Classic album: Betty Davis (self-titled)

You may have heard that Miles Davis, the king of cool, the daddy of kickass, was married to this aggressive, punky funk testicle-crusher during his most badass period (late 60s/early 70s). You may have also heard that she turned him on to the hard and acid rock of Hendrix and Santana. That's enough to make her an interesting character, but you may have also heard that she released albums of her own. Her self-titled debut is an energetic jam featuring a jaw-droppingly tight band (Sly & The Family Stone's drummer and bassist - need I say more?) and madly screaming soul vocals. If it sounds too grating and violently feminist to you, that's ok. She wouldn't have wanted it any other way. You can just shake and snap to the magnetic beats and riffs. It's dirty, mean funk, and it snaps and pops like Sly Stone's most drug-drenched tracks.