1977?