Top 3 rock/metal albums of 1980

[bosk1]

Topic says it all, I think.  Obviously, I cannot fit everything.  This will become increasingly true in later years.  But I want to cover the '80s in their entirety.  I'm trying to pick albums that would have been considered "hard rock" and "heavy metal" during that time period, even if we might quibble over those designations by today's standards.  Obviously, the line is not clear.  If albums are really borderline, or if they weren't quite as popular, I will not include them in the options.  But feel free to mention any below that aren't on the list.  And also feel free to discuss any honorable mentions that didn't make your top 3.

[jjrock88]

I'll go with Priest, Sabbath and AC/DC. 

[King Postwhore]

Permanent Waves
Back In Black
Blizzard Of Ozz

[TAC]

You actually made a pretty good list there, Bosk.


I picked:

Heaven And Hell
Blizzard Of Ozz
Back In Black

Honorable mention to the Iron Maiden s/t

I have Spotify Playlists made for every year from 1977 -1985.
Here is my 1980 one, if anyone cares:
https://open.spotify.com/user/tacdtf/playlist/3dBa7YA0GVQsR6bJT07CsI?si=ipL6ZrvfRle5w82NKMtw2g

I think a couple that made my list that Bosk didn't list was:
Thin Lizzy's Chinatown
Triumph's Progression Of Power
Joe Perry-Let The Music Do The Talking
Blackfoot-Tomcattin'
Shooting Star s/t

[bosk1]

You actually made a pretty good list there, Bosk.

Most of the ones on your list were considered, but didn't quite make the cut just because I didn't want the list to get too long and unwieldy, and they were borderline on either of my two criteria above.  But you have a couple I wasn't aware of or missed.

In any case, I expect strong voting for Rush, Maiden, Priest, Ozzy, Sabbath, and AC/DC in this one.  Subsequent AC/DC albums probably won't get as much love, but Back in Black is tough to deny.  Heck, I almost voted for that one, and I have never even owned a copy.

EDIT:  Mine were Ozzy, Sabbath, Def Lep, by the way.  Oh, and Journey will no longer appear on these lists after 1983.

[jingle.boy]

I picked:

Heaven And Hell
Blizzard Of Ozz
Back In Black

Me too!

[TAC]

Nice to see Pat Benatar listed.

EDIT:  Mine were Ozzy, Sabbath, Def Lep, by the way. 

On Through The Night is an interesting pick for a Top 3. But that's cool. It's an interesting album that has all sorts of styles on it. It's almost progressive in parts.

[El Barto]

Woman and Children First, Blizzard, and Back in Black were all seminal albums for me. If it weren't for them there's no telling what kind of music I'd be listening to.

There's some great stuff in there, but strangely none of my favorites from the respective bands. Don't care for British Steel. Maiden's S/T pales in comparison to Killers. Even Blizzard is pretty weak when compared to Diary.

Also, Strong Arm of the Law also came out in 1980. When you think of classic Saxon albums that's the one that gets the nod.

[TAC]

Woman and Children First, Blizzard, and Back in Black were all seminal albums for me. If it weren't for them there's no telling what kind of music I'd be listening to.

There's some great stuff in there, but strangely none of my favorites from the respective bands. Don't care for British Steel. Maiden's S/T pales in comparison to Killers. Even Blizzard is pretty weak when compared to Diary.

Also, Strong Arm of the Law also came out in 1980. When you think of classic Saxon albums that's the one that gets the nod.

Strong Arm..that's right. I forgot to mention that. It's on my playlist.

Big fan of WACF too.

[Stadler]

There's some great stuff in there, but strangely none of my favorites from the respective bands. Don't care for British Steel. Maiden's S/T pales in comparison to Killers. Even Blizzard is pretty weak when compared to Diary.

This is exactly how I feel.    Exactly.

I picked:
Ozzy
Sabbath
Scorpions (AM is tied with Lovedrive for my favorite of the Scorpions' "Metal" albums).

I should swap out Ozzy for AC/DC, though, because Diary is so much better. 

[TAC]

Not including the crap that came after Crazy World, I consider Animal Magnetism BY FAR, the worst Scorpions album.

[Mladen]

I'll go with Rush, Sabbath and AC/DC.

Fixed.

[Architeuthis]

Permanent Waves
Back in Black
Crimes of Passion

None of these are heavy metal, but definitely great rock/hard rock albums!

[SoundscapeMN]

Write-ins:

Yes - Drama
Hawkwind - Levitation

[Shadow Ninja 2.0]

I voted for Permanent Waves, because it's a great album and also the only album on this list I've heard.

[Dream Team]

I voted for Permanent Waves, because it's a great album and also the only album on this list I've heard.

 

Went with Maiden, Rush, and Ozzy but would probably put the Saxon one ahead of Rush.

[ProfessorPeart]

Rush, Maiden and Sabbath here.

[TAC]

I voted for Permanent Waves, because it's a great album and also the only album on this list I've heard.

