Top Rock Albums 1980s

This is a series taking a look back at popular albums and popular singers from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. A link to each will be provided below. The 1980s included Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, and Genesis among others.

Album – Slippery When Wet was recorded by the American rock band Bon Jovi in 1986. The album features many of the band’s best-known songs such as “You Give Love a Bad Name”, “Livin’ on a Prayer”, and “Wanted Dead or Alive”. The album was a commercial success and went to number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It was certified 15xPlatinum by the RIAA.

“You Give Love a Bad Name” was released as the first single from the album. It was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child, The song rose to number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and became the band’s first number-one hit. The song re-entered the charts when Blake Lewis performed it on the show “American Idol”.

Album – Disintegration is an album recorded by the English rock band The Cure in 1989. It became the band’s highest-charting album and charted on the UK Albums and Billboard 200 charts. The album produced several hit singles among them “Lovesong”. It is ranked at number 116 on Rolling Stone Magazine’s list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

“Lovesong” is a song recorded by the English rock band The Cure. It was released as the third single from the album. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Album – Back in Black was recorded by the Australian rock band AC/DC in 1980. It was the first album to feature Brian Johnson as the lead singer. The album sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide making it one of the best-selling albums in music history. The RIAA certified it 27x Platinum and it became the third best-selling album in the US.

“Back in Black” was released as the second single from the album of the same name. The song was written as a tribute to the band’s former singer Bon Scott who died suddenly in February of 1980. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Album – Brothers in Arms was recorded in 1985 by the British rock band Dire Straits. The album went to number one on the Billboard 200 chart as well as the Australian Albums chart. It was the first album to be certified 10x Platinum in the UK. The RIAA certified it 9x Platinum. The album is one of the world’s best-selling albums and won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Engineered Album Non-Classical.

“Brothers in Arms” is the closing track on the album. It was written in 1982 the year of Britain’s involvement in the Falklands War. It has become a favorite at military funerals.

Album – Born in the USA was recorded in 1984 by the American singer and songwriter Bruce Springsteen. The album featured seven singles, five music videos, and three dance mixes. It became a huge commercial success and the best-selling album of 1985. Among the singles are the popular songs “Born in the USA”, “Dancing in the Dark”, “I’m on Fire”, and “Glory Days”. It sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and became Springsteen’s best-selling album and one of the best-selling albums of all time.

“Glory Days” was written and recorded by Springsteen and is the fifth single from the album. It charted on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox Top 100 charts.

Album – Invisible Touch was recorded in 1986 by the English rock band Genesis. The album became a worldwide success and went to number one on the UK Albums chart, It also charted on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified multi-platinum in the UK. From this album, the song “Invisible Touch” went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“In Too Deep” was recorded by Genesis and included as the fourth track on the album. The single charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and went to number-one on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song was written for the British neo-noir film “Mona Lisa” and won the Most Performed Song from a Film award at the BMI Film & TV Awards. It was also featured in the American satirical horror film “American Psycho” in 2000.

Album – Purple Rain was released by the American singer and songwriter Prince in 1984. It is on the soundtrack album of the film of the same name. The album became Prince’s first album to reach number one on the Billboard 200 chart. Singles from the album “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy” reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Also charting were “Purple Rain” and “I Would Die 4 U”. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time and won the Grammy Awards for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal and Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media. Prince also won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for the film “Purple Rain”.

“Purple Rain” was recorded by Prince and his backing band The Revolution. The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It went to number one on the Cash Box Top 100 chart. The RIAA certified it Gold. The song became one of Prince’s signature songs. The song reentered the charts in 2016 when Prince passed on.

Album – The Miracle was recorded by the British rock band Queen in 1989. It was the last Queen album. The album went to number-one in several countries. It charted on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.

"I Want It All” was written by guitarist and vocalist Brian May. It was released as the first single from the album The song was played live on April 20, 1992, three years after its release during The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert performed by the three remaining members of Queen.