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1The Velvet Underground & NicoThe Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground & Nico
Commercially ignored on release and quietly one of the most influential records ever made, pairing pop melody with feedback, drone and unflinching lyrics. Nico's icy vocals and Reed's street poetry still feel startling. Countless bands started after hearing it.
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2Appetite for DestructionGuns N' Roses
Appetite for Destruction
A dangerous, electric debut that revived raw rock'n'roll in the hair-metal era. 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and 'Welcome to the Jungle' lead it. A blockbuster classic.
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3Is This ItThe Strokes
Is This It
The lean, effortless debut that sparked the 2000s garage-rock revival, all taut riffs and detached cool. Short and near-perfect, it influenced a generation of guitar bands. Still sounds fresh.
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4Definitely MaybeOasis
Definitely Maybe
A swaggering debut of rock'n'roll dreams and wall-of-sound guitars, instantly iconic in Britain. Raw and euphoric. The sound of a band announcing itself.
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5The Stone RosesThe Stone Roses
The Stone Roses
A debut that fused indie jangle with dancefloor groove and defined Madchester. Effortlessly cool. One of the great British albums.
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6IllmaticNas
Illmatic
Ten tracks, no filler, widely held to be the greatest rap album ever made. Nas's vivid Queensbridge storytelling sits over production from Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip and Large Professor. The benchmark every lyricist measures against.
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7HorsesPatti Smith
Horses
A visionary fusion of poetry and punk, raw and incantatory from the opening line. Fearless and influential. One of the great debut albums.
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8Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm NotArctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
A whip-smart, fast-selling debut of witty Sheffield character sketches and taut guitars. Sharp and vital. A defining 2000s British record.
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9Are You ExperiencedThe Jimi Hendrix Experience
Are You Experienced
A debut that rewrote the rules of electric guitar, full of fuzz, feedback and psychedelic invention. Revolutionary and thrilling. Where modern rock guitar begins.
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10Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
A sharp, danceable art-rock debut built for the floor, home to 'Take Me Out'. Angular and fun. A 2000s landmark.