The moment MTV burst onto the scene, it didn’t just reshape music. It reshaped everything—style, language, teen bedrooms, and the way albums became cultural events. Suddenly, a record wasn’t just something you listened to. It was something you watched. These 20 albums didn’t just ride the MTV wave; they created it, fueled it, and made the network feel like a wild new frontier. Think neon, synths, leather, and that unmistakable sense that music had somehow gotten bigger, louder, and more cinematic.