Best Music of the Decade: 1980s

For anyone out there that has debated what is the top music of the decade, this blog series was created for you. I am going to take a look at each decade from the 60s to the 00s, and pick out the top one (or three) rock albums from each year of that decade. This is obviously only my opinion, and holds no weight in an argument, but I am posting it just the same. All of these albums are 5 star albums that significantly impacted music history in small ways (Sum 41) and massive ways (The Beatles). Feel free to comment, and remind me of someone I left out, or recommend a comment addition and I will do my best to edit the post. Now sit back and enjoy the best albums of the decade, and don't forget to click on any album cover to listen to a sample:

1980s: Heavy Metal and Hair bands

1980

AC/DC: Back in Black (Despite losing the best rock n' roll frontman Bon Scott months before, these Aussie legends never missed a beat, producing their best selling album of all time. Gone are the antics of Scott, replaced by the seriousness of Brian Johnson, but even the most loyal Bon Scott faithful have to admit this album rocks. Back in Black and You shook me all night, by themselves would carry most albums, but this one is solid from start to finish. Unfortunately this would prove to be the last great album of AC/DC's career, proving that they missed Scott much more than initially recognized)
(click on album to listen to clip)


Diamond Head: Lighting to the Nations (Most casual hard rock listeners would find it difficult to name one of their songs. But if Metallica were to play them you would recognize them right away. Brought to fame by producing a slew of hits that Metallica covered, these representatives of the NWBHM-new wave of british heavy metal- brought an incredibly hard sound, as well as lyrics that would start the critics screaming ban. Songs like Am I Evil and Prince were too much for some. Definitely not for all, which is why it is still a relatively unknown piece of rock history)
(click on album to listen to clip)


1981


Rush: Moving Pictures (Almost certainly the best album Rush released, it is also their final one that held on to its rock roots, leaving the synthesizers for pop music, and keeping the focus on instruments. Here is the album that has that classic song Tom Sawyer, as well as other fantastic songs Red Barchetta and Limelight, all of which highlight the songwriting and drum skills of Neil Peart to perfection. Their eventual transformation into a band more focused on synthesized music, is exactly what the rock bands that would dominate the next decade were fighting against, and as is often the case, overcompensated to a much harder sound then previously heard. This album may mark that split where rock diverged into pop and Hard rock)
(click on album to listen to clip)


Motley Crue: Too fast for Love (Once this band got its foot in the door, it removed said door and hit you with it. Loved by some as much as they were hated by others, the Crue produced solid music through the entire decade. If it were not for Metallica, they would have no competition as the best band of the decade)
(click on album to listen to clip)


1982

Ozzy Osbourne: Diary of a Madman (Not many artists have left a band as successful as Black Sabbath and made a name for themselves on their own, but Ozzy is an exception. Whether it was his biting heads off of bats (fake) or insane album covers, he made a huge name for himself. Despite a voice that would not send him to Hollywood on American Idol, with the help of Randy Rhodes guitar, he made some great riffs that still stand strong today. Perhaps his best solo album)
(click on album to listen to clip)


The Misfits: Walk Among Us (Another of those bands you may recognize when a bigger band covers them, they were a staple to the teenage skater of the 80s. As was common in the 80s, the more shocking you could be, the more you would be recognized, they produced that controversal song Last Caress that still gives the non-fan chills to hear. But influential on future bands, they were, and gotta count in the ratings)
(click on album to listen to clip)


1983

Metallica: Kill em All (In my opinion the most important rock album of all time. Metallica went against the grain of glam and guitars that was so prevalent in 80s metal, choosing to simply rock. With Hetfields haunting voice and the absolute perfect three playing beside him, Metallica stood alone as the most influential band of the 1980s. And this album never grows old. I have listened to it as much in the last year as I did in the mid 80s and still hear things I never heard. Heavy, Fast, and pure Rock n' Roll. No better album in the genre)
(click album to listen to clip)


Quiet Riot: Metal Health (For a brief moment there was nothing like this album, with its shockingly good Metal Health and Cum on feel the noize. Meteoric in their fame, they still burned very bright for this brief moment, and the album sounds as impressive now as it did back then)
(click album to listen to clip)


