VIDEO: Best Rock Albums of 1984
“Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.” With this video comprised of established artists and artists on the verge, this George Orwell quote from 1984 seems rather apt.
In the video below, we count down the ten best albums from 1984. Did your favorite album make the list? Click play and find out! Scroll past the video to see which albums just missed the top ten.
15. Don Henley – ‘Building the Perfect Beast’
Henley’s second studio album gave fans classics like “The Boys of Summer” and “All She Wants to Do is Dance.”
14. Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble – ‘Couldn’t Stand The Weather’
SRV and Double Trouble’s second studio album helped solidify the band’s blues-rock dominance thanks to gems like the title track.
13. Twisted Sister – ‘Stay Hungry’
Propelled by their popular music videos, Twisted Sister’s ‘Stay Hungry’ would go on to sell three million copies in the United States.
12. Roger Waters – ‘The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking’
Waters’ debut solo album was the unique concept album ‘The Pros and Cons of Hitch Hiking,’ which told the story of a dream sequence of a middle-aged man in the midst of a midlife crisis.
11. Iron Maiden – ‘Powerslave’
‘Powerslave’ is one of the most beloved albums in Maiden’s catalog and is regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time.
10. Bon Jovi – ‘Bon Jovi’
Bon Jovi’s self-titled debut set the stage for what was to come from some of New Jersey’s favorite sons just three years later when they’d become the biggest band in the world with ‘Slippery When Wet.’
9. Scorpions – ‘Love At First Sting’
Scorpions’ ‘Love at First Sting’ remains the German band’s most successful album in the United States thanks to successful singles like “Rock You Like a Hurrican”, “Still Loving You” and “Big City Nights.”
8. Queen – ‘The Works’
After taking a year off after touring in support of their previous album Hot Space, Queen came back with ‘The Works,’ which featured fan favorites “Radio Ga Ga,” “I Want to Break Free” and “Hammer to Fall.”
7. The Cars – ‘Heartbeat City’
The Cars’ fifth studio album was loaded with hits, including “Drive” their highest-charting single on the Billboard Hot 100.
6. R.E.M. – ‘Reckoning’
Despite the lack of mainstream rock radio support, REM’s ‘Reckoning’ still managed to reach number 27 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart thanks in large part to the support of college radio.
5. Rush – ‘Grace Under Pressure’
Rush continued to evolve their sound on their tenth studio album ‘Grace Under Pressure,’ which features an increase of synthesizers.
4. U2 – ‘The Unforgettable Fire’
U2 took a big step forward on ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ with moving radio hits like “Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “Bad.”
3. Metallica – ‘Ride The Lightning’
Few bands showed as much progression from debut to sophomore album quite like Metallica did on ‘Ride the Lightning.’ They foreshadowed the brilliance yet to come from their remarkable catalog.
2. Van Halen – ‘1984’
Van Halen’s ‘1984’ may have turned off some fans with their use of synthesizers, but the album still rocks and gave fans hits like “Jump,” “I’ll Wait,” “Panama” and “Hot for Teacher.”
1. Bruce Springsteen – ‘Born in the U.S.A.’
‘Born in the USA’ remains The Boss’ highest-selling album in the United States selling 15 million copies. With hits like “Dancing in the Dark,” the title track and “Cover Me,” it pretty understandable why the album was so successful. Plus, that album artwork, though.
