Cupid & Psyche 85

What is this cod reggae nonsense to start? Small Talk is catchy enough and Absolute continues, this is fairly straight, drum machine backed, highly produced 80s pop. No need to put 85 in the title of the album, a two minute listen would peg this as exactly smack in the middle of the 80's. It's not for me. 3/10

I didn't listen to this when it was playing on the radio back when I was a teenager in the '80s, so why would I listen to it now? Music to listen to before I die? Not a chance, man, not a chance Absolutely disposable. Still, a 2 (because there's worse on this list - oh boy, there sure is!)

Wow—that’s a startling lack of . . . edge. 2.5?

Maximalist, sugary bullshit that is perhaps the pinnacle of over produced 80s music. Usually I try to play devil's advocate for the low-rated albums, but I can totally understand why this one would be in the bottom 20. Favorite track: Wood Beez

meh

boring 80s music. every song sounds the same

Wasn’t entirely offensive but definitely not my favorite. Definitely 80s music that’s for sure.

it's been a while since I have truly disliked an album on here and not been able to finish it. Shitty Politti

Just a bit blah for me

Not for me

Nice voice. Album is so-so.

I admit that I have owned this record since 1985. It doesn't get played very often however I do like it. It's a nice record to listen to on a nice summers day. Songs are catchy and the production is off the scale. It's like pop music dusted with sugar. Anyway not ground breaking but very pleasant. Best songs are the four singles.

Like if talking heads and prince made a baby that was really annoying

I really didn't enjoy the first 3 tracks, then strangely found myself really liking the 4th, and then the 5th was alright too... this is all so very 80's though, like a distillation. I can see people dancing to it in their luminous, floppy-yet-at-the-same-time restrictive gear, and someone with unused keytar swinging it back and forth - lots and lots of hairspray. I'm going to find these guys on Top of the Pops and see how accurate I am. Randomly, every now and again, Green's voice reminds me of a pop version of Game Theory's Scott Miller.

Didn't hate this and I will probably even come back to it. I feel like when I tell people who were alive in the 80's that I really love 80's music, they always say "well there was a lot of bad music in the 80's," they might mean stuff like this or other super cheesy, computerized music. But even this I enjoy.

Lot of 80s this week, I mean this album alone has more 80s on it than nearly any other.

This album was pure 80s, but somehow in all the wrong ways. I did not enjoy this at all, and I found the vocals especially irksome. 2/5

Gear: Punch Audio Portazo Artwork: 📦💳🚚 Production (2026 Remaster): 🔋😌🍯 Music: 🧁🧀🫩 Rating: 💘(💘)/5

Stupid & Trite

A cheesy, dated and, to be fair, fun record. I hate the vocals and the instrumentation, even if the music itself is interesting.

What a great surprise! Such a fun album!

I hate this. It might be the worst new wave album on this list. Absolute unlistenable syrupy pablum with the most derivative early 80's British production I've ever heard.

What are we even doing here? This blows. Production is so in believably boring. It’s like they were afraid to make any sound have any punch to it. The voice is annoying as hell. I think this could have actually been okay from a song perspective, but it was turned into generic 80s garbage. 1/5.

ehhhhhhh

It's fine. I just finished the album and didn't dislike it but don't remember anything from it.

I wish this was better. I love the pop music that was inspired by this but I just can't get past the lyrics and vocals. Still some fun 80s pop instrumentals here.

I thought it was reggae based on the first song and then it was 80s pop. What a turn

Un pop super clásico Bonito, muy del estereotipo de pop que yo esperaría para esa época Personalmente no se me hace un álbum tan memorable, pero si puedo decir que deja huella sobre lo que se puede pensar que representa una época como está Bonito para capturar eso, no me reescuchandolo tan a menudo o al menos no antes de otras piezas artísticas

3,22 1. "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)" 2. "The Word Girl (Flesh & Blood)" 3. "Hypnotize"

Voice reminds me of Michael Jackson, but just not as good

I'm a Certified Old Person, so I remember hearing and loving Perfect Way on the radio in ye olden tymes. In my defense, I was 7. What did I know about music. Honestly the rest of this album feels like a parody of 80s synth pop. This didn't need to be on this list.

