Dreamboat Annie

Heart’s 1976 debut album was recorded with a relatively small budget and released on the indie Mushroom Records. Then the irresistible big-riffers “Crazy on You” and “Magic Man” exploded all over American FM radio, and the female-fronted hard-rock band were suddenly a force to be reckoned with. This multiplatinum album is rich with Led Zeppelin–ish qualities (especially in the spaciousness of the title song), folky moments (the beautiful, Phoebe Snow–like “Soul of the Sea” and the flute- and strings-enhanced “How Deep It Goes”), floppy-fringed blues (“Sing Child”), and vibrant rockers about regret (“White Lightning and Wine”). American radio in the '70s would’ve sounded a lot different had Heart not existed. And for this album to have happened in the career-defining way that it did, the band's leaders—sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson—had to overcome formidable odds, namely the prevailing ’70s attitude that women couldn't rock. This is a fascinating and essential listen for anyone into rock ’n’ roll, or just the sound of women kicking down doors.