Author and respected music critic Rob Sheffield argues that the year 1982 was a transformative moment in music. In Rolling Stone, he shares his wonderfully-eclectic list of the "100 Best Songs of 1982," from Toto's "Africa" (duh) to Hall & Oates's "Maneater," The Gap Band's "You Dropped A Bomb On Me," New Order's "Temptation," Prince's "Little Red Corvette," and, at number one, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message." The latter's video and more from the list below. Sheffield writes:
WELCOME TO 1982: the year that invented pop music as we know it today. One of the most experimental, innovative, insanely abundant music years ever. Hip-hop takes over with "The Message" and "Planet Rock." New Wave synth-pop invades the Top 40. Disco and funk have a high-tech boom. Indie rock takes off with R.E.M. and the Replacements. Prince claims his throne as the Coolest Man Alive. Madonna dances out of Detroit. Thriller drops. New stars, new beats, new noises explode every week on MTV. So do some of history's most tragic haircuts. Synthesizers. Drum machines. The Walkman. After 1982, music will never be the same.
