3. Nirvana - Nevermind
You can argue that Nevermind is an overrated album, and that it's not even the best album in Nirvana's discography. And, who knows, maybe you're right. But...probably not. Not that their debut, Bleach, doesn't have some very promising moments, and In Utero is certainly the most powerful sounding album of the band's three official LPs, but the craftsmanship and songwriting abilities showcased on Nevermind blow everything else out of the water. Nevermind manages to sound somewhat fresh, even decades later. Not that you can ever go back to the time before "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and "Come As You Are" had been played on a non-stop loop for a dozen years, but most of Nevermind still has a crackling energy to it. Also, Kobain hadn't yet entered his spiteful, overly-complex phase of songwriting, which makes the songs more accessible than the ones he'd pen for In Utero. Whether it's the all-out assault of "Breed" and "Territorial Pissings" or the brooding simmer of "Polly" and "Something in the Way," none of these songs try to be exceptionally challenging. The result is an angsty, acerbic, perfectly-crafted pop record.