1. Harlem Street Singer
Reverend Gary Davis's 1960 album is pure, raw, fingerpicked gospel and blues. He was already a veteran, and this record captures his intricate, almost orchestral guitar style. It's a foundational text for anyone interested in pre-war acoustic traditions morphing into electric folk and rock. His voice, weathered and true, carries the weight of a thousand sermons and street corners. This isn't just folk; it's spiritual rebellion.
2. Here Are the Sonics
Good Lord, this 1965 blast from Tacoma. The Sonics didn't just play rock and roll; they mangled it through cheap amps, pioneering a sound so gloriously distorted it still sounds like a primal scream. Their R&B covers got stripped bare, their originals were pure teenage angst and hormones. This is ground zero for garage punk, proving you didn't need polish, just unadulterated fury and a healthy disregard for proper technique.
3. Neu Neu Neu
From '72, Neu! laid down the blueprint for so much to come. That 'motorik' beat, relentless and hypnotic, felt like a journey without end, a machine-driven groove. Dinger and Rother stripped rock to its elemental pulse and a shimmering, minimalist guitar. It wasn't about flashy solos; it was about texture, repetition, and a forward momentum that defied conventional song structure. This is krautrock at its most pure, a true sonic experiment.
4. Betty Davis
Betty Davis, 1973. This record hit like a ton of bricks, a raw, unapologetic blast of funk and untamed sexuality. She didn't just sing; she snarled, purred, and commanded, pushing boundaries before anyone dared. Her vocal delivery and provocative lyrics were ahead of their time, laying groundwork for future generations of fierce women in music. This isn't just soul; it's a primal, electric current that still crackles with danger.
5. Suicide (2019 - Remaster)
Suicide's 1977 debut, in its 2019 remastered glory, still sears. Vega's primal yelps over Rev's skeletal, buzzing electronics and pounding drum machine was pure sonic terrorism. It was punk, but without guitars, a cold, urban dread that scared audiences half to death. This wasn't rock; it was industrial-grade minimalist dread, a stark vision of a decaying city, and a template for post-punk's darker corners.
6. Entertainment!
Gang of Four's 1979 debut, *Entertainment!*, dissected post-punk with surgical precision. Their angular guitars, skeletal funk rhythms, and scathing political lyrics were a cold, intellectual assault on capitalist complacency. It was danceable, yes, but aggressively so, forcing you to think while you moved. This record was a masterclass in tension and release, a blueprint for intelligent, politically charged music that still resonates with its biting social commentary.
7. 20 Jazz Funk Greats (Remastered)
Throbbing Gristle's *20 Jazz Funk Greats* (1979), in its remastered form, remains utterly subversive. The title itself is a cruel joke, masking a sonic landscape of confrontational industrial noise, unsettling drones, and dispassionate vocals. It wasn't just music; it was anti-music, designed to provoke, to challenge the very notion of what sound could be. This is pure, unadulterated experimentalism, a dark ritual that still chills to the bone.
8. Come Away with ESG
ESG's 1982 debut, *Come Away with ESG*, is pure, unadulterated minimalist funk. Their sparse, propulsive rhythms, driving basslines, and chanted vocals were stripped down to essentials, creating a sound that was both raw and incredibly groovy. It bypassed convention, influencing early hip-hop, house, and post-punk with its infectious, skeletal grooves. This isn't just dance music; it's a testament to the power of less being so much more.
9. Melissa
Mercyful Fate's *Melissa* from '83 wasn't just metal; it was a dark, theatrical masterwork. King Diamond's multi-octave falsetto and demonic growls soared over Hank Shermann's intricate, galloping riffs. This record fused NWOBHM's aggression with a nascent, darker aesthetic, laying crucial groundwork for what would become black metal. Its occult themes and complex song structures cast a long shadow, a truly foundational text for extreme metal.
