One of the most surprising things in all of rock music is that the shameful, embarrassing glam-rock burn-outs known as Mötley Crüe created in their debut one of the absolute best albums of garage-band punk ever made. The stripped-down metal/punk sound of Too Fast for Love is full of genuine youthful energy (totally missing from later Crüe albums), hard-driving metal beats, raucous lyrics and yes, there is a cowbell. The music practically grabs you by the throat; it demands your attention, and it totally kicks ass. Just a few minutes of listening to the sneering ultra-cool guitar work and you'll notice the influence on a dozen mega-successful metal bands. You won't believe this is Mötley Crüe.

Nate Grover