- C - Alice Cooper

Forget Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie, Wasp, Slipknot, Lordi and all the pretenders, they all got what they do now from Alice. My first experence of Alice was Billion Dollar Babies, the original vinyl was packaged as a gatefold wallet with a Billion Dollar bank note, Alice still uses smaller versions of these during his live show. Stand out tracks on Billion Dollar...-2 CD-  Billion Dollar Babies, Elected, Sick Things and I Love the Dead, all still part of the live show, a testament to this album. The version to buy is the remastered double with additional live and rare extras. If you buy no other Alice album you need this one. In fact this was one of the first albums to start me on the collecting addiction.

I don't really bother buying vinyl any more but my Alice Cooper originals are all prized possesions. The immortal School's Out came packaged in your own pop up school desk, early versions included the record inside a pair of paper knickers - it took a few years before I added an original copy to my collection. Another live favourite Schools Out is the essential track on this disc.

So far the rule of thumb has been buy the early releases and pass on the new ones, here we have an artist at last who is still producing excellent albums. 1994's Last Temptation included the infectious Lost in America. Original copies were packaged with the first part of Neil Gaiman's comic book of the concept album.

Also highly recommended Brutal Planet that spawned new live anthems Wicked Young Man, Pick Up the Bones and It's The Little Things.

There are few weak Alice Cooper albums. For a definitive compilation, go for Life & Crimes -4cd-tracing the career back to its routes.

The recorded Alice Cooper is an essential addition to any rock collection. If you've never seen the Alice Cooper live show then buy a ticket now. Alice is a master of the stage and where he's at his best.

- B - Pat Benatar

Did I mention how much I like female rock vocalists? As with so many of the artists I've re-looked at so far, the best work is the early recordings and at the top of the list is the debut In the Heat of the Night featuring Heartbreaker, I Need A Lover, My Clone Sleeps Alone and No You Don't. I've not listened to this for so long and looks like it's another on the list to re-purchase on cd. Crimes of Passion is the second essential purchase, with stand out tracks Treat Me Right , Hit Me With Your Best Shot  and Hell Is For Children.

I'll also pick Inamorata 8/15/80 mainly for the second disc, a live recording from 1980. It's just a shame she never produced such essential albums as the early ones.

- B - Björk

I admit, Björk Guðmundsdóttir gave me a bit of a problem, she's not that easy to classify. Whilst not a rocker in the true sense, she's hardly a light weight pop star either. So she's in.

My collection includes most of her albums (I believe there is a rare Icelandic album recorded as a child that I've not seen). I started with her pre-solo Sugarcubes albums and have to admit I wouldn't have spotted her for what she has now become.

The final decision to include Bjork here are the songs Human Behaviour, Venus as a Boy, Army Of Me and It's Oh So Quiet. Which means the essential purchases are Debut and Post. Once hooked look out for the excellent and a little strange six disc set Family Tree. Don't overlook her Dvd collections, Björk's visuals are just as crazy as her music.

- B - Maggie Bell

The legendary blues singer from Glasgow, originally vocalist with Stone the Crowes before releasing her solo's Queen of the Night and the classic Suicide Sal

The best way to experience Maggie though is live; The River Sessions is an excellent set recorded in Glasgow in 1993, Live at the Rainbow 1974 includes Coming on Strong, Wishing Well and Suicide Sal. Also look out for  The Best Of Sound & Vision [CD+DVD]which also includes a live dvd of Maggie in Montreux in 1981.

Maggie Bell is another artist on the list of 'should be far more famous then they are'. I missed out on Stone the Crowes (which also featured the late Lee Harvey, brother of Alex) but discovered her following the recording of the theme tune to Hazell (1970s detective series). The music from her song No Mean City  is the theme tune used for the Scottish detective series Taggart.