It’s hard to overstate Daydream Nation’s importance really. It’s a record that marked a new era for alternative rock, but, more than that, it helped shape the notion of what American indie rock meant. That’s because it took all the disparate strands—college rock, hardcore punk, avant-garde—and sewed them together into a double-album magnum opus.

The group’s three songwriters—Thurston Moore, Kim Gordon and Lee Ranaldo—were at their peak here, beginning with “Teen Age Riot,” the poppiest song in their arsenal, whose early working title was “J Mascis for President.” The album’s influence was so vast that whole genres grew in its footprint; Kurt Cobain said it was one of his favorite albums of all time and Dave Grohl has said that when he initially wrote “Everlong,” he was so paranoid that he’d ripped off “Teen Age Riot,” he had to check with Moore and Gordon to see if it was OK.

N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton (1988)

N.W.A. and Straight Outta Compton changed hip-hop forever. “You are now about to witness the strength of street knowledge” are the first words you hear, kicking off an album that takes no prisoners. Opening with “Straight Outta Compton,” “Fuck tha Police,” and “Gangsta Gangsta,” this was a debut record that was unsparing and defiant, a commercial juggernaut whose impact rippled out into pop culture and politics. Their songs were vivid portraits of the violence, brutality and racism experienced by Black America, which also makes them—unfortunately—timeless; “Fuck Tha Police” could easily be just as resonant if it was released today.

N.W.A. might not have invented gangsta rap but Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and MC Ren reshaped hip-hop in their own image and that influence is still felt today. It’s both fitting and somewhat hilarious that over 30 years later, the group who took on the state are now recognized in the Library of Congress.

Madonna, Like A Prayer (1989)