Day 47 I've seen my fair share of shit in my life. I like to be open minded. That said, there are instances where media can offend or go out of it's way to be terrible. This is different because it offers me nothing. Every track feels like the same extension of 80s synth pop but doesn't to much to differentiate itself vocally or instrumentally. I found myself bored to death and even the greatest realisation of the format, Perfect Day, was too milquetoast to be added to my rotation. The worst album ever? Not quite. But I do struggle to understand why the fuck this had to make the list out of everything out there Fav track: Cant be arsed

Typical synthpop (I.e. bad).

I cannot believe Robert Dimery likes synth-pop this much.

No standouts

The density of 80's pop recording tropes on this album. Is that why it was added? It's almost an instructive formula that repeats ad nauseum. Absolutely saccharine nonsense. I can imagine people in their late teens circa 1990 digging through a friends cassettes and finding this and teasing them. "Whatever butthead I was like 13 when I bought that I don't even listen to it anymore!"

lame music

Fun, 80's power-synth pop that seems so familiar even though I've never heard this album before. Dancable and melodic, Scritti Politti has the quintessential 80's sound. Overall a happy experience.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is an 80s pop album. It sounds very much like the time period. It's very lush in production and smooth sounding. It's a bit too slick for my tastes. I wouldn't come back to this one.

Sounds very eighties but without any memorable songs. Some of the vocal samples and synth effects sound, not just dated, but dumb. Breathy vocals. Glossy production. I can see how this could be influential on pop music but it’s not for me. Like a weird Michael Jackson / George Michael hybrid: “Michael Michael”?

Alright.

I actually found the first track fun and catchy, but then the album consisted basically of that same song being played over and over...

Blends in with every other 80's pop and new wave I've heard. They tried to mix in a couple different genres at times but it wasn't enough to make it interesting

By the second song I checked how long the album was, relieved to see under 40 minutes

What in the world is this whack ass album. I was laughing out loud. Pure ridiculousness.

I really don't get how this one made the cut for a "must-listen" list. It kicks off with a wall of super processed, generic 80s synth-pop that just sounds totally dated and lifeless to me. Instead of finding the production charming, I just found the whole thing mind-numbing; every track is stuck in the same sterile loop of Casio keyboards and gated drums that have zero energy or soul. By the halfway mark, I was already checking how much was left because it was such a drag. The vocals were way too sugary and just clashed with those repetitive, plastic-sounding beats.

Very polished pop sound. Nice rhythm but a little too sweet for me sometimes.

Story time. I bought the first edition of the 1001 albums book not long after it came out, maybe 2006. I read it quite a bit, and had a pretty good memory for what albums were within. Some years later, I'm perusing used records at my local record shop, and I see this album. I remember the cover being in the book, kinda liked the style of it, but couldn't recall the music, other than it was from the mid 80s. I took a chance, knowing it was in the book, and bought it unheard. It's a strategy that yields good results most of the time... ...But not all of the time. I did not like this album. It did not grow on me over time. I'm listening again, just to recall, and nothing's changed. First, this album starts the worst way possible, with a tacky reggae track. Then proceeds to the most generic 80s pap throughout the rest of its length. The kind of music that a fake band on the show Saved By The Bell would play. I'm not the kind of person that has an aversion to poppy, synthy, bright 80s music. But this has such a polished shiny exterior, with an interior that's completely vacant and devoid of feeling. I felt nothing. The name Patrick Bateman has been thrown around in other reviews, and I totally understand why. 1 out of 5.

Imagine a DeBarge cover band.

Stop comparing this to Wham. That is an insult to the good name of George Michael and you know it.

I would rather listen to king Charles take a dump on a snare drumb

Green Gartside made the most perfectly artificial pop record he could as a philosophical statement about pop artifice, which is either a fascinating conceptual achievement or its own explanation for why the record keeps you at arm's length. The crystalline production and David Gamson's immaculate arrangements deliver exactly what they promise — frictionless, pleasurable, and ultimately a little too smooth to generate genuine pull. "Perfect Way" is the guilty pleasure peak and the honest ceiling simultaneously — smooth enough that Miles Davis covered it, which is the highest possible endorsement, and still not quite enough to make the rest of the record feel essential. The 80s pop surface is the experience rather than the entry point to something deeper underneath. The Sade comparison is exact — same consistent temperature, same pleasant surface, same three. A record that does what it does very well without generating any desire to return to it.

