10 Perfect Soft Rock Music Albums Of The '80s

10. Don Henley - Building the Perfect Beast

The Eagles' legendary drummer found new life as a beloved solo artist in the years after the group's initial 1980 split. In 1984's 'Building the Perfect Beast', Henley managed to live up to the lofty title in finding a signature sound that fit perfectly with his thoughtful, often politically-charged lyrics.

Henley's second LP was led by classic singles such as 'The Boys of Summer' and 'All She Wants To Do Is Dance'. These tracks captured Henley at his most introspective, covering everything from remembering youth as middle age sets in to the hedonistic thrills and spills of the rockstar lifestyle he'd enjoyed for many years by that point. Somehow, the latter of the two even manages to cover issues with American foreign policy at the time as well.

The first side of the LP is far more focused on Henley's personal life and thoughts, providing a sensitive listening experience compared to the politically-focused ideas of the second side. In splitting his tracks thematically down the middle, Henley essentially managed to give listeners two compelling albums in one go.

Arguably the key release in completely establishing Henley as a prominent solo act, 'Building the Perfect Beast' is a seminal classic of the soft rock scene.