The Replacements cracked open punk's nihilism to reveal the bruised romantic underneath, Paul Westerberg's songcraft maturing beyond thrash into something dangerously vulnerable. From the mandolin jangle of I Will Dare to the devastating simplicity of Answering Machine, Let It Be swings wildly between drunken humour and teenage heartbreak without losing its thread.

This Minneapolis quartet bridged hardcore's intensity with power pop's melodic instincts, creating a blueprint for alternative rock before the term meant anything. Critics adored it; radio ignored it. The influence proved seismic regardless.