While 'Like a Virgin' better defines Madonna's music, this record kicked off the influential pop maven's career while setting the standard for dance pop. Not long after the death of disco, Madonna proved you could still do dance tunes by adding an '80s twist. Synth-led hits like 'Borderline' and 'Lucky Star' distanced themselves from disco just enough to make us think it wasn't disco. Meanwhile, this record and its follow-up helped MTV become the arbiter of pop culture for more than a decade.

'Eagles' (1972)

Though groups like the Byrds and Poco had blended country with rock before, the Eagles would take it further, starting with this debut disc. Sure, there were some duds -- 'Tryin'' and 'Earlybird' -- but it also spawned tunes ('Take It Easy,' 'Witchy Woman,' 'Peaceful Easy Feeling') that would forever be identified with the band's early success. Featuring a collection of lead singers, this album gave us a sampling of those great "ooooh" and "aaaaah" harmonies that would typify Eagles music through the '70s.

'Buddy Holly' (1958)

Songs like 'Peggy Sue' and 'Rave On' created a huge impression on the Beatles, which should be enough to consider this a