Total Miss for me. One of the more boring bands of the '80s.

Pichi pichá y mira que me gustan los 80's,pero es demasiado horterilla

Bad Michael Jackson impression

Incidental music for an episode of Knight Rider when Michael and KITT go undercover to tackle corruption in the fashion industry.

I really didn't enjoy the first 3 tracks, then strangely found myself really liking the 4th, and then the 5th was alright too... this is all so very 80's though, like a distillation. I can see people dancing to it in their luminous, floppy-yet-at-the-same-time restrictive gear, and someone with unused keytar swinging it back and forth - lots and lots of hairspray. I'm going to find these guys on Top of the Pops and see how accurate I am. Randomly, every now and again, Green's voice reminds me of a pop version of Game Theory's Scott Miller.

Sounded like if you asked AI to create the most generic, typical, and boring 80s album to play in the background. Nothing special about this at all. Really not sure why it's a must listen to album.

Ts genuinely ruined my entire day Actually the first album I couldn’t finish

My first reaction was "what the hell is this". On a second listen, I can see how it comes to define a very 80s synth pop sound, and very much sounds like an era defining album. I've never heard of them before, but I have heard plenty that sounds like this which came later. That being said, I probably wouldn't pick this up again in due course, and don't plan on saving it to my library either.

Too 80s for me, gave up on it after the first couple of the tracks.

Not my thing.

Scritti Politti have made this list!? Really!? Really!?!? It's not the worst I have heard as I approach half way through but it's not good.

