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The Top ‘80s Rock AlbumsOriginally posted 2/22/2023. January 22, 2019 marked the 10-year anniversary of the DMDB blog. To honor that, Dave’s Music Database announced its own Hall of Fame. This month marks the seventeenth group of album inductees. Eight of the ten albums here are taken from the top classic rock albums of all time list. Previous ‘80s rock albums to be inducted were Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A., and U2’s The Joshua Tree. |
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet (1986)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| This rock band from New Jersey reached platinum status with their first two albums they didn’t exactly set the world on fire. Their third album, Slippery When Wet, proved Bon Jovi weren’t just another “hair band” when it topped the charts and sold 28 million copies worldwide, thanks to #1 hits “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Billboard named it the album of the year. Read more. |  |
Def Leppard Pyromania (1983)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| With their third album, Pyromania, Def Leppard leapt into the mainstream thanks to MTV and radio ready to embrace the band’s glam-metal style on surprise hits such as “Photograph,” “Rock of Ages,” and “Foolin’.” The band went a long way in crafting the look and sound of hair bands but proved to have more cred than the almost-comic-book-like characterization of their peers. The album sold 10 million copies in the U.S. alone. Read more. |  |
Def Leppard Hysteria (1987)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| It took four years for Def Leppard to release a follow-up to Pyromania, a seemingly impossible task. The band rose to the challenge with a metal version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller: the album launched seven singles, including the chart-topping “Love Bites” and #2 hit “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” The album reached #1 in the U.S. and UK on its way toward 22 million in sales worldwide. Read more. |  |
Peter Gabriel So (1986)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| After his departure from the progressive-rock group Genesis in 1975, Peter Gabriel embarked on a solo career that looked to be artier than it would be commercial. His first four albums produced only one top-40 hit so no one expected the pop sensation of So. The lead single, “Sledgehammer,” was a #1 hit, helped tremendously by a video celebrated as one of the best of all time. That and a slew of album rock and pop hits, including the top-40 “In Your Eyes” and top-10 “Big Time,” propelled the album to 12 million in sales worldwide. Read more. |  |
Journey Escape (1981)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| Journey became a significant arena rock band in the late ‘70s, but found their commercial peak in 1981 with Escape. The album produced top-10 hits “Who’s Crying Now,” “Open Arms,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” the latter of which became the most-streamed song of the ‘80s thanks to its revival via iconic TV and movie features. The album reached #1 in the U.S., where it sold nine million copies. Read more. |  |
The Police Synchronicity (1983)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| New wave trio The Police only released five albums but saved their best for last. Synchronicity spent a monstrous 17 weeks atop the Billboard album chart, thanks to #1 hit “Every Breath You Take” (the most-played song in radio history) and top-10 hits “King of Pain” and “Wrapped Around Your Finger.” The Grammy Hall of Fame inductee has sold 20 million copies worldwide. Read more. |  |
REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity (1981)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| REO followed a similar trajectory as Journey by building up a reputation as an arena rock band in the ’70s thanks to a stable of classic rock favorites. Then in the early ‘80s, they released their biggest album, Hi Infidelity, fueled by #1 hit “Keep on Lovin’ You” and top-5 hit “Take It on the Run.” The album spent 15 weeks atop the Billboard album chart and sold ten million copies in the U.S. Read more. |  |
Rush Moving Pictures (1980)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| Rush’s best-selling album saw them embrace the ‘80s by finding a way to integrate new wave synths into their brand of progressive rock that had earned them a loyal following throughout the ‘70s. “Tom Sawyer,” “Limelight,” and “Red Barchetta” all became classic rock favorites and concert staples. AllMusic.com’s Greg Prato called it “one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time.” Read more. |  |
Van Halen 1984 (1984)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| Like may of their peers on this list, Van Halen built a classic rock following in the ‘70s that culminated with a commercial peak in the ‘80s. Known for Eddie Van Halen’s guitar prowess, the metal quartet found a way to mix synthesizers into the mix without losing their core audience. Coupled with lead singer David Lee Roth’s stage presence that was made for MTV, the band’s song “Jump” became a #1 hit that lifted parent album 1984 to more than 16 million in sales worldwide. Read more. |  |
ZZ Top Eliminator (1983)Inducted February 2023 as “Top ‘80s Rock Albums.” |
| ZZ Top’s best-selling album was another case of an iconic rock band embracing the synthesizer-driven sound of the early ‘80s with the inescapable presence of MTV. Although they didn’t exactly look video-worthy, the Texas blues-rock trio figured out how to sell themselves with videos like “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” that focused on scantily-clad women and fast cars. As drummer Frank Beard said, the were “a lot better looking than we were.” Read more. |  |
