The Sisters of Mercy - First and Last and Always

As far as I'm concerned, this is where Goth Rock really begins; "genre-defining" you could say.  What became staples of the genre were fully exploited first on this album: the grandiose choruses, the super deep vocals, the hyper-romanticism.  The production maybe lacking, and Eldritch's vocals are sometimes "overdone", but the sheer catchiness and honesty more than make up for it.  Just listen to those two chords at the beginning of Black Planet, could the mood be set more superbly than that?  I don't think so...

I hear you calling, Marian