10 Weirdest Cult Albums You Need To Hear

10. GI - The Germs

Towards the end of the '70s, punk was just starting to go in a heavier direction. While new wave may have been the cooler version of underground music, there was a tinge of hardcore punk that was rising from beneath the surface. People may have wanted to something a bit harsher, but nothing could have prepared them for something like the Germs.

Coming out of the California rock scene, these guys were some of the most chaotic musicians you have ever seen onstage, with Darby Crash being an absolute madman whenever the spotlight was on him. It got even weirder once you listened to GI, which made for the most abrasive listen the punk world had ever seen. Granted, some of these more chaotic passages are commonplace nowadays thanks to bands like Bad Brains and Minor Threat, but this first iteration actually made the concept of punk rock actually sound dangerous.

Though this album was certainly noteworthy in its time, the spark ended up snuffing itself out when Crash died in early 1980 of a heroin overdose. Guitarist Pat Smear may have been able to bounce back thanks to his work with Nirvana and Foo Fighters, but The Germs' maniacal take on punk rock remains one of the most underrated classics from the early days of the genre.