Nevermind — Nirvana (1991)

Nevermind crashed rock's mainstream by knocking Michael Jackson’s Dangerous off the Billboard No. 1 spot, selling 30 million copies and bringing alternative rock to the masses. Its single "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was played on MTV over 4,000 times in its first year, a promotional force that #1 The Dark Side of the Moon lacked due to its pre-MTV era. While #2 Led Zeppelin IV defined arena rock, Nevermind redefined it entirely for a disaffected generation, making angst commercially viable with a 50% faster production turnaround than the 11 months spent on #4 Rumours.