Rapture

Soul has been through a lot of changes of late, and if there seems to be an oversupply of young divas-in-waiting today, you can probably thank Anita Baker for it. Baker was one of the few singers that bridged the old school to the new, and this 1986 album was--and is--a true soul classic. An inspiration for everyone from Whitney Houston to Toni Braxton, Baker carved the way with soaring vocals and an effortless style on tracks like "Sweet Love" and "You Bring Me Joy." "Caught Up in the Rapture" was the anthem for many a lovestruck couple, and Baker sums it up best herself in the same song: "Nothing else can compare."