12 No-Skip Hard Rock Albums

In the summer of 2003, The Darkness exploded into the British psyche with their debut album, Permission to Land.

Kicking off with a nostalgic 1970s riff, Black Shuck introduces listeners to Justin Hawkins’s energetic range - in a tweet in 2013, he denied he sang falsetto, instead singing the high parts using head voice - and leads on perfectly to Get Your Hands Off My Woman.

The third track, Growing on Me, was The Darkness’s first hit, reaching number 11 in the UK Single’s Chart. Its chorus with superb call and response between lead and backing vocals is incredibly catchy and has aged very well.

I Believe in a Thing Called Love is the album’s fourth track and is a song cemented in UK music history, being butchered in karaoke to this very day.

The fifth track, Love is Only a Feeling, is the album’s only ballad, and also received extensive airtime. Hawkins’ lyrics are pop, yet avoid being cheesy. The solo in this track is especially noteworthy, with a great dual crescendo by guitarist brothers, Justin and Dan Hawkins.

The next two tracks, Givin’ Up and Stuck in a Rut, contain AC/DC inspired riffs and are fun frolics covering topics such as drug addiction and the need to escape boring everyday life.

The album’s final four tracks are fun, catchy, and gritty while remaining Pop/Hard Rock. That’s no easy feat, but The Darkness pulled it out of the bag.