6 influential rock albums that sound like nothing before them

Every so often, the cookie cutter-loving behemoth known as the music industry is shocked by an album that has the power to shake the very foundations that the business was built upon. New strange sounds have launched relentless assaults on the ears of listeners for as long as music has been around. Albums like these are the agents of much-needed change in the industry. Like political and social revolutions, musical revolutions begin with just a few people moving against the grain. Here are 6 rock albums that shook up the business like nothing before it.

6 “The Velvet Underground & Nico” – The Velvet Underground
Picture a pairing between two master artists at or near the peak of their creative spirit, throw in a line-up of some damn good musicians and you may have something like “The Velvet Underground & Nico” a 1967 album that helped create what is now known as the New York sound. A project born out of the vision of musician Lou Reed and artist Andy Warhol, the album is renowned for its bleak subject matter (including sadism, drug abuse, and the like), and experimental music sensibilities. Reed drew inspiration from artists like Warhol, the poet Allen Ginsburg, and author Raymond Chandler to create an eclectic mish mosh that could only come from New York. The album jumps from strong, but tender “All Tomorrow’s Parties” to the appropriately druggy “Heroin” in which the increasing bass demonstrates the rising heart rate of a heroin addict. In simple terms, no one ever expected something like The Velvet Underground to come along.

5 “Raw Power” – The Stooges
One of the more overused terms in describing rock n roll music is the adjective “fierce” and all of its spin-offs. But when music with unbridled energy is let loose onto the world, other words simply don’t do it justice. Songs like the screeching “Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell” and the sleazy ballad “Penetration” demand attention with their fury and emotion. “Raw Power” was the brainchild of The Stooges and the unparalleled David Bowie; legend has it that Bowie needed to help singer Iggy Pop kick his heroin addiction in order to record this album. Finally, all parties got their act together, and what ensued was 8 tracks of controlled chaos that eventually became widely referred to as punk rock. Though largely unnoticed by mass audiences upon its release, singers like Kurt Cobain and Henry Rollins have stated that their styles were heavily influenced by “Raw Power.” Not too shabby for an album that almost didn’t get recorded.

4 “Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen
It’s hard to believe that, at one point, Bruce Springsteen had not reached mainstream success. Before “Born to Run” Springsteen had been your average singer-songwriter with a few albums under his belt looking for a hit. The album’s recording process was allegedly a frustrating one, with Bruce struggling to really capture the sound that he heard in his head. Whatever they did, it worked. The album’s hit “Born to Run” is still the anthem of everyone from drunken college students to Kerouac wannabes getting ready for their first cross-country road trip.

3 “Rage Against the Machine” – Rage Against the Machine
The genre affectionally known as “rap-metal” has a pretty negative connotation. But once upon a time in 1991, a band called Rage Against the Machine put out a self-titled album that mixed those genres effortlessly, and the result was nothing short of an explosion. The band’s creative engine of Tom Morello and Zack de la Rocha both followed and upended the mold that musical duos like Lennon and McCartney created for them. Morello’s assaulting but funky guitar licks complemented de la Rocha’s fiery rapping style perfectly. The album’s first single “Killing in the Name” was a surprise hit to some. The song’s chorus screams: “fuck you I won’t do what you tell me” over and over again like a war cry. The band has gone through many incarnations since their debut release, but when the dust settles, the industry will always remember their names.

2 “Nevermind” – Nirvana
Ok, maybe it was their second album, but “Nevermind” will always be looked at as the album that made Nirvana the iconic band they are today. “Nevermind’s” themes of alienation and attitude were fresh and even unheard of at the time. A reactionary move to the feel-good egotistical rock music of the 80′s, Nirvana embraced the insecurity and uncertainty that defined Generation X. The lead single, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and its memorable video was a mainstay on MTV for years to come. Sadly, the death of front man Kurt Cobain put an untimely to Nirvana. But the legacy of “Nevermind” will never fade away.

1 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – The Beatles
It’s nearly impossible to say something about what is probably the best album of all time that has never been said before. But you can never heap too much praise onto this piece of art. Oftentimes trippy and avant-garde, “Sgt. Pepper’s” was one of the first true concept albums. The range of music influences touched on everything from jazz to Indian music. The album helped define what was soon to be known as psychedelic rock. It’s impossible to pick a standout track, since they play their part in the album as a whole, from “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” to “When I’m Sixty-Four” they are all phenomenal tracks. No matter if you couldn’t follow the loose story of a fictitious band, the music is simply unique and never stops being pleasing to the ears. Calling this album a work of art just doesn’t seem good enough.

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