Rattus Norvegicus

Formed in 1975, The Stranglers managed to align themselves with the punk movement by the time of their 1977 debut album, Rattus Norvegicus, where Martin Rushent's production brought out their churning rhythm section and highlighted their brutal lyrics. The first five minutes of "Sometimes" broke all the punk rules, but mostly for featuring Dave Greenfield's "Happy Organ" in the midst of the industrial rumble. "Goodbye Toulouse" already spotlighted—along with The Damned's Dave Vanian and The Banshees' Siouxsie Sioux—the elements of goth, which would slowly emerge as a more art deco offshoot of punk. "Princess of the Streets" plays like a slow blues from The Doors, while "Peaches" takes that influence and turns it into a challenging streetwalk that bands like The Libertines and Art Brut began stealing wholesale decades later. The Stranglers' debut single—"London Lady" and "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)"—is a better indication of where the band's music was going and the brilliance it could achieve. This edition includes the U.K. single "Choosey Suzie" and "Peasant in the Big S****y."