Motley Crue: Shout at the Devil (Where Metallica grew in fame through shockingly good music, the Crue grew in fame by just being shocking. In no way interested in the occult, they used it to shock the world by placing pentagrams on their cover or throwing up the goats head sign. And you know it worked. By bringing them up in the news on a daily basis, opponents created the legend that was the Crue. And you know, what they had a pretty good sound to go with that new found fame)
(click on album to listen to clip)



Def Leppard: Pyromania (Truly a monumental year in the hard rock 80s, with the release of the defining albums by the defining bands of the decade. One of those defining bands would have to be Def Leppard, who produced two of the biggest albums of the decade. Though they had been playing for years together, this album truly put them on the metal map with hits like Rock of Ages and Photograph)
(click album to listen to clip)




Suicidal Tendencies: Suicidal Tendencies (Similar to the Misfits, they were heard wherever kids were grinding their skateboards, and were still playing good, fast music when those same kids were grinding to a halt on the way to their careers a decade later. Relatively unknown, they had a few very good albums, including this one, arguably their best. As with many other 80s bands, they had their share of controversy, especially with songs like I saw your mommy and your mommy's dead. Definitely not for everyone)
(click album to listen to clip)


1984

Bob Marley: Legend (In an era dominated by metal and rock, a reggae singer from Jamaica had one of the biggest albums of the decade. Of course Marley, had been dead for 3 years, when this compilation was released, but it still creates waves today. If there is one reggae album in your collection, it absolutely must be Legend, as it is the best of a very real Legend)
(click album to listen to clip)


Metallica: Ride the Lightning (If not for Marley, Metallica would have had their first four albums be the best of the year. Still, this is as good an album as they ever made. Probably better musically then Kill em All, it was a fantastic sophomore effort by the boys from cali. Fade to Black is one of the most incredible songs ever written, and yet was never played on the radio...too long for airtime, and yet that was Metallica in the 80s. No radio, No MTv, No problem. They still became the biggest thing in Rock)
(click album to listen to clip)


1985


Motley Crue: Theater of Pain (Despite the controversies, the Crue kept banging out solid albums, and Theatre was as solid as they came. It was so big that the drama faces became a staple on every good 80s girl groupie as a tattoo, including I may add, my sister. Very solid album, that stands the test of time for good music)
(click on album to listen to clip)


Anthrax: Spreading the Disease (Destined to play for decades, and influence future bands such as Rage against the Machine, Anthrax started off in relative obscurity. In an era known more for high pitched singing or lead singers with better hair and make up then their girlfriends, Anthrax didn't exactly fit the mold. But they made great music, some of which has stood up to time better than their more beautiful contemporaries)
(click album to listen to clip)


1986

Metallica: Master of Puppets (Considered by many to be Metallica's finest album, it would also be the last for their basist Cliff Burton, who was killed by their tour bus during the middle of the night. Metallica would carry on, but their head and shoulders standing above everyone else would slowly slip after this tremendous album. While Master and Sanitarium are among the best rock songs ever, a lesser known one by the name of Damage Inc. is probably their best song. Fantastic album)
(click album to listen to clip)


Bon Jovi: Slippery when wet (While some generations can say they remember when Kennedy was shot, or the Japanese surrendered, my generation had more humble memories. For example I still remember driving over the Courtney Campbell Causeway in Tampa the first time I heard You give love a bad name. A tremendous song, by a great band on what is their best album. They would be around for decades to come, but never hit it as big as they did with this album)
(click album to listen to clip)


Beastie Boys: Licence to Ill (Speaking of memories: my brand new tape, my huge radio, in my room hitting pause every two seconds writing the words to this album. What is what chad was doing in 1986 on his waterbed late on Saturday night, alex. This album had a significant impact on music, bringing Rap into the mainstream, in a day when very few new any rappers beyond Run DMC and LL Cool J. Fight for your right to party, was the theme song of every 13 year old rebel, which alone makes it a pretty cool album)



