Joe Jackson

Here, Joe Jackson keeps his spiky New Wave rock intact but starts experimenting with sound and songwriting -- something he'd do for the rest of his career. Jackson leaps on the dark, twitchy vibe that underlies reggae dub with "In Every Dream Home (A Nightmare)" and other cuts. The best track, however, is the power-poppy "Someone Up There," in which the hapless hero blames everything (including beating his girlfriend) on the "powers that be." This one was a commercial misfire, though the ironic title track did end up receiving plenty of alt-rock radio play throughout the 1980s.