Best Albums From Big Gen X Dad Rock Bands

Dad rock for Gen X takes on many different forms, meaning a variety in classic albums.

It could mean a holdover act from the 1970s that finally found its groove in the early 1980s. It could be a hard rock band whose debut album had everyone rethinking what the L.A. music scene looked like during their era.

Gen X is defined by those born from 1965 until 1980, meaning these bands were at peak popularity during the generation’s teenage years — even if it meant a band’s comeback of sorts.

READ MORE: The Best Albums by 5 Big Millennial Dad Rock Bands

It might even be an Irish band that put as much weight behind its music as it did the serious message in its lyrics.

Here is a look at the best album from five big Gen X dad rock bands.

AC/DC

Best album: Back in Black

Hit after hit after hit.

AC/DC’s Back in Black had no business being as good as it was when it arrived in 1980.

The album is the seventh in the band’s existence. It’s also the first featuring a new singer, with Brian Johnson replacing Bon Scott following his untimely death.

And yet, AC/DC prevails in the end with their best album, which features songs that even your oldest relatives know because they heard them at your cousin’s wedding reception.

Back in Black’s impact is felt immediately with the opening DONG of “Hell’s Bells.” Rarely does it let up.

We’re given heavy hitters “Shoot to Thrill” and “Back in Black” and the cheeky “Given the Dog a Bone” all before AC/DC gets to one of their most iconic songs.

When “You Shook Me All Night Long” does arrive, we are given just enough time to catch our breath during the opening guitar chords before getting right back to the rock.

The odds were stacked against AC/DC in 1980, but they chiseled out a rock solid album that hits hard across 10 tracks without ever really seeming tired.

Aerosmith

Best album: Toys in the Attic

Aerosmith could very well fall into multiple generations of dad rock, with each era having a completely different experience with the band.

But when it comes to being a true rock band, Toys in the Attic is where Aerosmith are at their best.

The 1974 album maintains some of the grit from Aerosmith’s first two releases while using it as a base to develop a more cohesive sound.

The process created some of Aerosmith’s biggest hits, including “Sweet Emotion” and “Walk This Way.”

Even when Toys in the Attic could have tripped up with a cover of “Big Ten Inch Record,” it instead delivers an unexpected (and welcome) close to side 1.

Side B kicks off with “Sweet Emotion” and Joe Perry’s stellar guitar work that helps drive the song. Steven Tyler’s voice blends with the rest of the instruments as Perry’s driving sound gets put out front.

Toys in the Attic is a more focused, but not overly polished version of Aerosmith that would come much later in their career.

Guns N’ Roses

Best album: Appetite for Destruction

Appetite for Destruction is easily one of the all-time greatest debut albums among all rock bands.

Not only that, but it may have the best opening notes of any debut album from any music genre. Just try not to get hype when the first chords of “Welcome to the Jungle” hit.

And with those first few notes, the drug-tinted world of Guns N’ Roses arrived in pop culture. It was a world bred in Los Angeles that somehow stayed outside of the hair metal that surrounded it.

Appetite for Destruction struck a new balance between hard rock and metal that wasn’t glam. Instead, it was a bit more raw with the immediacy of Axl Rose’s vocals and the underlying precision coming from Slash’s guitar.

“Mr. Brownstone” delivered tales of heroin addiction to a wider audience, while “Night Train” introduced them to the band’s favorite cheap booze.

This was part of LA that wasn’t always on display in popular music at the time. Songs about women and excess prevailed, but it wasn’t always this filthy.

Guns N’ Roses have never topped Appetite for Destruction, but they have never really needed to. It’s one of the greatest rock albums of all time while also being one of the most chaotic.

Few debuts have been better than this, except possibly one coming up later in this list.

U2

Best album: The Joshua Tree

The fifth studio album from Irish rock band U2 gets the nod here since it is their best true rock album. (We are talking “dad ROCK” after all)

On The Joshua Tree, U2 take things up a notch, even though it’s not immediately evident. The album opens with “With or Without You,” which coasts along for the most part as Bono’s voice delivers the most power.

The rest of the band gets plenty of time to shine elsewhere on the album.

“Bullet the Blue Sky” has The Edge letting loose on guitar while Bono’s voice takes a step back. Instead, it’s his lyrics that are heavy as he speaks out against political conflicts.

It’s an example of how the subject matter on The Joshua Tree can paint a bleak picture at times. But that doesn’t mean that it isn’t an enjoyable listen.

The production team of Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno helped U2 create a dynamic that is engaging and makes you lean in a little bit to hear the serious stuff in the lyrics.

The duo also worked with the band on 1991’s Achtung Baby. That album is no slouch either, but it doesn’t quite check all of the boxes for being a pure rock record like The Joshua Tree.

Van Halen

Best album: Van Halen

Remember earlier when we talked about how great GN’R’s Appetite for Destruction was one of the greatest rock debuts of all-time? Van Halen’s self-titled debut is right up there alongside it.

The first half of the album might also be one of the greatest side As among all rock albums.

“Runin’ With the Devil” sets the tone out of the gate as David Lee Roth’s vocals play cat-and-mouse with Eddie Van Halen’s guitar. Roth is a maniac as he delivers every word. At the same time, Eddie’s guitar chugs along until he launches into the solo.

And with that, the guitar virtuoso has arrived.

“Eruption” follows as the spotlight fully on Eddie Van Halen before launching into The Kinks’ “You Really Got Me.” It’s a seamless transition between the two that makes you forget the band resorted to a cover song three tracks into its debut.

And there’s no time to even ponder what you just heard because “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love” is coming straight at you at 100mph before Eddie blows out your speakers with the opening notes to “I’m the One.”

All of that is just on side one.

The second half slightly lets up on the gas with “Jamie’s Cryin’.” Roth even chills out for a spell during a cover the blues classic, “Ice Cream Man.”

Roth sounds like he is having a blast throughout the entire album. His joy is infectious and often matches the intensity of Eddie’s guitar.

Van Halen’s 1984 is right up there as one of their best albums, but it falls just short on the fun factor when trying to match the band’s self-titled debut.