Les Négresses Vertes – Accordion grit from Saint-Ouen
Les Négresses Vertes arrived with Mlah: accordion, brass, Helno's sneer, and Paris street-party volume.
By the Way – Melodies over the funk flex
On 9 July 2002 Warner Bros. released By the Way, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' eighth studio album, cut with Rick Rubin after writing sessions at the Chateau Marmont.
Never Mind The Bollocks – One album, maximum noise, Virgin 1977
On 28 October 1977 the Sex Pistols released Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols on Virgin, cut at Wessex Sound with Chris Thomas and Bill Price.
The Pretenders – Middle Of The Road
The Pretenders’ Middle of the Road (1983, Learning to Crawl): Hynde after the losses, harmonica rocker, Chris Thomas.
Hole – Courtney Love’s band that punched through grunge
Hole formed in Los Angeles in 1989 around Courtney Love and Eric Erlandson: Pretty on the Inside first, then Live Through This and Celebrity Skin as US alternative went mainstream.
Mano Negra – Patchanka that crossed borders by force
Mano Negra formed in Paris in 1987 around Manu Chao. Patchanka (1988) put French, Spanish, and brass in the same songs.
Sham 69 – If The Kids Are United
If the Kids Are United, Sham 69's 1978 Polydor single, turns a Hersham terrace shout into a punk slogan chorus.
Blur – Song 2
Blur’s Song 2 (1997): Coxon’s scare-the-label brief, woo-hoo, two-minute loud cut, US breakthrough.
Coldplay – Clocks
Coldplay’s Clocks (2002): late piano triplets on A Rush of Blood, Martin, Buckland, Champion, Berryman.
Californication – Frusciante back, California on the tongue
On 8 June 1999 Warner Bros. released Californication, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' seventh album and the first with John Frusciante back after Dave Navarro's exit.