The most immediate things you notice about Rio is how the album cover looks like a cheesy travel brochure, the frantic bass lines, dancy rhythm guitars, atmospheric synths, saxophone solos, and vocals that sound like an Elvis Costello caricature.

And as the album goes on, there’s not too much that gets added to that formula. And rightly so–this is New Wave 101, the vanguard for a decade of music to follow, the blueprint for a genre that would be repeated and revived time and time again. It’s The Cars debut album without shame or art-rock ambitions. Sure, there’s plenty avant garde going on in the treatment, but this is unadulterated pop oriented, made-for-MTV New Wave. And it’s delicious.