Wow, that's amazing.

[Cool Chris]

I was only 4 in 1980 so did not experience this era in real time. And didn't even get in to heavier rock/metal till even much later. With that....

Back In Black is #1 for me, I didn't even need to look at the list.
Iron Maiden - still one of my top 5 IM albums.
Rush - maybe my favorite Rush album.

[pg1067]

Needless to say, choosing only 3 is TOUGH!

I went with

Permanent Waves
British Steel
Heaven and Hell

PW and H&H are definitely the top two.  4-6 would be Iron Maiden, Crimes of Passion and Blizzard of Ozz, and if I did this again, any of those three might supplant British Steel in the #3 spot.

I would have included Genesis - Duke and Yes - Drama, and Duke might turn my 3-6 rotation into a 3-7.

[Adami]

Permanent Waves
Back in Black
Blizzard of Ozz.

[robbob]

Permanent Waves, Blizzard of Ozz and Heaven and Hell for me. All 3 are top albums by each band.
Honorable Mentions go to - MSG, Back in Black and British Steel

Didn't Animal Magnetism come out in '81? Lovedrive came out in 1980.

[TAC]

I have Lovedrive as '79.

[robbob]

I have Lovedrive as '79.

My Bad, that's right. For some reason I though Tokyo Tapes was '79 then Lovedrive '80 and so on.

[TAC]

Schenker did Lovedrive in '79 and then released his debut in 1980.


All good. Lovedrive is awesome. 

[bl5150]

FWIW when I ran an open poll in the hard rock/metal thread a while back these were the results

1. Ozzy Osbourne : Blizzard of Ozz
2. AC/DC : Back In Black
3. Van Halen : Women and Children First
4. Michael Schenker Group: Michael Schenker Group
5. KISS : Unmasked
6. Saxon : Strong Arm Of The Law
7. Judas Priest: British Steel
8. Black Sabbath : Heaven and Hell
9. Whitesnake: Ready An' Willing
10:Triumph: Progressions of Power

[TAC]

It was an Open Poll? It looks like the Brent List as I went back to check.

Anyway, this is what I posted, quoting a very lame post by J Boy!

Hard to argue with that list.  Omissions (though not exactly glaring)

Zenyatta Mondatta
The River
The Game
Duke

Though, those don't really fit the 'hard rock/classic metal' criteria.

No they don't. Get that shit out of here!

Pat Benatar/Crimes of Passion might.

That is actually a good call. Great album.

Iron Maiden, Rush, and Def Leppard would have been mentioned on my list.

Solid list overall, that Kiss album is a controversial one for sure. I enjoy it  but I can see how some people despise it; especially when it came out.

Heaven & Hell would top my list. 

Agree with this all.

Here goes..............
TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 1980
1. Ozzy Osbourne : Blizzard of Ozz
2. AC/DC : Back In Black
4. Michael Schenker Group: Michael Schenker Group
6. Saxon : Strong Arm Of The Law
7. Judas Priest: British Steel
8. Black Sabbath : Heaven and Hell

I don't even have Progressions of Power!
WACF isn't bad. I love In A Simple Ryhme.

My list would definitely include:
Iron Maiden-s/t
Def Leppard-On Through The Night
UFO-No Place To Run
Thin Lizzy-Chinatown
Rush-Permanent Waves

And B, you cannot put Kiss on this list and leave out Ace Of Spades. You just can't.

Still 1980 belongs to Blizzard Of Ozz, Back In Black, and Heaven And Hell.

[King Puppies and the Acid Guppies]

Write-ins:

Yes - Drama

I would also pick Yes. Also Rush and Ozzy.

[bl5150]

It was an Open Poll? It looks like the Brent List as I went back to check.

Sorry you're right - I did the open poll thing with a number of bands and produced summaries after collating everyone's votes.  I thought I had done the same with the years but it was actually just me listing mine and opening up for comment. 

[TAC]

[wolfking]

Sabbath, Ozzy, Maiden.

[Zydar]

Rush
Iron Maiden
Judas Priest

[Lowdz]

From this list, Sabbath, Rush, MSG

Not on this list I’d have gone for Rush, KISS Unmasked and Gillan’s Glory Road.

[RoeDent]

If you can't fit everything, you can at the very least put an "Other" option in the polls.

[ChuckSteak]

From the list:

Rush
Iron Maiden
Black Sabbath

Not from the list:

Kätkävaaran Lohikäärme by Pekka Pohjola
Dialog S Vesmírem by Progres 2
Triskaïdékaphobie by Present
Familjesprickor by Zamla Mammaz Manna
U Vreći Za Spavanje by Tako
Dregs Of The Earth by Dixie Dregs
Drama by Yes
Yesshows by Yes
In The Flat Field by Bauhaus
Between Flesh And Divine by Asia Minor
Ezekiel by Itoiz
Paris Au Printemps by Public Image Ltd.