"Before I list a single song, I want to explain to you how I assembled the titles," Henry Rollins, the former frontman of Black Flag, says of the top-10 underground songs list he's compiled for Esquire. Rollins's cred in creating such a list is without question, from his work in the legendary punk band and solo music to his prolific writing and hosting on KCRW and the History network's 10 Things You Don't Know About. And on January 27, the for Greil Marcus's The History of Rock 'n' Roll in Ten Songs, narrated by Rollins, will be released. Still, he's clearly also enough of a music (and history) geek to take the task seriously. "This list could be totally different depending on who you asked to make it. Also, I had to find songs that, if you find yourself interested, you'd be able to locate with relative ease. There is no use in lending praise to a song you'll have difficulty locating.

"So this list is not authoritative," Rollins says as he gives us his top 10, below. "I'm just a music fan tossing his two cents. With all this in consideration, let's go."

Listen to Henry Rollins's underground playlist on Esquire Spotify >>

Sonic's Rendezvous Band, "City Slang"

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"One of the most undermentioned American rock bands of the last century. It was, literally, a Detroit supergroup. Fred 'Sonic' Smith of the MC5 on guitar, Scott Morgan of the Rationals on guitar and vocals, Gary Rasmussen of the Up on bass, and Scott Asheton of the Stooges on drums. This is both post-Stooges and post-MC5. In my opinion, both Smith and Asheton, two of the most solid musicians to come out of the entire Detroit late-'60s, early-'70s scene, both realized their mightiest playing in this band. Most of their recorded output is live material that is fairly easy to locate. They made a single of one of their best tracks, 'City Slang,' and released it in 1978. In a little over 5 minutes, the band delivers some of the most thrilling, blowout, burn-up rock and roll. Smith's tone and attack is without peer, Asheton's solid drive is the epitome of rock drumming. The band is a cohesive thing of perfection. I was introduced to this song in the early '80s and have never recovered."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Stooges' Raw Power, MC5's High Time, the Sonic's Rendezvous Band box set.

Pere Ubu, "Final Solution"

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"Ohio was one of the most fertile grounds for what could be called underground music. I could make this list only using bands from this state and do just fine. David Thomas, Pere Ubu's vocalist and leader of the band to this day, has been making records under the Pere Ubu moniker as well as solo for decades. He is one of my favorite performers and I see him whenever the opportunity presents itself. The band's early singles are now fairly pricey items. Thankfully, the material has been reissued on a release called Terminal Tower: An Archival Collection. What is true of 'Final Solution' is true of this initial batch of Ubu. It is visionary stuff from the schools of rock, what would be called punk, and art, all mixing with time, place, and restless creativity. Any band that is taking their name from a character in an Alfred Jarry play, come on, you gotta listen for no other reason besides that. Of all the early material, this is my personal favorite but truly, it's all really cool. To mention one Ohio band and leave it there is out of line. If you are going to cite Ubu, you have to also mention another Thomas-fronted band, Rocket from the Tomb. Also, the Pagans, the Electric Eels, the Styrenes, the Mirrors, the Cramps, Devo, and X__X must also be acknowledged."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Pere Ubu's The Modern Dance, Rocket from the Tomb's The Day the Earth Met the...

The Cramps, "Human Fly"

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"I warned you, we were not going to be able to get away from Ohio all that quickly. One of the greatest rock bands of all time was from Ohio. They were called the Cramps. This is not up for debate. Ask the countless thousands who were lucky enough to bear witness to the band's life-altering live shows and they will tell you that without a doubt, the band's vocalist, Lux Interior, was one of the greatest frontmen of all time. Lux passed away in 2009 and Cramps fans all over the world mourned. While the band released a lot of blazing material, as a single song, 'Human Fly,' from their first single, is perfection. I think I bought my copy at a Cramps show after having been fairly terrified by the proximity of Lux, who all in the front row were treated to."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: The Cramps' Songs the Lord Taught Us, Gravest Hits, Psychedelic Jungle.

Devo, "Jocko Homo"

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"Let's get it over with. One more Ohio band. Not only is Devo essential listening, their early material, before they broke out worldwide with 'Whip It' on their second album for Warner Brothers, Freedom of Choice, they were making utterly brilliant music while students at Kent State, now compiled in the excellent Hardcore Devo collections. They were making singles on their own Booji Boy label. One of them has a version of their classic song 'Jocko Homo' (the song with the 'Are we not men?/We are Devo!' lyric). While the Brian Eno-produced Warner Bros. album version is great, the earlier lower-fi version is a breakthrough. You might be familiar with the song at this point but this version, along with Devo's early material, is tremendous listening and key to understanding where music was headed in the 1980s."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Hardcore Devo Vols. 1 & 2, B Stiff EP, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now for the Future.

Suicide, "Ghost Rider"

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"Alan Vega on voice and Martin Rev on machine. That's it. Two men assaulting whoever was in front of them. Their Max's Kansas City and CBGB tenderizing of audiences is the stuff of NYC legend. Their first album, Suicide, is a standalone masterpiece. It is so unlike anything from the NYC music scene which the band sprung from, they didn't fit in anywhere. It took the world years to catch up. Now they are seen as innovative sonic terrorists of the highest order. All hail. Springsteen covers Suicide. Suicide doesn't cover Springsteen. I bought this album with a corner cut off for three dollars in 1979 and after playing it once, didn't play it again for months. It took me that long to process it. Since then, I have not stopped playing it to this day. I'm going easy on you by selecting the song 'Ghost Rider.' Wait until you hear 'Frankie Teardrop.'"

