I'm going to diverge from the rest of the group here and tell you that two albums from one artist changed my life forever: "Home of the Brave" and "Strange Angels" by Laurie Anderson. I saw Laurie perform the "Mr. Heartbreak Tour" that became the live concert movie/album "Home of The Brave", and was literally stunned out of my seat. Laurie's use of electronic instruments, non-traditional timing, art and multimedia, and keen intellectual wit all blew me away. These albums are from the mid-to-late 80's and Laurie has since focused more on her two most favored devices: monologue and the violin. So I'm not as big a fan today as I used to be though I appreciate all of her work. But as a guy who grew up listening to powerhouse keyboardists like Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Tony Banks, Chick Corea and many more, I saw something new and refreshing in Laurie Anderson's minimized and artistic approach to keyboards and music in the 80's that radically altered my way of thinking.