Kerosene

Miranda Lambert's debut was a game-changer, proving that a woman could be just as much of a badass as her male country contemporaries. Lambert breathes fire from the first moments, roaring out the revenge rocker "Kerosene" (co-written by Steve Earle) over snarling guitars and a steam-hammer beat. She's equally adept at ballads, though, as borne out by plaintive, bittersweet cuts like "Bring Me Down." But even Kerosene’s love songs drip with blood, sweat, and tears.