1979

While the topic could most likely be argued forever, we'll venture that 1979's "Overkill" is the ultimate MOTÖRHEAD album. Take one glance at the tracklisting, and it's plain to see that it's stacked with classics. Lemmy's grumbly storytelling gnarls and 60s-style bass grooves drive the band through ten menacing, streetwise anthems like "Damage Case" and their classic "Metropolis. " Fast Eddie Clarke sounds like a metal 'n beer crazed blooze demon on the spacy interludes of "Capricorn" and "Limb From Limb". It's hard to imagine how the world of rock 'n roll survived prior to MOTÖRHEAD's prolific brand of chainsaw biker metal.

If you think about it, just about every musical expression that ever existed from the cavemen beating on rocks up until 1979 was just a prelude to the greatness of ZZ TOP's "Deguello". From the bone-chilling blues of "Fool for Your Stockings" to the zany whoops of "Cheap Sunglasses", this may be the greatest ZZ TOP album of all time. All served up with masterful pop-and-simmer blues guitarwork from Billy Gibbons and unique tongue-in-cheek kinda Texas wackiness.

Picks of the litter, 1979: