#270 - Zenyatta Mondatta, The Police

"Arguably the best Police album, Zenyatta contains perhaps the quintessential new wave anthem, the haunting "Don't Stand So Close to Me," the story of an older teacher lusting after one of his students. While other tracks follow in the same spooky path (their second Grammy-winning instrumental "Behind My Camel" and "Shadows in the Rain"), most of the material is upbeat, such as the carefree U.S./U.K. Top Ten "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da," "Canary in a Coalmine," and "Man in a Suitcase."" (allmusic guide)

#269 - The Cars, The Cars

"Perfect pop/rock tunes topped off with a detached New Wave perspective make this a great debut in the same way that the first Boston and Ramones albums are (everything that came after refined the same formula). Not a big hit in 1978, The Cars continued selling throughout the '80s, bridging the gap between classic rockers, New Wavers, and the general public." (real music guide)

#268 - Santana, Santana

"His first record, as with the best fusion, created something a little different than just a mixture -- a new style that, surprisingly remains all his own. Granted that Latin music has seeped into the mainstream since, but why aren't Van Halen and Metallica listening to this? Where they simmer, Santana boils over." (allmusic guide)

#267 - Child Is Father To The Man, Blood, Sweat & Tears

"This is one of the great albums of the eclectic post-Sgt. Pepper era of the late '60s, a time when you could borrow styles from Greenwich Village contemporary folk to San Francisco acid rock and mix them into what seemed to have the potential to become a new American musical form...This is the sound of a group of virtuosos enjoying itself in the newly open possibilities of pop music." (allmusic guide)

#266 - Sign O' The Times, Prince

"Prince shows nearly all of his cards here, from bare-bones electro-funk and smooth soul to pseudo-psychedelic pop and crunching hard rock, touching on gospel, blues, and folk along the way. This was the first album Prince recorded without the Revolution since 1982's 1999, and he sounds liberated." (allmusic guide)


#265 - Violator, Depeche Mode

"In a word, stunning. Perhaps an odd word to use given that Violator continued in the general vein of the previous two studio efforts by Depeche Mode: Martin Gore's upfront lyrical emotional extremism and knack for a catchy hook filtered through Alan Wilder's ear for perfect arrangements, ably assisted by top English producer Flood." (allmusic guide)

#264 - The Trinity Session, The Cowboy Junkies

"This 1988 album was a revelation in that the idea of combining the Velvets and country hadn't really existed before this. Not to mention the idea of playing country like you were loaded to the gills on enough heroin to flatline King Kong. Margo Timmins' zombie-vocals and her brothers' playing make this one of those records where style and substance are equally important." (real music guide)

#263 - Surfer Rosa, The Pixies

"The Pixies' first full-length is a brilliant end-to-end album that makes the transition from loud to quiet seem almost revolutionary. The band's combination of rabid, surreal aggression and sing-along, nihilistic pop set a template for indie rock throughout the following decade (the album came out in 1988). The massive, raw drums and guitar spasms still sound amazing." (real music guide)