Looking back at previous decades is always a source of controversy, and even worse when it comes to lists. The 1980s is special within rock and metal since it is these sounds that forced the so-called best decade of the genre of heavy songs.
We look back at the Most Famous 80s Classic Rock Album In The Year You Were Born:
Back In Black – AC/DC (1980)
AC/DC came from an emergency situation. It was February 1980 when Bon Scott died due to his drinking addiction. The group had just had the biggest hit of their then-long career with Highway to Hell, in my opinion, their best album. Highway to hell sold a whopping 6 million records (data in the USA and UK). Much of the blame for the explosion of the group is owed to Robert John Mutt Lange, producer of the album and who knew how to get the best out of the group and give it a cohesion that was missing in previous Vanda/Young productions. The group had a hard time deciding on the change of producer, but it was clear that with the previous ones they had reached a ceiling. Bon’s death was thus a serious blow to the band. Bon was the image of AC / DC with Angus and his eternal schoolboy suit. The group urgently needed a replacement, and for that, they noticed a guy who sang in a semi-unknown band called Geordie. His name was Brian Johnson and he had the tremendous ballot to replace one of the icons of hard rock, such as Bon Scott.
Moving Pictures – Rush (1981)
Rush, the best-known Canadian band in the world, released this Moving Pictures in 1981. This is the eighth LP of his prolific career that is characterized by his changing style, from the hard rock of his beginnings, progressive rock predominant in the present long duration, alternative rock in the ’90s, and hard rock again in the 21st century. Moving Pictures is 40:04 long, is Rush’s best-selling album, and contains only seven songs, although all are of high quality. Let us remember that they were recorded by three musicians recognized for their mastery in the execution of their respective musical instruments.
Number Of The Beast – Iron Maiden (1982)
With the departure of Paul Di’Anno and the entry of Bruce Dickinson, Iron Maiden had to go through numerous stylistic adaptations for the fit of the more melodic vocal of the new singer to be a natural evolution of the experiment of the previous albums. In this process, there was not only a maturation of that aggressively “elegant” metal sound presented, as a consolidation in the form of the group’s identity. We see that there is a rebellious tone in the beginning, similar to the self-titled Iron Maiden, seeking to scale a stylistic tour of the band’s valences. However, unlike the first and closer to Killers, The Number of The Beast had a thematic and unitary interconnection between the songs.
Synchronicity – The Police (1983)
With the case of the author of “Psycho”, to allude to cerebral terminology, the wonderful album “Synchronicity” is a very good story about the divorce from Sting and the consequent definitive separation from his other partner, The Police. Question of “synchronicity”. In late 1982, Sting had run away to Jamaica with his new love, actress Trudie Styler. In fact, thanks to his friendship with Chris Blackwell, the couple spent a long honeymoon in Goldeneye, the old haunt where Ian Fleming originally wrote his James Bond novels. Now, it is currently a hotel from the old owner of Island Records, who had converted it into a hotel. Right where Ian Fleming lived to write his James Bond novels, converted into a hotel suite, where Sting also composed most of the songs for “Synchronicity” there.
Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen (1984)
Bruce Springsteen’s seventh album released in 1984, his biggest commercial success with 15 million copies sold in the United States alone and 30 million worldwide, continues to shine more than three decades after its release to the beat of drums, synthesizers and Fender Telecaster. Not in vain, seven of his singles reached the top 10 of the Billboard list and became the best-selling album in the United States in 1985.
Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits (1985)
The trajectory of Dire Straits is very interesting to analyze because it combines the facts regarding the evolution of the band over the years and the perception that people have of them. And it is that analyzing Dire Straits will invariably lead us to talk about their fifth studio album, Brothers in Arms from 1985, which would become one of the definitive works of Rock music in the eighties and would elevate the group led by Mark Knopfler is one of the most representative bands of the time. Of course, this would also come with its negative consequences, causing many people, unaware of what this group had done on their previous albums, to disown the band, accusing and criticizing them for trying to be an imitation without the charisma of The Police and that they were a safe and fangless version of Rock. And the reality is far from that, but one of these songs, Money for Nothing, became such a monumental hit that it has distorted the public’s collective perception of Dire Straits.
Master of Puppets – Metallica (1986)
The 1980s can be remembered in many ways. In the musical sphere, the dominance of keyboards and androgynous singers was notorious. Although it was also the period in which metal was renewed and reached one of its best moments. During those two decades it became much more than a genre and triggered a tsunami that remains active to this day. While one of its greatest representatives remains active above all: Metallica.
The Joshua Tree – U2 (1987)
Thirty-three years ago, U2 graduated from The Joshua Tree. The fifth album by the Irish band has remained the cornerstone of their discography. After publishing War (1983) and The Unforgettable Fire (1984), two noteworthy albums, this represents the confirmation of the group as a benchmark on the rock scene. The Joshua Tree is a majestic work, and as such, it begins ascendingly and solemnly with “The Streets Have No Name.” Cover letter of the refined sound and palette of guitar sounds of The Edge. The song flows by itself, it is round, the rhythm of the drums, the continuity of the bass and guitars and the vocal melody catch you and wrap you in the song.
…And Justice For All – Metallica (1988)
The 1988 album is seen by fans and critics alike as a bridge between the sound that characterized the group at the beginning of their career and the more mainstream approach that would place them among rock giants around the world. Praised by critics and celebrated by followers, Justice has iconic tracks like “One” and is definitely one of the fundamental points to understand the ideas that the band had and their direction.
Disintegration – The Cure (1989)
On May 2, 1989, The Cure released Disintegration, the band’s eighth album, at first discredited by the label, Elektra Records, which came to question the commercial viability of a return to the band’s sonic origins to gothic and dark rock, made by Robert Smith, who, even when questioned, delivered the band’s masterpiece to the music world. The classic resists and gains strength with the passage of time over these 30 years, and remains with its place intact among the great achievements of the inspired 80s in which the musical parameter went through several paths between very different styles.