The Psychedelic Furs - Sister Europe (1980). A much overlooked band who had a major influence on many of my musician friends beyond their Pretty in Pink days. Richard Butler was an unusual pin-up but everyone fell in love with his voice and it didn’t matter that he was no pretty boy (and back in the Smash Hits bedroom poster days, that usually mattered more than the music). The sultry bass line from Tim Butler was something I and my friends all tried to emulate. Although called post-punk new wave, I think their sound is much more polished and I personally believe it was a big influence on American bands of the mid ’80s. The Furs made it sexy to be a bit of a depressing individual.