10 Albums That Defined The 80s

Prince had already proven himself to be Minneapolis' prodigal son before this record. But this marks the beginning of Prince's classic period, where he would continue to make incredible albums which peaked with albums like Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times.

But it all started at Prince's first jaw-dropping album. This double record's first three songs slam right out of the gate. Prince mixes R&B, rock, and pop seamlessly throughout all of these tracks. From ballads like "Little Red Corvette" to the dance track "Let's Pretend We're Married" to the sensual closer "International Lover," this album takes you on the journey through every facet of Prince's musical mind.

This record helped launch Prince into the pop music stratosphere. He was already a big deal, but this record showed that there was a lot more under the hood musically than fans may have given him credit for. Little did they know that the Purple One had a few more aces up his sleeve.