Henry Rollins’ 10 favourite albums of all time
“Being an artist is dragging your innermost feelings out, giving a piece of yourself, no matter in which art form, in which medium.” — Henry Rollins
When fronted by the electrifying Henry Rollins, Black Flag became known for live shows that were unmatched by any of their contemporaries. Their raw, relentless energy ignited every room they played, making each performance an unforgettable experience. From the first note to the last, Black Flag delivered a relentless barrage of sound and intensity, leaving the stage drenched in sweat and their audiences forever marked by the visceral power of their performance. Their shows weren’t merely witnessed—they were absorbed into the very souls of those present, becoming an indelible part of their lives from the moment the curtain fell.
Rollins remains Black Flag’s longest-serving vocalist, joining the band in 1981 before their eventual first break up in 1986; the singer was plucked from being a 20-year-old fan and transformed into the uncompromising frontman. It’s a true tale for the ages, and the opportunity was one that he didn’t waste.
Rollins began exchanging letters with bassist Chuck Dukowski and later decided to invite the entire band to stay in his parents’ home while they toured the East Coast. At the time, Black Flag vocalist Dez Cadena was becoming desperate to move away from singing duties to focus entirely on the band’s guitar role, thus freeing up a frontman spot. Rollins would be the ultimate intense addition.
The life-changing moment that catapulted Henry Rollins into the spotlight came when he was offered a partial audition for the role of frontman in his favorite band, Black Flag, at Tu Casa Studio in New York City. Seizing the opportunity, Rollins, who was then a regional manager for an ice cream shop, quit his day job on the spot. Impressed by his raw energy and intensity, Black Flag quickly asked him to become the new face and voice of the band, marking the beginning of an iconic chapter in punk rock history.
It was a crossroads moment for Rollins, “I looked at the ice cream scoop in my hand, my chocolate bespattered apron, and my future in the world of minimum-wage work,” he said. “Or I could go up to New York and audition for this crazy band who is my favourite.” He didn’t care that the opportunity provided a chance of humiliation in front of his favourite band because “meh, I was used to it”.
After joining Black Flag, Rollins helped propel the band to new heights, establishing an international fanbase that, while small, was fiercely loyal. Black Flag’s intense performances and relentless touring endeared them to their cult following in every city they visited. Following his departure from the group, Rollins continued to make his mark on the music scene with the Rollins Band, further solidifying his status as an icon of hardcore music. Beyond music, Rollins has also explored a career in film and television, showcasing his versatility and expanding his influence across different creative fields.
His career is a truly astonishing ride, and the longevity of his musical progression has seen Rollins defy all odds, grabbing every opportunity with both hands and fast becoming the poster boy for rebellion. The reason that he has had such a long-lasting career is not down to luck; it was almost destiny that Rollins became one of the greatest punk frontmen of all time in the process.
Like any real music fan will tell you, it takes a lot of listening to be able to share good music. Naturally, Rollins is also a man of exquisite taste, one which has helped him have a prolonged period at the top of the alternative music mountain and, earlier this year, he offered a list of his favourite ten records of all time to Goldmine and, unsurprisingly, it is an utterly phenomenal collection.
No list of favourite albums would be complete without Jimi Hendrix’s Are You Experienced? which Rollins waxed lyrical about, “As a player, an innovator and young badass, Mr Hendrix states his case rather well on this album,” Rollins said. “I identify heavily with the alienation in the lyrics. It’s the first thing that I noticed about his songs.”
Another album that Rollins holds in the highest regard is The Doors’ classic record Strange Days, an effort that arrived as a life-changing moment for the former Black Flag man and helped him fall in love with music in the most meaningful way. “I had the Doors’ first album when it came out, heisted from my mother, and liked it,” Rollins recalled. “As a young adult, I connected with Strange Days, and it made me want to work harder on lyrics, knowing what could be achieved from having listened to Strange Days a lot”.
Black Sabbath’s pioneering third album Master of Reality is another record that holds a special place in Rollins’ impressive collection, and he had nothing but praise to say about the album: “Bill Ward and Geezer Butler are one of the greatest, if not undermentioned, rhythm sections in rock,” Rollins said. “This album not only has Tony Iommi capturing one of the greatest tones ever committed to tape but Ward and Butler swinging as hard as they’re crushing it. This is a perfectly balanced bit of playing. This is the record I evaluate other rhythm sections by.”
There was an intangible aspect to The Velvet Underground’s White Light/White Heat that lured Rollins into their world and praise doesn’t really get any higher than his assessment. “The first album is, of course, fantastic but it was the band’s second album that really grabbed me,” Rollins added. “There was an intensity about it that I had never experienced before. It’s as good as a record gets.”
However, there is perhaps one album that ranks most highly among this list, Fun house by The Stooges. “In the summer of 1981, I leave Washington, D.C. to join Black Flag, and they’re a whole other animal. They’d ask me what bands I liked, and I would list them, and they thought almost every one sucked. ‘I like the Clash’. ‘Poseurs’. ‘I like the Sex Pistols.’ The Damned.’ They just thought punk rock was utter crap,” he added.
Rollins continued: “At one point, one of the band members said, ‘Look, if you want to be in this band you’ve got to be down with Black Sabbath, the Stooges, and the MC5.’ One day, in the van, I put on Fun House. Upon first listen, a few things hit me: OK, this is my favourite record, and it’s the purest record I’ve ever heard, and I’m never going to do anything that good. All of that remains true to this day.”
While the comparisons between Stooges frontman Iggy Pop and Henry Rollins certainly have some weight, the latter is gracious enough to understand that without the former, he would simply not have existed in the same way. Rollins’ career can certainly be seen as a predetermined journey he was always likely to venture upon, but the milestone records listed below likely showed him the way to go.
