The Boomtown Rats by Boomtown Rats

The Boomtown Rats' self-titled debut hit the racks in September 1977 on Mercury, with Mutt Lange producing, and it's a six-man gang out of Dublin elbowing its way onto the new wave with a sneer and a grin. Bob Geldof sings like he's picking a fight, Garry Roberts and Gerry Cott handle lead and rhythm guitar, Johnnie Fingers pounds the keys, his cousin Pete Briquette plays bass and Simon Crowe drums.

"Lookin' After No. 1" was their first hit, a snotty, strutting blast, and "Mary of the 4th Form" followed it out as the next single. The punk energy is real, but there's a pop band's feel for a hook under all the attitude, and the album made it to No. 18 in the UK. A Tonic for the Troops came next.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.