Robert Plant

If you have any doubt that synthy new wave had become mainstream pop music by 1985, just listen to the production on Robert Plant's third solo set (which is a comedown from his previous Principals of Moments album). The approach paid off, with the above average single "Little By Little" getting plenty of airplay on both FM classic rock and alternative stations. That said, this is no sell-out, as most songs still shine with Plant's combination of off-kilter world rhythms, streamlined rock and his quest for the dark and mysterious.