10 80s Albums That Changed Rock Music

10. Prince: Purple Rain (1984)

Prince's ruffled shirt, glistening mullet and purple suit go hand in hand with his iconic music. His flamboyant femininity was matched by his confident masculinity; both fuelled his undeniable charisma. Although Prince was already an established force to be reckoned with, Purple Rain transported him into a whole other stratosphere of stardom.

The fusing of rock with pop, funk and soul has never been more expertly handled. Certain tracks might feel like a romp into '80s pop, but the album is injected with the kind of guitar riffs that would make any hair metal fan swoon; just stick on Let's Go Crazy. There was nothing soft about this record, the now infamous lyrics to Darling Nikki were such a sordid exploration of sexual deviancy - at least for stuffy conservative types - that they led to the creation of the Parental Advisory sticker.

And, of course, you have the almost nine minute epic, Purple Rain. Never has their been a more brilliant R&B pop ballad. Vocal performance aside, Prince's emotive outcries were channeled though the guitar in a style reminiscent of Hendrix. Every rock ballad to follow was grasping at Prince's purple coat tails.