It's perhaps the single most important recording to come out of indie rock ever, cracking the code for hundreds of bands to follow, from Nirvana and Pavement to newcomers like Deerhunter and No Age. It also pops up on just about every Best Albums list—including the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry, which inducted the album in 2006, thereby placing them in a musical pantheon alongside Lead Belly, Robert Johnson, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, and the Beach Boys.

The proof is in the music. "Teenage Riot" is still one of the best songs Sonic Youth ever committed to tape—a seven-minute anthem that defines rock 'n' roll's rebellious spirit like Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" or "Johnny B. Goode."

From that triumphant opening track, Sonic Youth deliver maximal punk and noise-rock fun that never lets up for 70-minutes. "Silver Rocket" careens down the freeway at 100-miles-per-hour, "Candle" rides along a stunning arpeggiated guitar riff, Kim Gordon scratches and bites like a feral monster on "Kissability" and the mind-blowing seven-minute anthem "The Sprawl."

Lee Ranaldo has always been in the shadow of Moore and Gordon-led tunes, but he delivers his finest vocal moments on Daydream with "Eric's Trip" and "Hey Joni," easily two… read more »