Proto-punk in the year that punk exploded, The Stranglers were as enigmatic as their album covers. Their focus on organ and bass almost made them feel like a Rough Trade version of The Doors (without Jim Morrison’s lizard king recitations, except on “Princess of the Streets”). “Sometimes” connects the Sex Pistols to London’s baroque pop past, “Peaches” foretells the genre’s flirtation with Caribbean rhythms, “Hanging Around” dabbles with post-punk repetition. Nobody really gives them enough credit but these sewer-dwellers shouldn’t be forgotten.

– Jeff Treppel