49: Rocket from the Crypt, “On a Rope” (no.12, 1996)

Among the many rules of pop I came to understand in undertaking this survey: every song - even a straightforward, head-banging thrashalong as determined to bludgeon the listener into submission as this one - can be improved by a factor of ten with the addition of a horn section. (Also: there will be a place in my heart for any rock band that make a raffle an integral part of their live act.)