Rick Springfield – We Are The 80's (CD)

Rick Springfield was more than a heartthrob with a hit single. Before "Jessie's Girl" became inescapable in the summer of 1981, he'd spent years grinding through the Australian and American music scenes, and the songs collected here reflect a songwriter who understood hooks at a molecular level. This compilation is a solid entry point for anyone who wants to understand how Springfield fit into the broader new wave and arena pop landscape of the decade.