On Wednesday (February 10), the MTV Newsroom blog celebrated the anniversary of the release of The College Dropout, the watershed debut from Kanye West. It generated quite a bit of discussion here in the Newsroom and among the followers of MTV News on Twitter, mostly surrounding a key question: Is The College Dropout the best debut album of all time?

It's a distinct possibility. Obviously West made a big commercial smash on the back of hits like "All Falls Down" and "Slow Jamz," and The College Dropout was almost universally adored by critics (it has a Metascore of 88, which suggests "Universal Acclaim"). But the thing that makes the album truly remarkable is how completely it presents both West's sound and his point of view. He arrived fully formed and made an immediate impact because of it.

Of course, there are plenty of other candidates for the prize. Here are a handful of other nominees that deliver in the same way that The College Dropout did.

The Notorious B.I.G., Ready to Die
Like West, Biggie Smalls arrived on the scene already fully-formed. The man born Christopher Wallace had a clear point of view that he was able to deliver in a distinct way. When you add in the best production that Diddy has ever done, you get a total package that ranks up there with the best hip-hop records in history.

Oasis, Definitely Maybe
As the rest of their career has taught us, Liam and Noel Gallagher are only really good at one thing, but on Definitely Maybe, they did that one thing better than anybody ever had before. Big, loud, heavily melodic and decidedly English, Definitely Maybe basically 11 singles, as every single one sounds great when cranked up on the radio.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced?
For a guy who experimented as much as Hendrix did, his first (and best) album is an incredibly confident work. Read more...

On New Year's Day, Soundgarden put aside a decade-plus of acrimony (and Audioslave) and announced that they were re-uniting, for … well, they didn't exactly say why they were doing it, but we'll assume it had something to do with the promise of plum festival headlining slots, sold-out arena shows and, of course, boatloads of cash. Because, really, we can't see any other reason why they'd get back together.

Make no mistake about it: Though Soundgarden's 1997 split lacked the fireworks with which most mega-successful, multi-platinum rock acts tend to implode, it was by no means a friendly thing. Worn out by years on the road and weakened by the internal struggle between frontman Chris Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil, Soundgarden played their final gig on February 9 in Honolulu, Hawaii, walked off stage and simply disbanded. Since then, nearly every member has said repeatedly that a reunion would never happen, and the rift between Cornell and Thayil appeared to widen with each passing year, becoming a certifiably gaping chasm last year, when three-quarters of the band (Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron) appeared on stage together to perform a handful of Soundgarden songs … with burly man-mountain Tad Doyle singing lead.

The message to Cornell was clear: You can have your Audioslaves and Timbaland-produced solo albums and we'll take the Soundgarden stuff. And it seemed to be proof-positive that a Soundgarden reunion would never, ever happen. But somehow — perhaps aided by an impromptu Temple of the Dog reunion at a Pearl Jam show late last year — both sides managed to find some common ground. And now, Soundgarden is back, and apparently, everyone is on board.

And while, yeah, we're pumped for the reunion, we're also left a bit disillusioned by it. It means there's now one less band in the "Never Again" club, that exclusive collection of legendary groups that will never — under no circumstances whatsoever — reunite. For years, we had believed that Soundgarden would never get back together. It was part of their legacy, right up there with the less-than-satisfying final album (1996's Down on the Upside) and the time we all realized that Cornell wasn't going to grow his hair long again. There was a rather perfect imperfection to their final days, something strangely fitting about they way they simply petered out. They were a band that rode the wave, made it huge, then called it quits. It was cyclical. It was part of life.

Quite simply, we need more of that. In a world of now now now, it's somehow perversely satisfying that there are some groups who are seemingly content just to let us wait forever. And with each passing year, as bank accounts dwindle and festival lineups expand, the list of "Never Again" bands continues to dwindle. So, in celebration of those unmoved by lucrative deals and nostalgic slurping, we've decided to compile a list of those acts. Here are five groups you'll never, ever see reuniting. You know, probably.

The Smiths
The much-celebrated Manchester mopers split in 1987 amid dissension between Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, and have spent much of the past three decades turning down offers to reform. There have been lawsuits — in 1996, drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke contended they were owed royalties — and each member has since gone to pursue musical endeavors of their own (Morrissey continues to record solo albums, Marr joined Modest Mouse and the Cribs), but the one thing they seemingly all can agree on is that the Smiths are gone forever, with Morrissey famously opining that he'd rather "eat [his] own testicles" than reform the band. The offers will continue to pour in, but we're willing to bet that the Smiths will remain on the sidelines, graciously, swooningly so.