1987

Guns n' Roses: Appetite for Destruction (It seems every year of this decade had a monumental album, and none were as big as this one, with its slew of major hits. Welcome to the Jungle, Sweet Child o' Mine, and Paradise City, are still today some of the most recognizable songs of all time, and among the best as well)
(click album to listen to clip)



Def Leppard: Hysteria (If you were to watch MTV alot in 1987, which most of us did, you would hear one song so often you could sing it in your sleep. That song was Pour Some Sugar on Me, just one of the huge hits from Def Leppards most popular album. But that was not the only hit on this release, others included Love Bites, Rocket, Hysteria, and Animal. This record would not be mistaken for heavy metal on the level with Metallica, but constituted Pop Metal, a much more radio friendly and therefore popular genre with the masses. Still it is an enjoyable listen.
(click on album to listen to clip)



NWA: Straight outa Compton (No band has impacted one genre like NWA did for rap. Before them you would still hear rappers singing about their adidas or how they need love, but that all seemed a distant memory when the soon to be legends of Dr Dre, Ice Cube and Easy E, came stomping in their big brown boots. They unleashed an assault so violent, that no one had any response. And most didn't oppose thinking it was an inner city phenomenon. That is until it was heard as commonly in the suburbs as it was in the ghettos. As much as I loved Appetite for Destruction, this tape was played the most on my cassette deck of any that year. Not to defend them for the negative influence they had on music, however, as rap has never been the same, but they were very very big, very very fast)
(click album to listen to clip)


Motley Crue: Girls, Girls, Girls (As violent as rap was getting, we could always depend upon the Crue to keep it light. They were more interested in women and smoking in the boys room, then picking up a gun, however the critics fought them much harder then NWA was ever oppossed. Still, this album ranks as one of their best)
(click on album to listen to clip)


1988

Metallica: ...and justice for all (The last great Metallica album in the 80s was stunning. Whether it is the lightning fast Battery or the haunting One, this album rocks from start to finish. Still not mainstream freindly with its long guitar solos, it was a hugely important album to any self respecting rock fan in 1988)
(click album to listen to clip)


Bon Jovi: New Jersey (arguably as good an album as Slippery, Bon Jovi truly became huge when they released this one. What made them so popular was that they appealed to the metal fan as well as the casual listener, and their music was made for the radio and MTV. So while Metallica was still relatively unknown, Bon Jovi shot to stardom. Musically this was not as good an album as Justice, but is still very very good)
(click album to listen to clip)


Cinderella: Long Cold Winter (Even people alive and rocking during the 80s may fight me on this one, but I am stubborn, and still a big fan of Cinderella. They were one of the most unique bands of the era, going from hard core rock to very bluesy balads. And the vocals are among the most unique in the genre. Well worth checking out if have never heard)
(click album to listen to clip)


Poison: Open up and say Ahh... (Think of Motley Crue without the controversy and you have Poison. They were as fun and immature as the Crue and yet never had the negative publicity. And they produced songs that would become anthems to my generation, such as Every Rose, Nothing but a good time, and Talk Dirty to me. To do this day, nothing brings back the feelings of the 80s like popping in Poison)
(click album to listen to clip)


1989

Motley Crue: Dr Feelgood (In my opinion their best album. You can't help but get revved up when you hear the guitars fire up at the start of Kickstart my Heart. And when you realize that the song was about Vince being pronounced dead and getting brought back at the last second, it makes it a little more meaningful. Tremendous album)
(click on album to listen to clip)


Skid Row: Skid Row (Good ole Sebastian Bach. One of the best voices in the history of rock, and he had really cool hair. In fact, between he and the lead singer from Blind Melon, it was an easy decision for me to grow a super long pony tail, that I would wear for more than a decade. Great anthems on this album such as Youth gone wild and 18andLife)
(click album to listen to clip)


Aerosmith: Pump (Mostly known in rock circles for their incredible albums of the 70s, they were also known in the 80s for their frequent appearances on MTV. And that would get even bigger after Pump was released. Something from this album could be heard about every hour on MTV for years to come after Pump. Still, despite the popularity, a great album)
(click album to listen to clip)