The ranking of the 100 best rock albums of the '80s, according to Ultimate Classic Rock

The '80s, a decade that keeps coming back around. In the past, alongside OndaRock's ranking of the best albums of the '80s, we've brought you other similar lists, such as Uncut's Top 500 Lps and the list of the 200 best songs of the 1980s according to Pitchfork. This time, the magazine putting the decade under the microscope is Ultimate Classic Rock, which has taken on a decidedly tricky mission: naming the 100 best rock albums of the decade. "The music of the Eighties is generally associated with computerized sounds and the neon glow of Mtv, but that decade was far more varied than people tend to think," Nick DeRiso notes in the introduction. "The early years were still dominated by the latest developments in post-punk, well before music videos became a mass phenomenon. Veteran artists with roots going back to the Sixties kept topping the charts, including the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd. Some of the most consistent stars of the Seventies also refused to yield ground with the rise of Mtv, including Journey, Styx, Foreigner and Fleetwood Mac. By the mid-Eighties, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, John Fogerty, Van Halen, Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins were everywhere. But new names were emerging, and rock was starting to fragment. Synth-pop was giving way to alternative rock and to the various evolutions of hard rock and heavy metal. Mötley Crüe and later Guns N' Roses further developed the raw power that had defined Ac/Dc's early-Eighties hits. R.E.M., U2 and important artists less familiar to the mainstream public, such as Hüsker Dü and Kate Bush, followed entirely personal paths. Hard rock transformed in thrilling ways, from Iron Maiden's sprawling historical narratives to the lightning-fast thrash genius of early Metallica. At the same time, artists who had made their name in the Seventies, such as Don Henley, Aerosmith, Kiss and Paul Simon, changed profoundly over the course of the decade. Robert Plant, Van Halen and Black Sabbath updated their musical approach, while Hall & Oates fit perfectly into the spirit of the times. All these musical marvels find their place in the following ranking, voted on by the Ultimate Classic Rock staff, of the 100 best rock albums released in the Eighties," the magazine concludes.

The 100 best rock albums of the Eighties according to UCR

Here, then, is the ranking of the 100 best rock albums of the '80s, according to Ultimate Classic Rock magazine (full feature here).

100. Ozzy Osbourne – Diary of a Madman (1981)
99. The Clash – Sandinista! (1980)
98. Roxy Music – Avalon (1982)
97. Blondie – Autoamerican (1980)
96. Motörhead – Orgasmatron (1986)
95. Bruce Springsteen – The River (1980)
94. Jane’s Addiction – Nothing’s Shocking (1988)
93. Bob Dylan – Oh Mercy (1989)
92. Black Sabbath – Mob Rules (1981)
91. Whitesnake – Whitesnake (1987)
90. Robert Plant – Now and Zen (1988)
89. The Replacements – Tim (1985)
88. Ratt – Out of the Cellar (1984)
87. Elvis Costello – King of America (1986)
86. Megadeth – Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (1986)
85. Richard and Linda Thompson – Shoot Out the Lights (1982)
84. The Cult – Electric (1987)
83. Billy Joel – The Nylon Curtain (1982)
82. Steely Dan – Gaucho (1980)
81. Iron Maiden – Piece of Mind (1983)
80. Mötley Crüe – Dr. Feelgood (1989)
79. Daryl Hall & John Oates – Private Eyes (1981)
78. Traveling Wilburys – Vol. 1 (1988)
77. Hüsker Dü – Zen Arcade (1984)
76. Bon Jovi – Slippery When Wet (1986)
75. XTC – Skylarking (1986)
74. Sonic Youth – Daydream Nation (1988)
73. Metallica – Kill ‘Em All (1983)
72. Genesis – Duke (1980)
71. Dio – Holy Diver (1983)
70. Van Halen – Women and Children First (1980)
69. Yes – 90125 (1983)
68. New Order – Low-Life (1985)
67. Pixies – Doolittle (1989)
66. John Lennon and Yoko Ono – Double Fantasy (1980)
65. The Cult – Sonic Temple (1989)
64. The Clash – Combat Rock (1982)
63. Skid Row – Skid Row (1989)
62. Joni Mitchell – Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm (1988)
61. Phil Collins – No Jacket Required (1985)
60. Kiss – Creatures of the Night (1982)
59. John Mellencamp – Scarecrow (1985)
58. Don Henley – End of the Innocence (1989)
57. Metallica – Ride the Lightning (1984)
56. George Harrison – Cloud Nine (1987)
55. Def Leppard – Hysteria (1987)
54. Bryan Adams – Reckless (1984)
53. Iron Maiden – Powerslave (1984)
52. Judas Priest – British Steel (1980)
51. Van Halen – 5150 (1986)
50. Kiss – Lick It Up (1983)
49. Iron Maiden – The Number of the Beast (1982)
48. The Replacements – Let It Be (1984)
47. Nine Inch Nails – Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
46. Lou Reed – New York (1989)
45. Elvis Costello – Imperial Bedroom (1982)
44. Bonnie Raitt – Nick of Time (1989)
43. The Police – Ghost in the Machine (1981)
42. Fleetwood Mac – Tango in the Night (1987)
41. The Cars – Heartbeat City (1984)
40. Huey Lewis and the News – Sports (1983)
39. Tom Waits – Rain Dogs (1985)
38. The Rolling Stones – Tattoo You (1981)
37. Mötley Crüe – Shout at the Devil (1983)
36. Don Henley – Building the Perfect Beast (1984)
35. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986)
34. Judas Priest – Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
33. Genesis – Invisible Touch (1986)
32. Neil Young – Freedom (1989)
31. Aerosmith – Pump (1989)
30. David Lee Roth – Eat ‘Em and Smile (1986)
29. David Bowie – Let’s Dance (1983)
28. INXS – Kick (1987)
27. Kate Bush – Hounds of Love (1985)
26. R.E.M. – Murmur (1983)
25. Duran Duran – Rio (1982)
24. Mötley Crüe – Too Fast for Love (1981)
23. Tears for Fears – Songs From the Big Chair (1985)
22. Van Halen – 1984 (1984)
21. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (1985)
20. ZZ Top – Eliminator (1983)
19. Ozzy Osbourne – Blizzard of Ozz (1980)
18. Joy Division – Closer (1980)
17. Billy Idol – Rebel Yell (1983)
16. Genesis – Abacab (1981)
15. Def Leppard – Pyromania (1983)
14. Pretenders – Pretenders (1980)
13. Bruce Springsteen – Nebraska (1982)
12. Van Halen – Fair Warning (1981)
11. The Police – Synchronicity (1983)
10. Metallica – Master of Puppets (1986)
9. Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever (1989)
8. Talking Heads – Remain in Light (1980)
7. U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)
6. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
5. Peter Gabriel – So (1986)
4. Paul Simon – Graceland (1986)
3. Guns N’ Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)
2. The Cure – Disintegration (1989)
1. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)

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