Il y a des jours où l’on se demande quelle faute impardonnable on a bien pu commettre dans une vie antérieure pour mériter un tel châtiment auditif. Car lancer la lecture d’un disque comme Cupid & Psyche 85 de Scritti Politti relève très exactement de ce genre d’épreuve métaphysique. Ensuite, je me suis posé une question avant d’attaquer ce post : comment donner mon avis en toute franchise sans froisser mortellement une certaine frange de nostalgiques des eighties qui vénèrent encore ce machin comme le saint des saints de la pop sophistiquée ? La réponse courte, je m’en contrefous éperdument. La réponse longue, argumentée et suintant l’exaspération la plus pure, la voici : c’est tout simplement nullissime, d’une pauvreté musicale affligeante, et je préfère prévenir d'emblée que mon indulgence a ses limites, surtout face à un chanteur dont le timbre m’a donné des envies de meurtre dès la première mesure. Si j'ai consenti à lui lâcher un misérable 1 sur 5, c'est uniquement parce que le supplice ne s'étire que sur trente-huit minutes. Trente-huit minutes de calvaire, c'est déjà trop, mais ça m’a au moins évité de sombrer dans un coma irréversible, donc ma souffrance a été un tantinet minorée par la brièveté du carnage. Pour bien situer le désastre, il faut quand même rappeler la trajectoire grotesque de cette mascarade. Scritti Politti, à ses débuts à la fin des années soixante-dix, c’était le délire post-punk intello par excellence, des types qui vivaient dans un squat crasseux londonien, lisaient Gramsci au petit-déjeuner et sortaient des singles lo-fi emballés dans du papier journal en dissertant sur la dialectique marxiste et l'effondrement du capitalisme. Puis soudain, illumination mercantile ou crise existentielle majeure : Green Gartside, le grand gourou de la bande, décide qu’il en a soupé de la dèche et de l'orthodoxie militante, et qu'il va désormais attaquer le système de l'intérieur en devenant une popstar de supermarché. Quelle formidable blague... et le résultat pratique, c'est ce foutu Cupid & Psyche 85, pondu en 1985 avec l’aide de producteurs new-yorkais renommés et une armée de synthétiseurs hors de prix. Gartside voulait singer le funk et le R&B américain tout en croyant faire un geste déconstructiviste à la Derrida. Dès les premières minutes, ce qui donne envie de se perforer les tympans avec une aiguille à tricoter, c’est cette production bête à pleurer. Le triomphe de la machine sur l’âme, mais dans ce qu’il y a de plus stérile et prétentieux. On nous balance des boîtes à rythmes programmées au millimètre près, des claquements de caisse claire numériques qui résonnent comme des tirs de pistolet à amorce dans une boîte de conserve vide, et des nappes de Fairlight CMI qui ont très mal vieilli. C'est de la musique de hall d'hôtel pour cadres dynamiques sous cocaïne en 1985, le genre de bande-son qu'on imaginerait tourner en boucle dans un showroom de photocopieuses couleur flambant neuves. Et que dire du chant ? Oui parlons-en, justement et même si mon système nerveux préférerait effacer ce traumatisme. La voix de Green Gartside est une insulte permanente au concept même de tessiture. Ce falsetto fluet, maniéré et perché dans des aigus sirupeux, m’a tapé sur les nerfs avec une régularité de métronome. Il n’y a aucune dynamique, aucun coffre, aucune incarnation dans ce filet de voix anémique. Gartside passe juste son temps à susurrer, à minauder, à faire des petits tics vocaux précieux qui achèvent de flinguer le peu d'intérêt qu'on pourrait hypothétiquement porter aux mélodies. Cette façon grotesque de geindre avec une nonchalance calculée est juste ridicule. Putain, comment des gens sains d'esprit ont-ils pu se pâmer devant une telle faiblesse d’interprétation, en osant qualifier ça de « soul blanche élégante » ? C'est de la variété pour salle d'attente, rien de plus. Sur le plan de la composition pure, c'est le vide intersidéral car tout repose sur des gimmicks datés, des motifs de synthétiseur sans imagination qui se répètent ad nauseam sans jamais évoluer, et des lignes de basse caoutchouteuses en slap synthétique qui donnent l'impression désagréable d'être coincé dans une pub interminable pour des baskets fluo. Les arrangements s'empilent pour masquer la vacuité des idées, mais le subterfuge ne prend pas : les harmonies sont d'une platitude consternante et les refrains, loin de rester en tête par leur génie, y tournent en boucle comme une rage de dents tenace. Même quand le groupe tente d'injecter des effluves reggae ou funk, comme pour s'encanailler avec des musiques de rue, le massacre est total : tout est raide, désincarné, dépourvu de tout groove élémentaire. C'est juste du funk de pacotille. Ce qui me révulse le plus dans cette affaire, au-delà de la platitude atroce de la musique, c’est le snobisme intellectuel hallucinant qui entoure ce disque depuis quatre décennies. Parce que le bonhomme a glissé des références à des philosophes français dans ses interviews et qu’il prétendait déconstruire les codes du capitalisme en utilisant précisément les outils de production les plus coûteux et clinquants de l'industrie, une cohorte de critiques s’est mise à genoux en criant au génie théorique. Mais de qui se moque-t-on sérieusement ? Depuis quand un discours abscons sur la sémiologie suffit-il à réhabiliter des mélodies en carton-pâte et des boîtes à rythmes qui sonnent comme des casseroles en plastique ? Tu peux citer Jacques Derrida, Karl Marx ou Roland Barthes autant que tu veux dans tes dossiers de presse, si ton morceau sonne comme une démo de synthétiseur Casio jouée au ralenti par un gars sans voix, ça reste une purge intégrale. L'emballage intello n'a jamais réussi à transformer un navet en chef-d'œuvre, et ici, l'imposture éclate à chaque seconde. Tout au long de l'écoute, on navigue entre la léthargie la plus profonde et des accès d'agacement incontrôlables. C’est un disque qui s'écoute avec un ennui abyssal teinté d'une incompréhension totale face à l'enthousiasme général. Les titres s’enchaînent dans une mélasse sonore uniforme où tout semble avoir été composé selon la même recette indigeste : un beat rigide sans dynamique, trois accords de claviers FM scintillants qui piquent les yeux, deux cuivres samplés qui sonnent faux, et par-dessus, cette voix chétive qui s’égosille mollement pour nous vendre son petit néant existentiel. C’est une musique mort-née qui est incapable de susciter la moindre vibration émotionnelle digne de ce nom. À ce stade de la torture, la seule grâce salvatrice de cet album demeure sa durée. Quand la dernière note s'est enfin éteinte et que le silence est revenu dans la pièce, j'ai poussé un soupir de soulagement que l'on n'accorde d'ordinaire qu'à la fin d'une extraction dentaire particulièrement coriace. Trente-huit minutes. Dieu merci, pas une de plus. Dans les années quatre-vingt, certains avaient la fâcheuse manie de remplir les disques jusqu'à la garde pour justifier l'achat du support, surtout avec l'avènement du format compact disc qui permettait de gaver l'auditeur jusqu'à plus soif. Si Green Gartside avait eu la mauvaise idée de pondre un double album ou de faire durer son supplice pendant cinquante ou soixante minutes, j'aurais probablement balancé ma chaîne hi-fi par la fenêtre avant la fin. Cette concision forcée est l'unique raison pour laquelle la note est un petit 1 sur 5, symbolique, accordé uniquement comme un pourboire à l'ingénieur du son pour avoir su appuyer sur le bouton d'arrêt avant la quarantième minute et m'avoir ainsi épargné un temps d'agonie supplémentaire. En définitive, Cupid & Psyche 85 est l'exemple parfait de ce que la pop du milieu des années quatre-vingt a pu produire de plus vain, de plus prétentieux et de plus insupportable. Quarante ans après sa sortie, ce grand monument de la pop intello ressemble à ce qu'il a toujours été au fond : un bibelot en plastique sans valeur, relique d'une époque qui confondait technologie flambant neuve et inspiration artistique. Les adorateurs du culte peuvent bien hurler au sacrilège et me traiter d'ignare insensible aux subtilités de la déconstruction textuelle ; moi, je range ce machin tout en bas de l'étagère, très loin de ma vue, avec l'espoir tenace de ne plus jamais avoir à lui infliger le moindre contact avec mes conduits auditifs.

