Duran Duran - FIRST
Artist: Duran Duran
Community Score: 8.12

Duran Duran's eponymous debut artfully coalesced the sonic and stylistic elements of the burgeoning new romantic movement they were soon to spearhead: pumping synths, glossy production, and seemingly impossible haircuts. Ultra-smart singles like "Girls on Film" and "Planet Earth" became instant smash hits both in the U.K. and America, and other... Read More

White Feathers
Artist: Kajagoogoo

"Too Shy" was one of the flimsiest singles of the new wave era, a cloying and catchy bubblegum tune disguised as synth-pop. Kajagoogoo never quite matched those heights again -- in fact, they rarely even came close. Their debut album White Feathers is filled with similarly lightweight synth-pop like "Magician Man," "Ooh to Be Ah," "Eronomics,"... Read More

Upstairs at Eric's
Artist: Yaz
Community Score: 4.75

Vince Clarke can claim involvement in two stunning debuts in only two years: Depeche Mode's Speak and Spell and Yaz's Upstairs at Eric's. While Speak and Spell is, by far, the more consistent record, Upstairs at Eric's is wholly more satisfying, beating the Depeche record on substance and ambition, and is light years ahead in emotion. "Don't Go"... Read More

True
Artist: Spandau Ballet
Community Score: 10.00

By 1983, with the new romantic movement they'd sprung from a rapidly fading memory, the members of Spandau Ballet showed they had no intention of traveling the same path. Always ambitious, the British quintet really got down to business: Gone were the kilts, frilly shirts, and makeup -- as well as the sometimes chilly electronics of their first... Read More

Naked Eyes
Artist: Naked Eyes
Community Score: 6.75

Naked Eyes were in peak form for their debut, showing a highly likable, warmer side to the often cold and detached synth-duo form. The songs they're best known for, "Always Something There to Remind Me," "Promises, Promises" and "When the Lights Go Down," are all included here, though the album can also be found in its entirety (save for one... Read More

Dare!
Artist: The Human League
Community Score: 8.17

Dare! captures a moment in time perfectly -- the moment post-punk's robotic fascination with synthesizers met a clinical Bowiesque infatuation with fashion and modern art, including pop culture, plus a healthy love of songcraft. The Human League had shown much of this on their early singles, such as "The Lebanon," but on Dare! they simply... Read More

The Luxury Gap
Artist: Heaven 17
Community Score: 10.00

After creating a marvelous electronic debut, Glenn Gregory, Ian Marsh, and Martyn Ware decided to tamper with their winning formula a bit on Heaven 17's 1983 follow-up to Penthouse and Pavement. The result, which added piano, strings, and Earth, Wind, & Fire's horn section to the band's cool synthesizer pulse, was even better, and The Luxury Gap... Read More

Rio
Artist: Duran Duran
Community Score: 9.22

From its Nagel cover to the haircuts and overall design - and first and foremost the music -Rio is as representative of the eighties as it gets, at its best. The original Duran Duran's high point, and just as likely the band's as a whole, its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable... Read More

Visage/The Anvil
Artist: Visage

Polydor combined Visage's first two (and best) albums, Visage and The Anvil, on one cassette in the early '80s. It's not a bad way to collect all of this music at once, but the packaging and sound are a little shabby, and since it's out-of-print and quite rare anyway, it's best to go for the collection. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide Read More