Unless you were living under a rock or not yet born in 2001, you'll remember it as the year when The Strokes detonated with the release of Is This It, one of the biggest debut records of its generation. It came with some controversy, naturally, due to certain lyrical content and the art on the original album cover (look it up). Once unleashes, the record made famous the post-mod deadpan of Julian Casablancas, Nick Valensi, Albert Hammond Jr., Nikolai Fraiture, and Fabrizio Moretti. Smart, angular guitar arrangements, small-ish drum production, and Casablancas's disaffected croon define the record throughout its 11 tracks, most notably on display in the enormous debut single, "Last Night".

Side A

• Is This It
• The Modern Age
• Soma
• Barely Legal
• Someday

Side B

• Alone, Together
• Last Nite
• Hard To Explain
• New York City Cops
• Trying Your Luck
• Take It Or Leave It

Straight out of New York comes perma-cool post-punkers, The Strokes. After detonating in 2001 with platinum-certified debut record Is This It, the quintet honed their blend of crooning vocals atop deft guitar and rhythm work over the course of five studio records. The Strokes remain a powerful live force and considered forefathers of a rock resurgence at the top of the aughts. They've also received BRIT and NME awards, as well as a spot on Rolling Stone’s Top 500 Albums of All Time.