10 Perfect Albums That Defined The '80s

Is there a moment that you can probably pin down for when the '80s kicked into high gear? It would easy to call the rise of MTV the moment when things started to change, but there was definitely an adjustment period before we got the sounds that we know and love today. This new decade was going to be a lot more ambitious, and the Purple One vowed to take on every single genre at once on Purple Rain.

Right out of the gate, Prince was already on his way to becoming a superstar, pioneering the Minneapolis sound and having some big hits on the R&B charts. On Purple Rain though, there's practically a song for every single fan of '80s music to grab onto. Like rock and roll? Take the amazing opener Let's Go Crazy. More interested in the smoother stuff? Try the Beautiful Ones on for size. Into the synthesized side of music? Computer Blue has got you covered.

There are also songs that give you what you didn't know you wanted like When Doves Cry, complete with no real bass line and some of the greatest melodies of Prince's career. By the time you hit the title track at the end of the album, you're not just listening to a pop album. This was Prince taking everything he heard around him and creating the closest thing to musical nirvana.