Cyndi Lauper

She's So Unusual made Lauper an unmistakable pop star after its release in 1983, but it followed years of cover-band work and the band Blue Angel's 1980 album. The earlier performances helped develop the vocal flexibility and stage personality that seemed so immediate on television. Compare Blue Angel with the solo debut for the continuity beneath the change in scale. Her breakthrough joined a striking visual identity to a voice that had already been tested through a long apprenticeship.