Summary

Better Than the Rest is a scrappy, swaggering George Thorogood & The Destroyers set, issued in 1979 on MCA’s Modern Electric Blues line as MCF 3037. It is not the band’s slick breakthrough. That is the charm. This record feels like a bar floor still sticky from last night’s boogie. Thorogood’s growl, slide guitar bite, and love of old-school blues and rock ’n’ roll are all over it.

About the Artist

Before he became the denim-clad king of barroom blues-rock, George Thorogood was a Delaware musician obsessed with the raw stuff: Elmore James, John Lee Hooker, Chuck Berry, Hound Dog Taylor. He formed The Destroyers in the early ’70s and built a reputation the hard way, through relentless gigging. By 1979, the band had already sharpened its identity: loud, lean, and proudly unfancy. Thorogood was never chasing prog polish or disco gloss. He wanted riffs that kicked the door open.

About the Record

This album sits in a fascinating corner of the Thorogood discography. Better Than the Rest feels looser and more rough-edged than the better-known early albums, which is exactly why collectors love it. It plays like a late-night blues jukebox, with boogie, Chicago blues, and roadhouse rock all sharing the same bar tab. It earned no major awards, but it has grown into a cult favorite among collectors, especially among fans who enjoyed the band before the arena years fully arrived.

About the Cover

The sleeve is wonderfully strange. The front displays a gold star, circular, target-like rings, paint splatters, and sharp geometric shapes on a loud yellow backdrop. It looks part comic book, part pub flyer, part electric hazard sign. The back keeps the collage energy going, with a taped-on track sheet, harmonica art, and a guitar-lightning motif. In short: it looks exactly like the music sounds—messy, bright, and ready to spark.

About the Lyrics & Music

Thorogood’s secret weapon was always simplicity with attitude. The songs here lean on groove, repetition, and that wonderfully gravelly vocal attack. “Nadine” is a standout, turning Chuck Berry wit into a full-band stomp. “Goodbye Baby” brings a tougher, blues-club snap. Across the record, the themes are classic Thorogood: trouble, travel, women, late nights, and survival with a grin. Critics did not canonize this one like a landmark LP, but collector circles and outlets like Record Collector-style retrospectives tend to value its rawness over polish.

Discogs Price Evolution

Over the last 20 years, Discogs tells a familiar collector story: from cheap-bin curiosity to sought-after sleeper. Early sales were often modest, but clean originals with strong sleeves have steadily climbed as Thorogood completists and blues-rock collectors caught on.

Conclusion

If you like your blues-rock clean, tidy, and respectable, keep walking. If you like it sweaty, witty, and slightly dangerous, Better Than the Rest absolutely earns shelf space.

Other Recommendations

Try Move It On Over, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, or More George Thorogood and the Destroyers. For a similar kick, spin Hound Dog Taylor, John Lee Hooker, or Dr. Feelgood.