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Suicide's Suicide, Half Alive, Ghost Riders, Alan Vega's Deuce Avenue, Dujang Prang, Cubist Blues.

Roky Erickson, "Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play"

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"Roky's work from his early days in the 13th Floor Elevators to his incredible solo material, it's kinda unreal how much mindblowing music this man is responsible for. It would be a fun debate as to which is his greatest song because everyone would be right. On his classic album The Evil One, there is a version of 'Click Your Fingers Applauding the Play,' and it's great, but for me, it's the version on the four-track seven-inch released on the Sponge label in 1977 otherwise known as the Sponge EP. 'Click Your Fingers' shares the EP with three other searing Roky tunes: 'Mine Mine Mind,' 'Two-Headed Dog' (later called 'Red Temple Prayer'), and 'I Have Always Been Here Before.' The EP is long out of print but the tracks have been reissued and are not difficult to find. Roky Erickson is a national treasure and you really should listen immediately."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Roky Erickson & the Aliens' The Evil One, Roky Erickson's Don't Slander Me, Gremlins Have Pictures, I Have Always Been Here Before (anthology).

Death, "Politicians in My Eyes"

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"Three brothers, David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney, recorded and in 1976 released a two-song single with 'Politicians in My Eyes' and 'Keep on Knockin'.' Decades later, after the release of an album's worth of material and a critically acclaimed documentary [A Band Called Death], 'Politicians in My Eyes,' thankfully, isn't a hard song to find. It used to be. The original pressing of the single is said to be only 500. I have seen only one. A pal of mine bought it many years ago for a few dollars, which is about 900 less than you would pay these days. The excellent Drag City label released more Death tracks on LP about 10 years ago and they are really good. 'Politicians in My Eyes' is a great song and the fact that it sat for so long for the most part unheard makes it quite interesting and a perfect argument for never stopping the search for great music. It's everywhere, obviously."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Death's For All the Whole World to See, A Band Called Death (documentary).

Flipper, "Ha Ha Ha"

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"The weight of this band is beyond measure. I hate to use this word, but in this case, it's the only one I can dredge up that works: Flipper was fucked. The studio releases are great, but Flipper was a live band. It was when they had you in a venue that they could really do their awful business to you. It wasn't just a band playing some songs. It was like getting mugged, inhaling a box of detergent, or speed-reading Last Exit to Brooklyn. I was lucky enough to see them many times and they were never anything less than brutal and amazing. You never wanted to be put through it again and of course went to see them any time you could because you knew that Flipper was more real than you ever could hope to be. One of the stupider things I have ever done more than once was go onstage after Flipper had just played. The audience was angry, drained, and we were mere lounge music by comparison. There has never been anything like this band. It is a fair bet that Flipper is not for you, which is perhaps the way they wanted it. Will Shatter RIP."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Flipper's Sex Bomb Baby, Generic.

Bad Brains, "Pay to Cum"

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"The Bad Brains are at this point not all that underground, having made several albums and played all over the world. Their first single was two songs. The A-side, perhaps their most well-known song, 'Pay to Cum,' is 90 seconds of speed, swing, and agility that will have you playing it again, trying to figure out how the hell they did it. I first saw them opening for the Damned in Washington, DC, in June of 1979. We were all there to see the Damned, but as we were leaving that night, all we could talk about was the Bad Brains and that song. 'What the hell was he saying?' 'How can someone sing that fast?' 'What was the name of that song?' The band made a demo I believe in August of that year, released many years later as an album called Black Dots. It is my opinion that had it been released as an album the year they recorded it, the history of independent music in America would be different. I don't know how, but it would be different. In 1980 the band released a two-song single with 'Pay to Cum' as one of the strongest A-sides I have ever heard. After the single was pressed, the band needed a car to bring the copies down from NYC. I lent them mine and that's how the record got to DC. Very well could be the best band I have ever seen."

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: Bad Brains' Black Dots, Greatest Riffs (a best-of, with the single version of "PTC"), I Against I.

The Four Plugs, "The Wrong Treatment"

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"Thank goodness for the Internet. If you type in the band's name and the song title, you can listen to the song. Otherwise, you will most likely have to shell out some bucks at this point. Simply put, the man singing is just so bitter, you simultaneously feel for him and can't help but want to laugh at someone who is so outraged, so done wrong and humiliated. He wants to give the target of his consternation a 'fine certificate' to 'demonstrate your merit' so 'you can show it to all your friends.' The riff sounds like someone tuning up their instrument and is perfectly wrong in the best possible way. This is a perfect example of why the underground, as it's called, is such a great place to look for music. Another appealing thing about this single is there is little to no information about the band. Who doesn't love a mystery?"

If you dug it, Rollins recommends: "I have no idea where to steer you on this one besides advising you to remain as open-eared as possible. There's a lot of great music out there!"

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Jeff Slate Jeff Slate is a New York City-based songwriter and journalist who has contributed music and culture articles to Esquire since 2013.

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