10 Perfect Albums That Defined The '80s

10. Remain in Light - Talking Heads

After the punk wave swept the rock scene, a lot of the newer acts weren't really sure where to go anymore. After the Clash had outgrown the punk label and the Sex Pistols collapsed in on themselves, that left only the new wave acts to push the way forward. Just because you have a back to basics approach though doesn't mean that you can't do some outlandish things as well.

Coming off of the nervy punk rock sounds of their debut album, Talking Heads stormed into the '80s with Remain in Light, taking influence from different forms of world music to create a strange musical stew. With the help of Brian Eno, this was the first time that David Byrne used the entire studio as an instrument, as the rest of the band followed suit on songs like Houses in Motion.

If we're going for the most essential parts of this album, it would have to be Once in a Lifetime, which seemed to work as a foreshadowing of the kind of culture that would dominate the decade going forward. From the stuttering beats to the emotionally confused melodies, David Byrne basically described the entire consumerist mentality, being so addicted to materialism that you start to forget who you really are. If only the rest of the rock scene realized just how true he was.