Elvis' early albums are often compared to late 70s punk, which really doesn't say a whole lot about his sound. His roots are much more varied than most punk bands, ranging from country to Motown. Although like the best punk of that era, This Year's Model is angry, aggressive and bitterly sarcastic. Elvis skewers pop culture, the radio industry, romance and relationships with an edgy sound that became his signature. The Attractions make their incredible debut on this album and they sound like they've been up for days on a caffine high. This adds a welcomed sense of abandonment to tracks like "No Action," "Lipstick Vogue," and "The Beat" that we didn't hear on the first album. There are also some great pop tunes like "Hand in Hand" and "Living In Paradise," which have a similar feel to the debut.  Fans who may have tired of hearing "Pump It Up" and "Radio Radio" as singles for years will find that the songs fits in quite nicely within the context of the whole album. Elvis created a truly unique voice for himself in pop music and this is his finest moment.

The Stones recorded this groundbreaking album in France with their famous mobile recording unit. Legend has it that the band was recording and mixing tracks in the kitchen of their villa while the band's families ate at the dinner table! The result is a very dense and muddy sound that gives the album an eerie and decadent feel. As long time disciples of the blues, a relaxed and strung-out configuration of the Stones melded it with rock more effectively than any band had before. In addition to a traditional blues cover (Shake Your Hips,) the band pays homage to the genre with their original rock numbers, including "Tumbling Dice," "Happy" "Rocks Off" and "All Down The Line". "Torn and Frayed" and "Loving Cup" are amazing mid-tempo numbers that have incredible feeling and soul. The album also features some of rock's most beautiful and atmospheric songs that draw addtional influence from gospel records, like "I Just Want To See His Face," "Sweet Black Angel" and "Shine A Light." The Stones never recaptured the glory of these recordings, perhaps because they just tried to hard. And that's what makes this album so great; it sounds natural like they didn't even have to try.

Marshall Crenshaw's debut album, a wonderfully simple exercise in pop music, combines the sound of late 50s rock and roll with the melodic sensibilities of the Beatles. Marshall writes incessantly catchy songs using basic melodies and chord structures. His lyrics focus on relationships and girls with dry wit and irony. "Someday Someway" is a great single, "There She Goes" is one of my favorite opening tracks and "Brand New Lover" closes the album with an amazing, quirky hook. The longest song on the album runs only 3:10, keeping it short and sweet.. A healthy layer of reverb on the tracks works well with the simple instrumentation, helping songs like "The Usual Thing" reclaim that early Sun Records sound. Marshall has never topped this album, but since it's regarded as one of the greatest debuts in pop history, you can't really blame him.

The soundtrack to this box office smash finds Prince at his creative peak. He pushed his unique sound over the edge by combining rock, soul, funk and r&b with a touch of psychedelia. More than any of his other albums, Purple Rain displays every aspect of this man's genius. The album moves easily from rock to dance without jarring the listener. His guitar work on the title track and "Let's Go Crazy" is breathtaking, his vocal prowess shines on "The Beautiful Ones" and the songwriting, production and arrangements are amazing throughout. The number one single "When Doves Cry" showcases Prince's creativity with a sparse arrangement of synths, guitars, drums and no bass! More than any other artist in pop music, Prince mastered the synthesizer and found a way to use its cheesy sounds effectively. He even managed to prove himself as a live performer on this album, recording the last three tracks live at First Avenue. Purple Rain solidified Prince as a pop culture icon and all of 1984's hype was truly deserved. This is the greatest album from a true musical genius.

Some time in the 1980s, XTC transformed from a new wave synth group into an intellectual, Beatlesque pop band. Skylarking examines their new direction with amazing results. The record recalls the lush instrumentation of Sgt. Pepper with tracks segued together to create a rich tapestry of sound. An underlying theme runs through all of the songs, which examine life, religion, relationships, sex, love and death. Todd Rundgren produced the album and can probably be credited for making the record so cohesive. Andy Partridge later complained that Todd chose too few of his songs for the record and that he controlled the sessions with an iron fist. Nevertheless, Andy revealed himself to be a true master of the three minute pop song, combining complex hooks with ironic lyrics on tracks like "Earn Enough For Us," "Summer's Cauldren" and "That's Really Super, Supergirl." Bassist Colin Moulding found his voice as well with some of the album's finest tracks including "Grass" and "Big Day," which fit in surprisingly well with the other tracks. As a side note, the excellent and controvesial "Dear God" was not on the original release, but was added to the CD later. Skylarking is the finest album from one of the most influential pop bands.