This is Music Central. I got some album reviews below,
as well as a couple charts. Also, check out some of the hits that I'm
posting on this site for your free downloadage. (don't tell the fuzz)
Chart 1---Tyler's Top 10 Albums of 70's and
80's Rock
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AC/DC--Back in Black
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After AC/DC's lead singer Bon Scott
died of alcohol poisoning, AC/DC reformed by bringing in singer Brian
Johnson. To be sure, Johnson's voice gave AC/DC much more
power. Their return album, Back in Black (also produced by Mutt
Lange) contains many of AC/DC's hits, including Hell's Bells, Shook
Me All Night Long, and Shoot to Thrill. Other tracks like
Given the Dog a Bone and What Do You Do for Money Honey give
out the hard-hitting, amp-destroying quickness of brothers Angus
and Malcolm Young's guitar skills. Back in Black was AC/DC's
signature album, and it let them break through to the realm of true stars. |
Bad Company--Bad Company
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Bad Company's lead-off album, Bad Company, contains
some of their best material, including the hit single Bad Company.
Other outstanding tracks on the album are Can't Get Enough and
Rock Steady. This album also has the easy listening Seagull
and Ready for Love. Although not nearly as hard rockers as other
bands, Bad Company stands out as a trend-breaker of the 70's. |
Def Leppard--Hysteria
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Released in 1987, Hysteria defined the pop-metal
movement. Every track has the grip, pizazz, beat, and power of Def Leppard's
guitarists Phil Collen, Steve Clark, and Rick Savage and
singer Joe Elliot. The tracks range from the sultry ballads Hysteria,
Love and Affection,and Love Bites to the power anthems Armageddon
It and Rocket to the #1 hit Pour Some Sugar on Me.
Tracks like Women, Animal, and Excitable add to the heavy
beats of this awesome album. The only slightly weak spot of the album is
Track 7, Gods of War, but anyone can get through it. Produced by
the legendary Robert "Mutt" Lange, Hysteria is THE album
of 80's rock. |
Foreigner--4
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Foreigner did not make a huge scene on the rock &
roll stage until their 1981 release 4. The album contains Mick
Jones' greatest and most original riffs in the songs Urgent and
Jukebox Hero. Waiting for a Girl Like You is a ballad
that rocks and makes you feel all sentimental at the same time. Foreigner's
4 is a great showing of the spirit of 80's rock. |
KISS--Rock and Roll Over
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As the kings of white face paint and cut tongues (along
with amped-up rock beats), KISS rocks to the beat of a totally insane drummer
(Peter Criss). As it turns out, the New York based rockers are
more than just a simple stage act. KISS's music is brilliant composing that
combines the heavy guitars of Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Paul
Stanley. Rock and Roll Over is a singature album for KISS featuring
one of their key tracks: Calling Dr. Love. Other groovy beats are
Ladies' Room, the hard-hitting Makin' Love, and See
You in Your Dreams. While not the hardest of KISS's records, Rock
and Roll Over is a classic and essential KISS album. |
Led Zeppelin--Led Zeppelin IV
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Perhaps the greatest classic rock album of all time, Led
Zeppelin IV has every bit of British rock and folk music that Zep fans
could ask for. The album leads off with the hit Black Dog, then
moves on to more folky tracks like Misty Mountain Hop and Going
to California. Of course, the quintessential track, Stairway to
Heaven, compliments, no, rather embodies the classic rock spirit inherent
in this album. If you haven't heard Led Zeppelin IV, you haven't
heard Led Zeppelin. |
Metallica--Master of Puppets
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Metallica's Master of Puppets is one of their
most complete, with every facet of their greatness. The album starts and
ends with the hard hitting tracks Battery and Damage, Inc.,
respectively. In the middle, Master of Puppets and The Thing
that Should Not Be bulk out the album, while Disposable Heroes
and Leper Messiah substantiate the rest of the album. The CD naturally
is all hard rock, and every song is accompanied with Lars Ulrich's
guitar and James Hetfield's screaming voice. The album is almost
without doubt Metallica's best. |
Nazareth--Hair of the Dog
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Nazareth was one of the bands that followed in AC/DC's
wake as they released Hair of the Dog in 1975. Led by screeching
vocals and funky guitar slides, the title track leads off with a bang. Miss
Misery and Beggar's Day give the listener a feel of Nazareth's
strong guitar patterns. The power ballad Love Hurts and the instrumental
Rose in the Heather round out the album, and Changin' Times
is a classic that cannot be forgotten. Nazareth's Hair of the Dog
is definitely a defining album of the 1970's. |
Sammy Hagar--VOA
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Sammy Hagar, the Red Rocker, remains to be one of the
best-selling and most loved singers of the 20th century. I Can't Drive
55 is a song known by everyone, and some of Sammy's lesser known hits
like Burnin' Down the City and Rock Is in My Blood also
are on this album. Hagar also pounds out emotional rock ballads Two
Sides of Love and Swept Away. As the king of blonde fro, Hagar
continues to scream his way into the charts after 30 years of fame. |
Skid Row--Skid Row
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Led by Dave "The Snake" Sabo, Skid
Row was one of the more dominant hair bands of the 80's. Their self-titled
debut was a rockin' album to be remembered. Hard songs like Sweet Little
Sister and the hit Youth Gone Wild complement easier pieces
like 18 and Life and essential power ballad I Remember You.
Skid Row showed themselves to be low-down punks in this album, and it continued
their legacy for years to come. |
Styx--The Grand Illusion
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If you have ever heard Styx, you know that they are one
of the most inspiring and message-carrying bands ever. The Grand Illusion
is the perfect example of Styx's ideals. The title track is a classic hit
that speaks of equality for all, and Miss America and Superstars
rock the speakers out. But the big hit is, of course, Come Sail Away.
Other songs include the paced Born for Adventure, and Fooling
Yourself (The Angry Young Man). The Grand Illusion is a must-have
album for any Styx fan. |
Van Halen--1984
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1984 was a successful record not only because it contained
solid, catchy hard rock, but also because it incorporated synthesizers into
the mix, the first metal album to do so to any serious extent. Although
the advances in electronic music make this material sound dated now, it's
still a highlight of Van Halen's career. Songs like Jump contain
a pop element that gave 1984 mainstream appeal, and David Lee Roth turned
the frontman role into an art form on songs such as Panama, Hot
for Teacher, Drop Dead Legs, and I'll Wait. To a large extent,
it was 1984 that set the standard for '80s pop metal, and David Lee
Roth who set the standard (or takes the blame, depending on your point
of view) for the aggressively good-time attitude most pop-metal bands took
for their own. |