Piercing feedback and pig noises: what's the most out-there album ever?

The true definition of avant garde music is debatable but, for the sake of brevity, let’s say it’s a radical work that defies tradition. John Cage’s 4’33” is a touchstone example – instructing musicians not to play for the titular time period; the art coming from the meditative state achieved from a room in silence, as well as atmospheric noises: coughs, scratches, sighs and sneezes.
However, when discussing experimental music, context is crucial. Anyone can record themselves pulling out their own teeth, or headbutting a horse, and stick it on Bandcamp for a handful of dedicated noise freaks. For avant garde music to truly transcend it needs an audience, thereby giving it the opportunity to rage against and provoke the mainstream. Cage, whose 4’33” peaked at No 21 in the UK charts in 2010, did this masterfully in the classical world, as have countless jazz artists such as Ornette Coleman, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. But perhaps it’s in the pop world where most heads can be melted.

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