Thirds, by the hard rock trio The James Gang, which is led by the strong, quirky, and out and out rocking presence of lead singer/guitarist Joe Walsh, is now available on MP3 format from Amazon for only $5.

Released in 1971 and spawning the infectious radio hard rock hit “Walk Away,” Thirds (representing the bands third release) finds the three musicians in fine musical fettle indeed. The genre pendulum sways ever so slightly here, as the album goes from hard rock (the aforementioned “Walk Away”) to country (“Dreaming in the Country”) and back around to hard rock again albeit sublime as well (“Midnight Man”). Thirds would prove to be Walsh’s last album with the other two members (Jim Fox and Dale Peters on drums and bass respectively), as he would find further success and superstardom with his solid solo career and his work in The Eagles. But here back when he was in the James Gang, he was part of a great little swinging rock and roll unit of a band that also has their place in rock history. And as evidenced by a listen to Thirds, The James Gang, with their rocking struts and no-nonsense approach, made the band rise way above being just a Joe Walsh curio ultimately.

Browse the main sale page to see all 100 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Whitesnake‘s megahit supergroup album Whitesnake is on sale for only $5.

If you would like a physical copy of Whitesnake, the CD is available for only $4.99.

Released in 1987, Whitesnake is the eponymous seventh studio album by the band, but only their second one released in the U.S., following their 1984 album Slide it In. With songs ranging from the hard rocking “Still of the Night” to the power ballad “Is This Love,” Whitesnake achieved such massive crossover appeal, the album sold over eight million copies in the U.S. Two of the tracks, “Crying in the Rain” and “Here I Go Again,” were originally recorded on their 1982 album Saints & Sinners.

Browse the main sale page to see all 100 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Siouxsie and The Banshees‘ Juju is on sale for only $5.

If you would like a physical copy of Juju, the CD is available for only $8.99.

Released in 1981, Juju was the fourth studio album recorded by English goth-rock group Siouxsie and the Banshees. While the album didn’t make so much as a ripple here in the U.S., it made quite a splash on the other side of the pond, peaking at #7 on the UK charts. Countless musicians cite Siouxsie and the Banshees – and Juju, in particular – as being influential in their music. Highlights from this album are “Spellbound, “Arabian Nights,” and the uber-creepy “Voodoo Dolly.”

Browse the main sale page to see all 100 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Alice in Chains‘s Unplugged is on sale for only $5.

Hard to believe 16 years have gone by since Alice in Chains recorded this live album in the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Majestic Theatre. It was one the band’s last appearances with singer Layne Staley, the toll of his drug addiction obvious in his sickly pale face and emaciated body, though not in his voice. This Unplugged album is not some diluted version of a plugged-in Alice in Chains, but more of a soulful retrospective, quieted down for a deeper experience. Included on the album are all the songs you know, like “No Excuses,” “Rooster,” “Would?,” “Down In A Hole,” and “Got Me Wrong.” There’s also the CD+DVD that contains the live CD along with the MTV Unplugged concert DVD.

Browse the main sale page to see the other 99 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.

As part of Amazon’s monthly $5 MP3 album deals for September 2012, Oingo Boingo‘s Dead Man’s Party is on sale for only $5.

If you would like a physical copy of Dead Man’s Party, the CD is available for only $7.24.

Even if you didn’t come of age in the ’80s, you’re probably familiar with Oingo Boingo’s “Dead Man’s Party,” the title track on this album. The song was used in the film Back to School and in the short-lived TV series Chuck. The song “Weird Science” even got its own movie. Other well-known tracks on Dead Man’s Party are “No One Lives Forever” and “Fool’s Paradise.” Even if you don’t know that Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman is also an award winning composer, you sure know his work. He created the theme song for TV’s The Simpson’s and Desperate Housewives, and also scored the 1989 Batman movie as well as most of Tim Burton’s movies, including The Nightmare Before Christmas (he sang all of Jack Skellington’s songs).

Browse the main sale page to see all 100 albums on sale for only $5 each in MP3 format through the end of September 2012.