Pushing the envelope with synthesisers and grit

Further to Marc's post on females with guitars (find it yourself, I am in no mood for hyperlinking), I am interested in exploring the inclusion of seminal 80's power women.

I impose no real limit on Kate Bush aside from the normal 'no back catalogue' thing. In fact, if you have Hounds of Love, you are allowed to have one violating CD from the Britpop or electronica categories... it's like a kind of wild card. That's right: Hounds of Love makes up for, say, a recent Oasis or Prodigy album, no questions asked.

Madonna, more than almost anyone else, is subject to the camp coefficient. More than three Madonna CDs, or more than two when combined with the likes of Kylie or funky house compilations, equates to a "no, sorry, I don't think I can make it tonight" kind of CD stack, despite the fact that some of the other discs may have merit. So you have to be careful. The general rule with Madonna is nothing after Ray of Light and no more than one greatest hits.

I do waive the greatest hits rule for the Eurythmics. But you can't have the greatest hits AND other Eurythmics CDs. The greatest hits plus one, or at the very most two, Annie Lennox solo albums is an acceptable count. Eurythmics + Madonna = a dicey equation under the camp coefficient, so in this instance less is probably more, unless you can demonstrate a special interest such as synthesiser arrangements.

Finally, Cyndi Lauper. I allow one CD because, damn it, she penned some great great tunes. If, after successive visits to the potential partner's house, I find that the existing Cyndi Lauper CD is still resting beside, on top of, or in the CD player, it will be considered evidence of continual playing, which extrapolates to indicate obsession, and contact may be severed pending assessment of other titles.