The 1980s

The number next to the band indicates how many albums I recommend

Country:
Don Williams (1)
Dwight Yoakam (2) *****
George Jones (1)
George Strait (3)
Hank Williams Jr. (1)
The Judds (1) *****
K.D. Lang (2)
Keith Whitley (1)
Lyle Lovett (2) *****
Merle Haggard (1) *****
Randy Travis (2) *****
Rodney Crowell (1) *****
Steve Earle (1) *****
Suzy Bogguss (1)
The Tony Rice Unit (1)

Electronic:
Cybotron (1)
Derrick May (1)
Frankie Knuckles (1)
Inner City (1)
Juan Atkins (1)
Kevin Saunderson (1)
Manuel Gottsching (1)
Model 500 (1)
Philip Glass (1)
Psyche/BFC (1) *****

Film/Video Game Score:
Blade Runner
Vangelis

International:
Ali Farka Toure (1)
Ali Hassan Kuban (1)
Andres Calamaro (1)
Djavan (1)
Gipsy Kings (1) *****

Jazz/Fusion:
Al Di Meola (1)

Metal/Hardcore:
Celtic Frost (1)
Death (1) *****
Metallica (4) *****
Napalm Death (1)
Pestilence (1)
Raw Power (1) *****
Slayer (1) *****
Sodom (1)

Pop/R&B:
ABBA (1) *****
Anita Baker (1)
Bobby Brown (1)
Diana Ross (1)
George Benson (1)
George Michael (1)
Guy (1)
Janet Jackson (1)
Keith Sweat (1)
Luther Vandross (1) *****
Madonna (3) *****
Michael Jackson (2) *****
Pet Shop Boys (1)
Prince (4) *****
Rick James (1) *****
Sade (1)
Teresa Trull (1)
Whitney Houston (1)

Rap:
2 Live Crew (1)
3rd Bass (1)
Beastie Boys (2) *****
Big Daddy Kane (3) *****
Boogie Down Productions (2) *****
The D.O.C. (1)
De La Soul (1)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (1)
EPMD (1) *****
Eric B. & Rakim (2) *****
Grandmaster Flash (1)
Ice-T (1) *****
Jungle Brothers (1)
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (1) *****
Kool Moe Dee (1)
Kurtis Blow (1)
LL Cool J (2) *****
Mantronix (1)
N.W.A. (1) *****
Public Enemy (1) *****
Run-D.M.C. (4) *****
Slick Rick (1)
Stetsasonic (1) *****
Too Short (1)
Ultramagnetic MCs (1) *****
Whodini (1)
Young MC (1) *****

Rock/Folk:
10,000 Maniacs (1)
A Flock of Seagulls (1)
A-Ha (1)
ABC (1) *****
AC/DC (1) *****
Aztec Camera (1) *****
Beat Happening (1)
Billy Joel (1)
Black Flag (1)
Blondie (1) *****
Brian Eno (2) *****
Bruce Springsteen (4) *****
Bryan Adams (1)
The Cars (1) *****
The Chameleons (1)
The Church (2)
Cocteau Twins (1) *****
The Comsat Angels (1)
The Cure (2) *****
David Bowie (2) *****
The dB's (1)
Dead Kennedys (1)
Def Leppard (2) *****
Devo (1)
Dexys Midnight Runners (1) *****
Dinosaur Jr. (2) *****
Dire Straits (1)
Don Henley (1)
The Dream Syndicate (1) *****
Duran Duran (2)
Echo & the Bunnymen (4) *****
Elvis Costello (3) *****
The English Beat (1) *****
The Fall (1)
The Feelies (1) *****
Felt (1) *****
Ferron (2) *****
Fine Young Cannibals (1)
Foreigner (1)
Fugazi (1) *****
Galaxie 500 (1)
Gang of Four (1)
The Go-Betweens (1) *****
The Go-Go's (1)
The Gun Club (1) *****
Guns N Roses (1) *****
Hall & Oates (1) *****
Huey Lewis & the News (1)
The Human League (1) *****
Husker Du (4) *****
The Jam (2) *****
James Booker (1)
Jane's Addiction (1)
The Jesus & Mary Chain (1) *****
Joy Division (2) *****
Judas Priest (1) *****
Killing Joke (1)
Madness (1)
Marshall Crenshaw (1) *****
Meat Puppets (1)
Men at Work (1)
Men Without Hats (1)
Michelle Shocked (1)
Minor Threat (1)
Minutemen (1) *****
Motorhead (1) *****
New Order (3) *****
Nine Inch Nails (1) *****
NRBQ (2) *****
The Ocean Blue (1)
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (2)
Paul Simon (1)
Pere Ubu (1) *****
Pet Shop Boys (1)
Peter Gabriel (2) *****
Phil Collins (2) *****
Pixies (2) *****
The Police (3) *****
The Pretenders (3) *****
The Proclaimers (1)
The Psychedelic Furs (2)
Queen (1)
R.E.M. (4) *****
The Replacements (3) *****
The Residents (1)
Richard & Linda Thompson (1)
The Robert Cray Band (2)
Rockpile (1)
Roxy Music (1) *****
Rush (2) *****
Simple Minds (2)
The Smiths (3) *****
The Soft Boys (1) *****
Soft Cell (1)
Sonic Youth (2) *****
Squeeze (3) *****
Steve Goodman (1)
Stevie Ray Vaughn (2) *****
The Stone Roses (1) *****
Stray Cats (1)
Talk Talk (2) *****
Talking Heads (4) *****
Tears for Fears (2)
The Textones (1)
Throwing Muses (1)
Tom Petty (1) *****
Tom Waits (2) *****
Tracy Chapman (1) *****
The Traveling Wilburys (1)
U2 (2) *****
Van Halen (2) *****
The Vapors (1)
Violent Femmes (1) *****
Weird Al Yankovic (1)
Wipers (1) *****
X (4) *****
XTC (2) *****
Z.Z. Hill (1)
ZZ Top (1)