Face Value

Face Value, Phil Collins’ 1981 solo debut, wasn't predicted to be the massive crossover smash that it eventually became. Having spent the duration of the '70s as the drummer and singer in Genesis, Collins spent late 1979 nursing the wounds of a nasty divorce in the confines of his English mansion. Using the then-brand-new Prophet-5 synthesizer and a Roland CR-78 drum machine, Collins channeled his vindictiveness and despair into a new set of demos that he never thought would become an album. But when his record label got wind of the music, Collins was persuaded to develop those demos into what became Face Value. With its minimalistic electronics and brooding atmosphere, “In the Air Tonight” set the album's tone. Amazingly, it also became its breakout single—surely among the most menacing songs to became a pop hit. Notwithstanding a few avant-garde–tinged moments (like the beautiful Steve Reich homage “Droned”), the rest of the album is as much a work of R&B as rock ‘n’ roll. Among the standouts are “This Must Be Love,” “I Missed Again,” and “I’m Not Moving.”