Wipers - Is This Real
Although Amazon.com says this was released in 1980, I have the album and it was released in 1979. Great post-punk that influenced everyone here in the NW... most notably, Kurt Cobain.
Is This Real?
The Saints - Eternally YoursAussie punks from the same time/era as the Clash and Sex Pistols, but much less acclaimed. For my money, this album has much better songwriting and is woefully under-loved.
Know Your Product
Motorhead - Overkill
Sure, Ace of Spades is a classic, but this was the album that first turned me on to Motorhead. I bought this as an import purely for the cover.... and an awesome cover it is... but the first track, Overkill, is the precursor to all speed metal ever written.
Overkill
Dead Boys - Young Loud and Snotty
The closest things to the Sex Pistols in the US. They are gross, sleazy and truly original. Most have heard some version of Sonic Reducer...but the whole album is highly listenable.
Sonic Reducer
Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden (1980)
A fantastic debut album full of all of the technical fireworks and ferocity that became the signature for future albums. Iron Maiden also set the stage for the style of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. For my money, the first two Maiden are the best. I enjoy the punky, gruff, less-polished vocal style of Paul Dianno. Millions prefer Bruce Dickenson... but I think his over-the-top screeches are actually a bit distracting. This is the real Maiden.
Phantom of the Opera
Holocaust - The Nightcomers (1981)
Another great NWOBHM album. Straight ahead, no frills and unmatched with any of their other releases. This albums is credited as being very influential to a fledgling Metallica.
Heavy Metal Mania
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mycfq4h11Fc
Black Flag - Damaged (1981)Arguably the most iconic American Hardcore album of all time and the introduction (to most people) of Mr. Henry Rollins. This may not be their most ferocious release or most diverse... but it has undeniable power.
Rise Above
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHk7zahvDFI
Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (1980)
Dead Kennedys are a true American original. They never quite fit the punk/hardcore mold. They were incindiary both within the scene and to the general public. Fronted by the wildly charismatic Jello Biafra, the Kennedys always kept true to their highly political roots. This album has many of their most well-known songs... California Uber Ales, Police Truck, Holiday in Cambodia. If you've only heard the name, but not the music... check this out.
Holiday in Cambodia
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (1970)
The first release by a post-Beatles lennon is what made you either love or hate Lennon... times ten! For everyone who moons over "Imagine" and "Beautiful Boy" this is the real real angry Lennon. This very well may be the best music Lennon ever wrote... Beatles included. This album is smart, very angry, political, beautiful, and still strikingly fresh. If you haven't listened to songs like mother, god, isolation, working class hero.... you are missing out.
working class hero
still some of the most crushingly true lyrics ever written!
Montrose - Montrose (1973)
The best album ever put out featuring Sammy Hagar and yes I am including all of the Van Halen albums he helped with. Anyway, this is a great, straight-ahead hard rock album that is barely known-of by the modern rockers. The only song that is pretty famous off of this one is Bad Motor Scooter. But other songs like Rock the Nation and Rock Candy (monster riff on that one) are solid. This really is the album that every hair metal band in the 80's really wanted to make. Check it out and enjoy.
Rock Candy
Riot - Fire Down Under (1981)Wow, this is a goofy album cover, yet the album is one of the best of early 80's metal. Underrated and rarely mentioned, this is a great U.S. rock band. Best tracks are Swords and Tequila, Altar of the King, Fire Down Under, and Feel The Same.
Fire Down Under
Alice Cooper - Love It To Death (1971)
The original shock-rocker. The original make-up wearing horror-themed band. The original band with a persons name causing numerous confusions among parents and fans.
I still get the impression that Alice Cooper is way underrated, at least the earlier albums. Sure, the band ended up in a sort of self-parody from about 1977 onward, but early on they were truly scary, shocking, and quite good. They are often compared to Kiss, but while kiss was singing about partying all night and Cold Gin, Alice Cooper was singing about Dead Babies and Black Juju. Alice Cooper was a band that truly scared your parents.
Love It To Death is the first of 3 great albums... the other two being Killers and Billion Dollar Babies. Love It To Death features well-known rockers like I'm Eighteen and Is It My Body? It also features the lesser-known epic creep of Black Juju and Second Coming/Ballad of Dwight Fry. If you have yet to give Alice Cooper a real listen, this is a great place to start.
Ballad of Dwight Fry
Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat (1980)The first and only release worth anything by the NWOBHM band. Great straight-ahead metal with great riffs and unique vocals. It's a shame that their lamer later efforts are available while this is still an out-of-print import. Standout tracks Wild Catz, Badger Badger, Euthanasia, Suzie Smiled.
Wild Catz
Rites of SpringThis DC post-hardcore band was very original... and sadly only released one album. The songs on this album are often credited as very early emo... but that is just silly. This was mid-80's alternative music that didn't quite fit into the mold of college rock or thrash.
For Want Of
Husker Du - Candy Apple Grey
Similar to Rites of Spring, yet more acclaimed, and the first of the early 80's indie bands to "sell out" and get signed to a major. Husker Du was just hitting their stride with a string of great albums... Flip Your Wig, Zen Arcade, Candy Apple Grey, Warehouse Songs and Stories. But alas Grant Hart and Bob Mould just couldn't get along.
Don't Want To Know if You Are Lonely
The Bangles - All Over The Place
They wrote some great jangly pop and were actually incredibly talented (see first full-length album All Over The Place). But, once they went for the hit-machine and let people like Prince write songs for them... it all became middle-of-the-road 80's girl pop. Walk Like An Egyptian was the nail in their coffin.
Goin' Down To Liverpool