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Miley Cyrus may not have ever heard a Jay-Z song, but she apparently owns a copy of Open Up and Say ... Ahh! The 17-year-old singer has recorded a cover of Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," the smash power ballad from 1988 (apparently with some assistance from songwriter, band frontman and "Rock of Love" star Bret Michaels). It's a somewhat logical choice for Cyrus, as it has the same sort of arena rock feel and subtle country vibe that informs her best ballads (like "The Climb"). According to a report in People magazine, the track will appear on Cyrus' upcoming new album, which she says may be the last record she puts out before taking a break from music.

While Cyrus is entitled to some time off (it seems like she's been working constantly for two straight years), she shouldn't stop at "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Rather, she should record an entire album's worth of hair metal songs. Cyrus could bring a fresh perspective to some songs that have gotten a bad rap because they've been associated with a genre of music that has aged pretty poorly. What could be a better way to reintroduce the world to the underrated work of Enuff Z'Nuff than through the conduit of Cyrus' pipes? Check out the video wishlist below, which kicks off with Guns N' Roses' "Paradise City," a great song that is essentially "Party in the U.S.A." with the volume turned all the way up. There's also Kiss' "Lick It Up," Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool," "Night Ranger" by Sister Christian and Faster Pussycat's "You're So Vain." Bang your head, and then encourage Cyrus to do the same.

What do you think: What hair metal tunes do you want to hear Miley cover? Or should she stick to her own material? Leave your thoughts in the comments or head over to Your.MTV.com to make your voice heard!

Last year saw the long-awaited release of Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy, an album that was first discussed in earnest some time around 1994 and finally hit store shelves 14 years later. It provided an easy metaphor for work that seemed to be forever delayed (one of the many reasons it was ultimately disappointing). With Axl's opus finally out in the open, the anticipation turned to Dr. Dre, whose Detox has been talked about for just as long. Dre revolutionized the way the public thinks about commercial rap with 1992's The Chronic, and since that record was released he has been teasing out a project called Detox. All the while, Dre has continued to produce for other MCs and oversee his label Aftermath Entertainment, but Detox remains incomplete (so much so that there are next to no inklings about what it could possibly sound like).

But 10 years ago, Dre provided a brief peek into what Detox might ultimately become. On this day in 1999, Dre released 2001, a confusingly-named collection of street anthems that not only resurrected G-funk but also helped to elevate Eminem (who had a star turn on "Forgot About Dre") and re-establish Snoop Dogg as a major player on the mainstream hip-hop scene. It's strange to consider now, but the middle years of the '90s were not particularly kind to Snoop, who had broken out huge with Doggystyle but floundered a bit when his follow-up Tha Doggfather failed to meet expectations. Master P ended up drawing him to the No Limit roster, and after the tired Da Game is to be Sold, Not to be Told, the one-two punch of 2001 and Snoop's own No Limit Top Dogg brought him back into the spotlight. He has Dre — and the killer cut "The Next Episode" — to thank.

Why settle for one controversial image when a half dozen will do? That seems to be the tactic Rihanna is employing on the cover to "Russian Roulette," the first single from her upcoming album Rated R. It's got everything: the giant, gleaming blade "R" logo; the blood-dripping track title; a sinister peek-a-boo eye patch; gold corset; and, of course, her provocative barbed wire-wrapped torso.

While it's just the companion image to her single (so who knows what the actual album cover will look like?), the edgy picture has already set tongues wagging and gotten us thinking about some of our other favorite envelope-pushing album artwork.

(Click here for more controversial album covers from the likes of Prince, Nirvana, David Bowie and Bon Jovi!)

» No list would be complete without the bloody baby bodies and butcher outfits donned by the Beatles for Yesterday … and Today. The Fab Four were forced to replace the art on their 1966 album with a more benign image of them crowded around a steamer trunk. (Meanwhile, the original became a sought-after collector's item.)

» What's more disturbing? The image of a buzz saw slicing through a man's tight trousers as his bloody hands hold onto a metal codpiece, or the title Animal (F*** Like a Beast)? Whatever you think, metal band W.A.S.P. found out in 1983 that what really offended people was foul language, so a pair of stars were cloned in to cover up the offending word.
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Last year, Kevin "Skwerl" Cogill came across a few tracks from Guns N' Roses decade-in-development album Chinese Democracy. He posted them on the music site he helps write and design. The post was quickly scrubbed, but the damage had been done: Cogill had angered the wrong people, and a few months later he found himself being shaken awake by the FBI so he could be arrested for piracy.

