Little more than a blip stateside, Manic Street Preachers are legends in the UK for both their contentious interviews and mystique, and their music and topical lyrics. Their debut dropped in '92 and rocked hard enough to justify artistic dalliances, which included penning a concept album based on George Orwell's books. Some have called their sound “British emo,” since it often mixes post-punk guitar rage and glam flash with hugely melodic passages and ballads. Twelve albums later, they're still going strong.