10 Most Iconic Music Albums Turning 50 In 2023

Many punk aficionados will argue that one of the most significant bands to kickstart the punk movement was The Stooges. Widley credited as being one of the most influential records in punk music, their third studio album Raw Power, though not commercially successful immediately, has since gained a huge cult following.

With electric frontman Iggy Pop in the sinister depths of a heroin addiction, and the band having officially broken up after producing two standout albums, Pop signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records and moved to England. After failing to find musicians to play on his new record, Iggy invited ex-Stooges members to reform and become “Iggy and The Stooges”.

Displaying a more hard-rock direction from their previous sound, guitarist James Williamson inspired countless musicians, including The Sex Pistols' guitarist Steve Jones, who famously spent hours learning to play along with the album with a little helping hand of speed. Likewise, jangle guitar wizard Johnny Marr of The Smiths and rock icon Kurt Cobain both cited Raw Power as their all-time favourite record. Pretty high praise, for good reason.

Standout singles such as Search and Destroy and Shake Appeal explode into a listener's ears unapologetically, creating a lasting impact and inspiring guitar players for generations.