4 Classic Pop Albums That Are Perfect From Start to Finish

Making the “perfect” pop album is no easy feat. It has to be accessible to the masses while also pushing the ball forward. Few artists have achieved perfection, but the albums below saw their artists get pretty close. Here are four classic pop albums that are arguably perfect from the first track to the very last.

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Britney (Britney Spears)

In terms of pop royalty of recent memory, Britney Spears is certainly wearing one of the crowns–if not the crown. Countless artists have looked to Spears for inspiration, and while listening to her self-titled album, it’s not hard to figure why. This album features some of Spears’ best works. “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman,” “I’m a Slave 4 U,” and “Overprotected” to name a few. This album has absolutely zero songs that will have you reaching for the “skip” button.

I used to think
I had the answers to everything
But now I know
Life doesn’t always
Go my way, yeah
Feels like I’m caught in the middle
That’s when I realize

1989 (Taylor Swift)

Though a little newer than the other inclusions on this list, 1989 is a modern classic. Taylor Swift is one of the most beloved pop acts of the last few decades and thus her work deserves to be considered amongst a list of “classic” albums. We’ve chosen to highlight 1989 for its stacked lineup of radio hits full of pounding drums and insatiably catchy choruses.

We were lying on your couch
I remember
You took a Polaroid of us
Then discovered (Then discovered)
The rest of the world was black and white
But we were in screaming color
And I remember thinking

Like a Prayer (Madonna)

How better to start an album than with the title track to this record? The sweeping instrumentation of this song is one hell of a curtain opener. She follows that up with the empowering anthem, “Express Yourself.” Those two songs alone would earn Like a Prayer a spot on this list, however the fun doesn’t stop there. The rest of this tracklist, though perhaps less well-known, is worth just as much prestige as the two opening hits.

When you call my name
It’s like a little prayer
I’m down on my knees
I want to take you there
In the midnight hour
I can feel your power
Just like a prayer
You know I’ll take you there

Off the Wall (Michael Jackson)

We couldn’t make this list without mentioning the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. Off the Wall flexed Jackson’s unique and era-defining sound. If you’re looking for an album to underscore your time on the dance floor, this is the record for you.

Lovely is the feelin’ now
Fever, temperatures risin’ now
Power is the force, the vow
That makes it happen, it asks no questions why
So get closer
To my body now
Just love me
‘Til you don’t know how

(Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images)