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Best minimalism songs of the 1980s

Cheap drum machines and the first affordable samplers changed who was allowed to make a record. Hip-hop moved from a party you had to be at to a 12-inch you could buy, and MTV made how a song looked part of the argument.

Songs from the minimalism albums of the 1980s, ordered by their own ratings rather than the record's.

Music for The Knee Plays cover№ 1I've TriedDavid Byrne · Music for The Knee Plays
  1. 2Music for The Knee Plays cover(The Gift of Sound) Where the Sun Never Goes DownDavid Byrne · Music for The Knee Plays
  2. 3Music for The Knee Plays coverTree (Today Is an Important Occasion)David Byrne · Music for The Knee Plays
  3. 4Solo Piano coverWichita Sutra VortexPhilip Glass · Solo Piano

One great song, one bad album

Tracks carry their own ratings here, so a record you would never play front to back can still have a song worth defending.

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All genres, the 1980s →