Fílaði aldrei Scritti Politti. Alltof væmið og huggulegt. En að fara úr leftist listakólapönki í þetta er auka mínusstig.

Not quite sure why it gets so heavily slated on here, there's a lot lot worse I've experienced so far. Yes it's lightweight, but perfectly listenable, and I still quite happily listen to it every now and then.

Muy ochentoso/noventoso. Me gustaron varias canciones. Son faciles de escuchar y se disfruta si lo dejas de fondo.

This wasn’t terrible, but it was definitely lacking in variety. Every track sounds the exact same and has that really irritating polished 80s feel. ‘Absolute’ was solid and sounds like something off of 1999 by Prince, but the whole album had a very generic and pointless synth-led theme and really didn’t appeal to me.

Strong dislike from the jump. The voice is unlistenable for me. I'm sticking with it. This guy chose his name by listening to Captain Beefheart and this is what he makes?? One song I think is passable. Just sickeningly sweet.

Never heard of this before. 80s pop, but it’s alright I guess.

With a cosplay George Michael this was a tough pull.

When fairlights bestrode the earth. Production great, musicianship excellent, songs ok. Do I like it? Not that much. Was it worth the listen? Assuredly. Decent, engaging experience. Bit like a more cultured Culture Club.

3.5

Some of the songs had a Michael Jackson feel to them. Overall I enjoyed this album.

A perfectly enjoyable, if unremarkable 80s, actually, make that VERY 80s, pop record. I like it, and I like the band, but it doesn't belong on this list.

The band name is known to me but I couldn't remember a single song. I managed 4 of these all the way through. That semi funky keyboardy 80s sound sucked then and I still dislike it. Perhaps I should listen all the way through. Life's too short.

Why

Had never heard of this group before, had no idea what to expect, left thoroughly disappointed. This album was just not interesting and felt soulless. Ruined what could've been a nice commute in on a lovely morning by having to listen to this shit.

This is without a doubt the worst album submitted on this list so far. Keith mentioned that it was apparently revolutionary for its time by using the synth but that's no excuse for the utter garbage that they used it to create. I'm a worse person for having listened to this

Worse than Coldplay

Not my style so I'll pass on another listen.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTUNDaGAL/

Sitcom-vennlig synthpop? Og her forventa jeg noe Durutti Column shit basert på det dadaistiske navnet. Skuffa. Er ganske mett på sånn her 80s production. Mulig det er dagen idag, men hvert eneste idiotiske musikalske element er et nytt irritasjonsmoment. Tror jeg hater dette.

Det her høres ut som noen har tatt soundtracket til Goof Troop på Super Nintendo og lagt på en random 80s smørsanger oppå.

wow such 80's

The "New Pop" movement of the early 1980s in the United Kingdom has always sounded like a great idea in theory. Smuggling subversive beliefs into mainstream society under the guise of a pop song? Hell yeah, that's what punk is about, buddy! I've always heard that Scritti Politti was one of the first bands to spearhead the movement, in particular with their song "The Sweetest Girl". Unfortunately, that one's not here. As it is, I don't really see the revolutionary sentiment here anymore, it just kind of feels a bit like typical 80s pop. That's about how I feel about New Pop in practice, anyway. It's not terrible, but it should be so much better than it is.

