On Elephunk, their third album, Los Angeles alterna-rap group the Black Eyed Peas make another bid to crack the big time. To that end, they break out some marquee names — Justin Timberlake, Papa Roach, Brazilian samba legend Sergio Mendes — as well as add a female member, Fergie, to their crew. Party anthems predominate, from the Southern-fried rapid rap "Hands Up" to the Parliament-inflected "Let's Get Retarded," and they all achieve their booty-shaking goals. The snags occur with the group's efforts at grit and substance (the sappy prayer of the Timberlake collaboration, the formulaic rap rock of "Anxiety"), in which cliched observations, preachy lyrics and MTV-ready posturing float atop meticulously detailed production. Ironically, it's that less inspired material that may finally earn the group its breakthrough hit.

“Is It True”

As the British Invasion reached its peak in 1964, Brenda Lee went from Nashville to London to record one of her hardest-rocking hits, her perky vocal backed by a stuttering, squalling guitar. That guitar was played by session musician Jimmy Page, yet to skyrocket to fame with first the Yardbirds and then Led Zeppelin. "She said to me, 'I've come here to make a record with the British sound,'" remembered producer Mickie Most. "She felt she wouldn't get the same sound in Nashville because they're only just catching up on the British beat group sound of about six months ago."