Eddie Money

Call it prophecy when Eddie Money sang “I tell you right now/I’m gonna play Madison Square Garden” on the four-chord strutter “Wanna Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star,” because, well, this 1977 debut album made him a rock ’n’ roll star, and he did wind up playing Madison Square Garden. And good on it, because this is hearty rock ’n’ roll, full of riffy ’70s-style bravado (“Gamblin’ Man,” “Jealousies”), balladizing (“Save a Little Room in Your Heart”), melodic semi-rocking hit singles (“Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Baby Hold On”), and some blue-eyed R&B (“So Good to Be in Love Again”). Money had some soulfulness in his voice (which is why it works well on a version of Smokey Robinson’s “You Really Got a Hold on Me”) and some earnestness behind the delivery. The songwriting and execution here transcend his band’s bar-playing roots, and the songs have surprising staying power, which pretty much makes this album a ’70s rock classic. That, and it was produced by music-biz legend Bruce Botnick (Love, The Doors).