This may be the most unremarkable 80’s album I’ve ever heard.

I did not like this. It was way too 80's and way to pop-py. It was not for me. I didn't like the lead singer's voice.

Previously unknown. It sounded like the cheesy soundtrack to a C-level 80s movie.

Dull New Wave stuff with near-falsetto singing and tunes that don't go anywhere. Everything sounds like filler or tracks to have on the background of a scene in a film which is set in the 80s. These tracks all sound the same and the later ones sound like a Michael Jackson impersonator. It's not great, or even good, but in my opinion doesn't deserve to be in the bottom 20 worst-rated albums from this site.

Reggae new wave (1st track) Settles down to 80s pop. Feels very quintessentially 80s. Waiting for anything that makes it special. Perhaps you could say the sequenced synths and guitars in Small Talk pre-empt Michael Jackson's Bad? I mean it very well distills that 80s sound (e.g. Absolute) Vocals are a bit amateur in places - sounds like Weird Al ripping off Wham I'm also getting boy band vibes here, just little glimpses of say Backstreet Boys or early Take That Saying that, there's also echoes of earlier Prince.. Best track - Absolute 3 stars - normally I'd love 80s pop more, but this doesn't seem so special

Monta genreä yhdessä kappaleessa saatika tässä albumissa. Parista kappaleesta tuli Michael Jackson mieleen. Ihan hyvää musaa.

Is... Is dit een reggae album..? Dit is in elk geval een van de laagst gerate albums op deze site. En eerlijk..? Echt? Dit album maakt mensen zo boos? Het is toch niet zo verschrikkelijk? Er staat grindcore, noiserock, Frank Zappa achtige shit boven dit album? Dit is, tot nu toe tenminste, gewoon mierzoete 80s synthpop. Ik vind het niet geweldig, maar ook niet echt slecht eigenlijk. Of eigenlijk; het heeft wel iets? Ik snap de reviews die dit vergelijken met Wham! het is heel erg 80s en de zanger doet echt zn beste George Michael impressie. De productie van dit album is wel echt hilarisch trouwens. Het is zo heerlijk fout, zo ontzettend 80s. Alleen daarvoor is dit album gewoon al best wel fun. Ik snap werkelijk niet waarom dit zo laag staat. Productie is gewoon prima, de zang is niet fantastisch maar ook niet zo slecht. Dit is gewoon een onschuldig, fout, cheesy 80s pop album. Als dat fout is dan wil ik niet goed zijn. Fuck it. 4 sterren, zuig het, jullie zeikerds van deze website. Er is een tijd en een plek voor 80s synthpop, en die tijd is nu gekomen. FAVO: Absolute, Perfect way, Wood Beez

Never judge a book by its cover. I wasn’t super excited to listen and the album art didn’t help but this was a solid 80s electropop album with one or two songs I can imagine randomly playing without me immediately skipping. Color me pleasantly surprised.

Spotify's bio of "After seeing the sex pistols, the clash, and the damned at university, this band was formed" has given me complete tonal whiplash with this band. I thought it would be rock, instead I get this funky, poppy Michael Jackson stuff. You know, it's not bad.

Loved the instruments, didn't really like the vocals. Pretty fun synth heavy pop, but nothing really made me want to immediately listen to it again

Shite

This contains more 80's cliches than is safe to listen to. I definitely didn't need to hear this before I died. I tried to listen to the whole thing, but it was very hard work and I had to walk away for a little while

I didn't really get this, it sounds like a blander version of Michael Jackson or more boring version of Wham. Doesn't seem particularly ground breaking, or like it spawned a bunch of No1 singles... I didn't need to hear this

Cupid & Psyche 85 is a triumph of style and substance—a record that sounds remarkably futuristic even decades later. While some critics occasionally point to its ultra-synthesized, wall-to-wall polish as a product of its time, its immaculate melodies, harmonic sophistication, and sheer sonic joy make it an essential pillar of 1980s pop history.