The last thing anyone expected from the relatively benign electronic dance group The Prodigy was to be inciting arson. But that's exactly what happened when the newly renamed Prodigy of their 1997 album The Fat of the Land, which contained both the appropriately named "Firestarter" and the aggressive "Smack My B**** Up". The latter song's uproar grew so big, the entire album eventually had to be pulled from Wal-Mart's shelves.

However, if you look past the controversy, The Fat of the Land reveals itself to be one of the 1990s most exciting albums. In fact, the entire package sounds like the soundtrack to the perfect action movie, driven by engaging samples, mapcap beats, and Liam Howlett's venomous vocals. Even the relatively slowed down tracks "Breathe" and "Firestarter" still have an air of violent energy to them. In short, the album is leaner, meaner, and edgier than anything Prodigy (or the whole big-beat movement, for that matter) had ever done before, or would ever do since. And that's exactly what makes it so irresistible to listen to, even after all these years have passed. If you're looking for something to get revved up to, or if you just want to chill out after a long day (and you don't mind the edgy content), this is the album for you.