Reggatta De Blanc - The Police

THE term "white-boy reggae'' is generally derogatory but The Police wore it as a badge of honour (the name of this album is bad French for "white reggae''). While punk drove the majority of their first album Outlandos d'Amour, reggae and dub took over on Reggatta de Blanc, creating a bouncy pop sound that was largely unheard-of. Opener Message In A Bottle was the perfect bridge between the differing sounds of their first two albums, while second single Walking On The Moon took their increasing reggae influence into outer space. Other highlights include the fast-paced It's Alright For You, the flamenco-meets-Rastafarian Bring On The Night, and the jaunty pop number Does Everyone Stare.

Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division

THIS highly influential gem was largely ignored outside Britain on release but its stature has grown immeasurably since. It was one of the biggest selling indie albums in England in '79 and '80 and struck a chord with those disenchanted with punk, ushering in the unimaginatively labelled "post-punk'' era. To call Unknown Pleasures alternative, ground-breaking and unique is a massive understatement - no album had ever sounded like this. Madman/genius producer Martin Hannett pulls the gloom and grit of Manchester out of Peter Hook's dirty melodic bass lines, Bernard Sumner's amateurish guitar lines and Stephen Morris' powerhouse drumming. But the unwillingly star of the show is Ian Curtis with his dour lyrics and haunting baritone. Curtis' suicide the following year casts a shadow over Joy Division's career but this album's influence stands on its own, inspiring the likes of Bloc Party, Interpol and the string of other post-post-punk bands of recent years.

The Wall - Pink Floyd

THE Wall is the last great Pink Floyd album and completes a run of four excellent records that started with The Dark Side Of The Moon in 1973. One of the most ambitious releases in rock, this towering double-album is a rock-opera that follows its protagonist, Pink, through 26 tracks detailing a rough upbringing, a marriage breakdown and a mental disintegration. With its themes of isolation - as symbolised by a wall - it's an album that borders on being pompous, overblown and pretentious, but there's no disputing that its great moments are incredible and its influence is huge. Another Brick In The Wall Part II is perhaps Pink Floyd's best known song, while Comfortably Numb features one of the best guitar solos of all time, courtesy of David Gilmour. Ironically, the album put another pile of bricks in the wall between frontman Roger Waters and the rest of the band, leading to years of lawsuits.

Honourable mentions:

The B-52s' self-titled debut, The Eagles' The Long Run, Fleetwood Mac's Tusk, Frank Zappa's Sheik Yerbouti, Stiff Little Fingers' Inflammable Material, Gary Numan's two albums The Pleasure Principle and Replicas, XTC's Drums & Wires and Gang Of Four's Entertainment!.