1. PHYSICAL GRAFFITI – LED ZEPPELIN (1975)
Led Zep in their pomp. Barnstorming performances from every band member and not one duff track. Arguably there has never been a better drum sound anywhere.
2. ARGUS – WISHBONE ASH (1972)
Definitive twin guitar extravaganza from arch exponents of prog rock. Andy Powell’s Flying V defined a decade, and at just under 10 minutes, Time Was sets the tone for an utter classic.
3. JAILBREAK –THIN LIZZY (1976)
The classic line up, and their best album. The opening riff is completely original - a rare thing in rock.
4. BOSTON – BOSTON (1976)
Engineer and founder Tom Scholz completely reinvents what a guitar can sound like with his Rockman effects box. Truly unique, and never successfully imitated since.
5. ROCKS – AEROSMITH (1976)
Filthy, flawed and fantastic. From the screaming Strats of Back In The Saddle to the immaculate ballad of Home Tonight, their best album by far.
6. FUTURAMA – BE BOP DELUXE (1975)
Soaring guitars and space age lyrics. Maid In Heaven is two and a half minutes of pure genius, and on Sister Seagull Bill Nelson’s guitar actually sounds like one.
7. NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS – SEX PISTOLS (1977)
Era-defining punk at full throttle. Nothing had ever sounded like this before. Thundering Les Pauls and snarling vocals. More raw power than a juggernaut.
8. STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT – UFO (1978)
Flying V supremo Michael Schenker on the best form of his life. Natural Thing thunders out of the traps and it never eases up till a coruscating Lights Out/Rock Bottom/Too Hot Handle/Shoot Shoot finale. Bliss.
9. ONE MORE FROM THE ROAD – LYNYRD SKYNYRD (1976)
Seven-piece swamp rockers in their natural environment. They set the Atlanta Fox Theatre on fire with their special brand of Southern boogie, crescendoing triumphantly with a fourteen-minute version of Free Bird, with its triple guitar solo.
10. WOODFACE – CROWDED HOUSE (1991)
Pop masterpiece from these talented Kiwis. Every track is effectively a hit single, including the ubiquitous Weather With You.
