Music in the ’80s is typically associated with the computerized, neon-tinged sounds of MTV, but there was much more to this wildly varied decade.
Its earliest years were dominated by the last vestiges of post-punk, long before music videos were a thing. Classic rock acts with roots all the way back to the ’60s acts were also still topping the charts in the era’s first years, including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd.
Some of the most consistent ’70s hitmakers refused to give way as MTV came into its own – including Journey, Styx, Foreigner and Fleetwood Mac. At the ’80s midpoint, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, John Fogerty, Van Halen and Genesis’ Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins were everywhere.
What’s the Best Rock Album of the ’80s?
At the same time, however, rock began to break apart. Synthpop gave way to alternative rock and various mutations of hard rock and heavy metal. Motley Crue and then Guns N’ Roses built on the crunchy brawn of AC/DC’s early-’80s successes. R.E.M., U2 and important lesser-known acts like Husker Du and Kate Bush made their own waves.
READ MORE: The Top 100 Albums of the ’70s
Hard rock mutated in exciting ways, whether it was the long-form historical narratives of Iron Maiden or the fleet thrash genius of early Metallica. Then you had ’70s-era acts like Don Henley, Aerosmith, Kiss and Paul Simon who were utterly transformed along the way.
Robert Plant, Van Halen and Black Sabbath updated their approach, while Hall and Oates plugged directly into the zeitgeist. UCR touches on all of these many musical wonders in the following staff-voted countdown of the Top 100 rock albums released in the ’80s:
Rock’s 100 Best ’80s Albums
Music in the ’80s is typically associated with the neon-tinged synthpop of MTV’s early era, but there was much more to this wildly varied decade.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
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