Led by bassist, singer and songwriter Phil Lynott, Thin Lizzy existed on the cusp of greatness for a few years, just before punk rendered its type of bluster passe.
Unlike many of his hard-rocking peers, Lynott thought about his lyrics: He was a romantic poet in rocker garb, whose stories of restless teenagers scheming for escape, as on "Southbound" (audio), depend upon zinging, deftly choreographed twin-guitar leads.