Juliana Hatfield -- Hey Babe

This album made a small splash upon release for reasons I can't recall. I do remember declaring it one of an important trio of albums released by women over about a year and-a-half, Exile in Guyville and Rid of Me being the other two (I was inexplicably unaware of Bikini Kill otherwise Pussy Whipped would've made it a quartet), a pointless claim derided by my college roommates. Maybe it marked the beginning of a 5-year or so era of alternative (a stupid though mildly useful term) music very heavily populated by women and that made it important. Who cares.

Uncoincidentally and notwithstanding the fact that Hatfield quit playing bass during her Blake Babies tenure (she was said to hate it), between 1989 and 1992 I discovered several other bands with great female bassists: Laura Ballance (Superchunk), Rose Marshack (Poster Children), Heidi Ore (Mercy Rule), and the Kims Deal and Gordon (Pixies, Sonic Youth) (okay, maybe Kim Gordon isn't much of a bassist).

Say what you will about her voice, Jules has demonstrated far more staying power than Liz Phair and is at least tied with Polly Jean. She mines a very pure vein of indie pop, the result like some kind of nutritious candy. She is a songcraftress of the first order, Hey Babe being Exhibit A (2008's How to Walk Away is Exhibit B; the defense rests).

Trivia question: What do Hey Babe and Kelly Clarkson's My December have in common? Hint: It was the reason I bought the former and probably should own the latter.

Best Song
"I See You" or "No Outlet"

Released
March 17 1992.

Acquired
Less than two months later. How do I know this? Because I graduated from high school on May 17 1992 and know I had it before then.

Next Closest
Blake Babies, naturally.

Brush with Greatness (note: may include name-dropping):
Driving to a Some Girls show in Lawrence Kansas in 2002 with my wife, I hit and killed a dog.