Franz Ferdinand

Debuting around the same time as the likeminded Arctic Monkeys and Libertines, Franz Ferdinand crafted an introduction that matched the wry wit of an art-school band with the mass appeal of stadium rockers. In other words, music you’d be just as likely to hear in a dimly lit hipster bar as in a game of <i>Guitar Hero</i>. Led by the gargantuan “Take Me Out” (and the equally great “Jacqueline” and “The Dark of the Matinée”), the album was a punk-spiked, stylish alternative to the straightforward fare of mid-’00s modern-rock radio—plenty tough, but smart enough to play it close to the vest.