Yesterday, his legal woes finally ended, as he was sentenced to a year of probation (including two months of modified house arrest). Throughout the fiasco (and the subsequent release of Chinese Democracy), Axl Rose never weighed in on Cogill, but amazingly, Slash (who does not play on the album and by all accounts does not get along with Rose) did voice his opinion. That bothered Cogill. "An old friend of mine conducted the interview with him last year in which he called me a thief and wished that I 'rot in jail.' I found that surprisingly crass, considering the guy has made no bones about shoplifting cassette tapes with the same rationale as today's downloaders," he said. "But then he took it even further, stealing things he didn't even need, just because he could. For example, the top hat. So if he wants to see me in jail, I'll see him in the cafeteria."

Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTVNews.com. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

One of the recurring themes that came up during this week's Michael Jackson memorial was the idea that the video for "Thriller" was such a huge event that it not only made people love Jackson but love music videos as an art form. Everybody who works here at MTV News had that moment at one time or another — the one where music videos suddenly became the greatest thing in the universe, even if for a short time. Which brings up this week's poll question: What music video was the one that made you love music videos? Our responses are below, but make sure you add your own stories in the comments and at Your.MTV.com!

Rick Marshall
The first music video that really stuck in my head and turned me on to music videos was a-ha's "Take On Me." Sure, it's an easy pick given that MTV was playing the video over and over when it first aired, but I was 7 years old when I first saw Steve Barron's pencil-sketched, rotoscoped take on the song, and it's still one of my favorite videos. "Take On Me" was my first exposure to music videos that were more than just taped recordings of a band only differing from one another by lighting choices and camera angles. Given my current gig as editor of MTV's comic book and movie blog Splash Page, my early fascination with the video's mix of live action and animation probably offered a great indicator of where I'd end up a few decades later. Over the years, it's become apparent that appreciation for the "Take On Me" video is pretty much a common theme among comic book and animation geeks who grew up during the '80s. Between Barron moving on to direct the awesome 1990 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" film and more recently, a great riff on the video during an episode of "Family Guy," it doesn't seem like a coincidence that "Take On Me" was one of the first music videos I latched onto. Heck, as far as I'm concerned, it's a sign of geek cred.
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The most alarming aspect of yesterday's court ruling that 32-year-old Minnesota woman Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes $1.92 million for downloading 24 songs has nothing to do with the penalty (though at $80,000 per song, it is amazingly excessive). The most amazing thing was the list of songs that she's being rung up for, which include Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle," Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and Green Day's "Basket Case." I took a look at this list and thought, "Has anybody who has downloaded music not sucked down those songs?" When you consider that Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" — one of the most downloaded songs in the history of digital music — was also on there, it kicks the percentage up even further.

Which makes it all the more amazing that Thomas-Rasset was found guilty by a jury of her peers, which means they managed to find twelve people who have never downloaded music before. How could that be? Statistics are hazy, but an estimated one billion songs are passed through peer-to-peer networks each month, and a study published last year in the U.K. showed that the average teenager's iPod contains around 800 illegally obtained tracks. Does that mean everybody has to pay up for rocking Linkin Park's "One Step Closer" — another track Thomas-Rasset was rung up for?

So we ask you: Take a look at the full list of songs Thomas-Rasset downloaded and tell us how many of those tracks you've snagged without paying for them. Or maybe just remain anonymous — after all, the RIAA appears to be out for blood (and cash).

MTV celebrates an important moment in its history this week: 17 years ago, Guns N' Roses' "November Rain" premiered on "Headbangers Ball." Since the video dropped in 1992, plenty has changed: Axl Rose has hired and fired dozens of bandmembers (finally releasing the long-awaiting Chinese Democracy last year) and Slash has gone from solo artist to Velvet Revolver axeman. One thing hasn't changed, though: "November Rain" is still as inexplicable as it was when it first aired on MTV. If you haven't seen it, take the time to enjoy all 9 minutes of Axl's magnum opus, and then check out all the things you might have missed about it.

» "November Rain" was directed by a gentleman named Andy Morahan, whose résumé includes two other Guns clips ("Don't Cry" and "Estranged"), many videos for other artists (Michael Jackson's "Give in to Me," George Michael's "Faith," Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" and Van Halen's "Poundcake") and the feature film "Highlander III: The Sorcerer." He is currently in production on a project called "God's Spy," whose plot synopsis goes like this: "A Jesuit priest working undercover as a Wall Street trader becomes caught up in a political and financial conspiracy involving the Vatican Bank, the CIA, the Mafia, and Masonic Lodge P2."
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The sales figures are finally in, and after a nearly 17-year wait, Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy scanned just 261,200 copies, earning the album the #3 position on Billboard's weekly albums sales chart — right behind Taylor Swift's Fearless at #2 (with 267,400 sold) and Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak, which opens at #1 with sales of 450,000 and change.

Two weeks ago, GN'R's latest was considered a strong contender for the chart's peak position, with some predicting the album would outperform West's 808s in a close race for #1. Instead, history may show Chinese Democracy's first-week sales as an epic failure. Read more...