In 2007, these Florida punks hooked up with producer Butch Vig for New Wave, infusing their lefty anthems with a new clarity and power. On the follow-up (also produced by Vig), some cynicism crept into Tom Gabel's lyrics: "I Was a Teenage Anarchist" is blazing Springsteen emo, as Gabel decries the misguided revolutionary politics of his youth, and on the pretty acoustic shuffle "Ache With Me," Gabel cops to a "sense of defeat." The arena-huge tunes can get a little overbearing, but cuts like the title track — where Gabel yearns to smash white crosses displayed by anti-abortion activists — are righteous, churning gut-rollers.

“Everyday People”

"Everyday People" managed to trailblaze in two different ways -- it was one of the first pop hits to deal with the subject of racial harmony, and it utilized Larry Graham's "slap" technique on the bass guitar, which would soon be copied by countless other bassists. Graham once said about his pulsating style, "I'd never done that before … that's where the freedom of creativity came in for the band, that we'd be allowed to do that." In 1978, the song's line "Different strokes for different folks" would be borrowed for the title of the hit television show Diff'rent Strokes.