Hard Rock 1980s Albums - Page 4

Creatures of the Night finds Kiss moving into heavier guitar riffs, bigger drums and a darker sound image.

Coda collects unreleased material and live recordings from different Led Zeppelin periods.

Devil Soldier is the second Loudness album, issued by Nippon Columbia on 21 July 1982. No Japanese engineer at the time had the experience to record heavy metal, so the band brought in the American Daniel McClendon for the sessions.

Assault Attack centers on Michael Schenker’s cutting guitar and builds tension and melody with care from track to track.

Released by Bronze on 17 April 1982 and a UK No. 6, Iron Fist is the last studio album by the three-piece of Lemmy, Eddie Clarke and Phil Taylor; Clarke left after it.

Dawn Patrol is Night Ranger’s bright debut, bringing together twin-guitar interplay, multiple vocal colors and clear choruses.

Queen's tenth album, from May 1982: the band took the funk of "Another One Bites the Dust" further, with horns, synth bass and drum machines.

Straight Between the Eyes centers on Ritchie Blackmore’s sharp guitar and gives Rainbow a concise, clear-lined hard-rock shape.

Signals brings more synthesizer color and electronic texture into Rush’s precise rock foundation.

Standing Hampton distills the pleasure of American hard rock around Sammy Hagar’s soaring voice and thick guitars.

Three Lock Box brings Sammy Hagar’s open, powerful voice together with clear guitar riffs and radio-ready choruses.

Blackout brings Scorpions’ hard riffs, cutting solos and Klaus Meine’s open, soaring voice into lean, focused songs.

The debut album, released by SL Records — the first record by the band Mat Sinner started in 1980.

TNT is a debut that differs from the group’s later polished melodic-metal image, favoring a raw and direct approach.

The fourth studio album, issued by MCA Records in 1982 as MCF 3150. It is the last with John Sykes, and its eleven tracks include the cover "Love Potion No. 9".

Mechanix, released by Chrysalis in February 1982, reached number 8 in Britain, the best UK placing of any UFO studio album, before Pete Way quit.

Diver Down by VAN HALEN: track list, Spotify player, music videos and English liner notes on METAL BOOST.

Vandenberg is a debut built around Adrian Vandenberg’s singing guitar style, carefully balancing melody and weight.

Saints & Sinners keeps Whitesnake rooted in bluesy hard rock while bringing deeper shade and urgency into the songs.

Black Tiger gathers Y&T’s blues-tinged heavy riffs, strong vocal delivery and persistent rhythm.

For Those About to Rock presents AC/DC’s most basic strengths on a larger scale.

High ’n’ Dry keeps Def Leppard’s rough NWOBHM edge while moving toward more organized riffs, layered choruses and stronger melody.

4 joins Mick Jones’s guitar riffs and Lou Gramm’s powerful voice inside a tightly polished production.

Bangkok Shocks, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks is a debut that mixes punk urgency, glam-rock color and bluesy guitar.

Music from “The Elder” moves Kiss away from riff-led celebration toward orchestration, keyboards and highly dramatic arrangements.

The Birthday Eve is the first Loudness album, issued in Japan by Nippon Columbia on 25 November 1981. Guitarist Akira Takasaki and drummer Munetaka Higuchi formed the band after Lazy broke up, with Minoru Niihara on vocals and Masayoshi Yamashita on bass; their debut concert at the Asakusa International Theatre sold out.

MSG is carried by Michael Schenker’s sharp riffs and singing lead guitar, with Gary Barden’s open, melodic voice giving the songs their center.

Too Fast for Love is Mötley Crüe’s debut burst of rough guitar, hard beat and dangerously flamboyant personality.

Diary of a Madman surrounds Randy Rhoads’s classical-flavored phrases and cutting riffs with Ozzy Osbourne’s uneasy, deeply human voice.

The debut Praying Mantis album, released by Arista on 3 April 1981. It has been read ever since as one of the defining records of the new wave of British heavy metal, and it reached number 60 on the UK albums chart. Nine songs.

Difficult to Cure puts Ritchie Blackmore’s bright guitar work and Joe Lynn Turner’s high, open voice at the center of a more melodic Rainbow.

Moving Pictures compresses Rush’s intricate musicianship into shorter, clearer songs.

Renegade builds on Thin Lizzy’s familiar twin-guitar interplay and Phil Lynott’s conversational vocal style, then widens the sound with keyboards.

The third studio album, released by MCA Records on 3 November 1981 as MCF 3123 — barely seven months after Spellbound.

The second studio album, released by MCA Records on 10 April 1981 as MCF 3104. It is the first with the new line-up: John Sykes on guitar and Jon Deverill on vocals.

The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent, a self-produced UFO album released on 16 January 1981, brought in Neil Carter in place of Paul Raymond.

Fair Warning keeps Van Halen’s sense of flash and fun but steps into darker, tighter guitar territory.

Come an’ Get It centers David Coverdale’s deep, soulful voice within layers of Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden’s guitars and Jon Lord’s keyboards.

Earthshaker joins Y&T’s thick guitar riffs, straightforward rhythm section and Dave Meniketti’s emotional vocal delivery with real force.

Back in Black finds AC/DC moving forward after Bon Scott’s death with Brian Johnson as its new singer.

On Through the Night feels like Def Leppard’s youthful impulse captured without restraint.

Bebe le Strange finds Heart searching for a new balance after Roger Fisher’s departure, with Ann and Nancy Wilson at the center.

Unmasked keeps a hard-rock frame but moves KISS toward brisk rhythm, bright choruses and a polished pop instinct.

The Michael Schenker Group is a debut built around Michael Schenker’s fluid, emotional guitar playing and a strong hard-rock frame.

Motörhead's best-known album, released by Bronze in 1980. It entered the UK chart at No. 4 and the title single reached No. 15; the fortieth-anniversary edition gave all twelve songs official videos.

Blizzard of Ozz opens Ozzy Osbourne’s solo era with Randy Rhoads’s innovative, classically colored guitar at its center.

Queen's ninth album and first soundtrack, released on 8 December 1980: eighteen pieces for the film Flash Gordon, woven together with its dialogue.

Queen's eighth album, released in June 1980: recorded in Munich, their first with a synthesizer, and a No. 1 album in both Britain and America.

Permanent Waves channels the technical confidence Rush built through its 1970s epics into shorter, more open songs.

Danger Zone puts Sammy Hagar’s open, soaring voice and clear guitar riffs at the front.

Animal Magnetism places Scorpions’ thick riffs and Klaus Meine’s soaring voice inside a darker, more persistent groove.

Chinatown finds Thin Lizzy welcoming Snowy White and joining Phil Lynott’s story-shaped vocal to a smoother twin-guitar feel.

The debut album, released by MCA Records in 1980. It was made by the four-piece of Jess Cox (vocals), Robb Weir (guitar), Richard "Rocky" Laws (bass) and Brian "Big" Dick (drums). It is on no streaming service, so this page leads with the sleeve.

No Place to Run, UFO's January 1980 album and the first with guitarist Paul Chapman, was produced by George Martin and reached number 11 in Britain.

Women and Children First finds Van Halen relying entirely on its own songs and pushing through with force and personality.

Ready an' Willing centers on David Coverdale’s soulful voice and joins Whitesnake’s blues-rock depth to a harder push.