10 Best Hard Rock Albums Of The 80s

The 1980's were rightfully considered the decade of decadence on the music front. Not only were the artists of this time period global stars, but their music also sounded monumental from buzzy keyboards to cannon-shot sounding snare drums. In the realm of big sounds, rock quickly followed suit by making the genre heavier as each year went by.

Across the entire decade, artists were coming out of the woodwork determined to blow away any hard rock band in their path. On the other side of the spectrum, the young and hungry bands from hard rock's glory years were now seasoned pros who were building up their own legacies with each new record they put out. While competition may have been fierce amongst the bands, listeners won out in the end by getting some of the best hard rock music the genre had to offer.

Even if some of these records ended up being subtle career blips for everyone involved, others were the building blocks for what would become hard rock's next generation. In the era of the spandex and splashy sounding synths, these artists always made sure their music was as tough as nails for rockers around the world.

Motley Crue were always the toughest band to pin down in the hair-metal glory days. While the music was always pounding hard rock, the band's attitude varied from punk to glam to full-on metal during their initial steps. With the 80's reaching its last days, the rough-and-tumble gang out of Los Angeles decided to knuckle down and deliver some of the greatest material of their career.

Hooking up with sonic mastermind Bob Rock, the band set up shop in Vancouver to work out well-polished stories of rock decadence. Strangely enough, the band's odes to the excessive rock and roll lifestyle was put together after each member of the band had gotten clean from their more nefarious drug habits. On songs like the title track, Dr Feelgood is an album that is absolutely dripping with hard rock sleaze, from the solid backbeat of Tommy Lee to Nikki Sixx's from-the-gutter tales of debauchery. The album also features what many consider to be the definitive Crue tune with "Kickstart My Heart," which was written about Sixx's near-fatal drug overdose in the mid 80's.

Even if Motley Crue are ridiculed in some circles for their adolescent musical style, Dr. Feelgood is a bonafied classic and a perfect end to the hair metal era.