“6'1” by Liz Phair

Liz Phair's 6'1" kicks the door open on Exile in Guyville, her 1993 debut album, and it sets the terms for everything that follows. Phair made the record in Chicago at Idful Music Corporation, producing it with Brad Wood, and she built the whole thing as a loose, track-by-track answer to the Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St., which makes this her reply to the Stones' opening salvo.

It's a fast, fuzzed-up rush, Phair's distorted guitar riff out front and Wood covering bass, percussion and backing vocals behind her, and the voice in it stands its ground instead of asking permission. Critics have long heard it as the song that tells you exactly who's talking on this record, and it's a big part of why Guyville still looms over the decade's indie rock.

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