10 Music Artists Who Released Their Best Album Second
6. The Libertines - The Libertines
During a somewhat dull time for British music, there were a handful of bands that carried the load through the mid-2000's.
From Arctic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand to Busted and McFly, the collective hangover from the glut of 1990's obscurity was significant, and when the charts was dominated by Sugarbabes, Michelle McManus and Daniel Bedingfield, there was more than enough room for something great.
Enter Pete Doherty and Carl Barat.
Released in the mid-2000's, The Libertines self-titled release is a significant moment for British rock music as it, and the superb Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys, reminded us that indie, post punk tunes were here to stay.
The Libertines wonderfully fused the familiarity of The Clash with the wave of new indie sensibilities that defined the 2000's. Slurry vocals, funky melodies and even funkier off-stage antics were staples of the band, but any drawbacks were rendered irrelevant when they entered the recording studio.
It's a miracle that this album even exists given the state of the band at the time, so to say The Libertines' self-titled album is genre-defining is miraculous.
We'd all do well to remember just how good The Libertines were.