Talking Heads named their album ' 77. Television, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, the Jam, all kinds of new bands with new music proved to the world that with enough antipathy from radio it, too, could NOT SELL in large amounts. Sure, Never Mind the Bollocks It's the Sex Pistols turns 30 this year. But so do the following albums that became just as important in their own way.

Rush - A Farewell to Kings

Before these guys became the RUSH that brought together generations of music fans with their laborious concept albums, overwrought lyrical concerns, tricky, uselessly complicated time signatures and Daffy Duck on helium lead vocals, they were this little band from Canada (only three of them) that most people felt sorry for and bought their albums solely to boost up the band's self-esteem. In 1977, it wasn't uncommon to walk into a record store and overhear an earnest young girl say, "Oh, but their Canadian. I'd feel bad if I didn't help them out in some small way." In Canada, you had to

There are many ways to ruin a song. But singing them really sucky tops the list. So many singers use vocal styles that make listeners turn their radios off that you start to wonder if they're doing it on purpose. The age of auto-tuning has enabled many non-singers the chance to sing on key. But it doesn't help convey the all-important "emotion" that's supposed to go along with it. As you'll see below, there is a style where this is effective. However, the singer must first make sure the approach makes sense.

There are hundreds of styles and countless sub-groupings. We (meaning me) could break this down for years - and who knows maybe we will? For now, let's start with the five most obvious approaches to modern song and then a few people who exemplify that effort.

The Manly Approach: I will sweep your woman off their feet and take them home tonight.  Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Mick Jagger, Roger Daltrey, David Lee Roth, Vince Neil, Joan Jett.

The Soothing Romantic Approach: I am

Metallica's James Hetfield gets stopped at the airport for sporting a "Taliban" styled beard and immediately you think, well, the last bunch of Metallica albums haven't been very good, but that hardly seems reason to accuse him of joining Al Qaeda.  Besides, he isn't even one of the beard-wearing pros.

Beards, however, do signify deep meaningful changes within the person wearing one. Besides hiding the double chin, they express a philosophy of life that is very different from our shaven friends.

Jim Morrison: Without it, he looked like a Greek God and woman went nuts. Who would want to live under such scrutiny? Who wouldn't wake up one day and say, "Nuts, I'm growing a beard and I'm going to get FAT!"? We all need goals in our life. Achieving them makes us strong. Unless we die young, like Jim. Then reverse that axiom about "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" and change it to "What kills us, well, kills us." Bummer, dude.

ZZ Top: They could've learned a fourth chord. But rather

Nothing is more important in this world than human understanding. We must strive to make sure that each of us better comprehends what we are saying to one another. Communication should be at the forefront of any new society. There is no better way to reach "young people" than with popular song. Classic rock radio has made sure that we as a collective mass of humanity have all heard the same 500 songs ten million times. It's time to think closer about what these songs mean and what they are really saying to us.

Kiss, "Rock n' Roll All Night": I wanna rock n' roll all night and party everyday but the toll such carousing takes is impossible to maintain for long since the body requires rest and while vitamins and energy drinks can help me endure beyond my expected endurance level, it does not allow me to do this for nights on end, no matter how much of a party animal I may see myself as.

The Beatles, "All You Need is Love": All you need is love, a good education, some money in the bank,