808s & Heartbreak

The cover of 808s & Heartbreak is almost empty: a deflated red heart-shaped balloon, crumpled and lying on a pale grey background, with the title and Kanye's name in tiny pastel type.

Kanye made the album after the death of his mother, Donda West, in 2007 and the end of his engagement. Released on 24 November 2008, it swapped rapping for singing through Auto-Tune over cold Roland TR-808 drums, and songs like "Love Lockdown" and "Heartless" shocked fans who expected the soul samples of his first three records.

The deflated heart turned the title into one simple image of loss. The album's sound went on to shape a generation of rappers who sang about their feelings, from Drake and Kid Cudi to Travis Scott and the emo rap of the late 2010s.