(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)

Where the Allman Brothers and Marshall Tucker had a more restrained, accomplished rock sound, Florida's Lynyrd Skynyrd took another approach, evoking images of whiskey, Confederate flags, hard luck, and greasy dive bars in their music. The like-minded Molly Hatchet and .38 Special couldn't come close to matching the lyrical talent and natural-born rock-and-boogie abilities of Skynyrd. And, of course, no other band can lay claim to the most-requested song in the history of rock music, the anthemic "Free Bird," the focal point of this, their 1973 debut. Aside from spawning countless tomes of bad poetry by pockmarked 15-year-olds everywhere with "Free Bird," they demonstrated a mastery of the rock ballad with the time-tested "Tuesday's Gone," another highlight of this notable first offering. --Lorry Fleming