Top Ten - 1980

1980 was an important year in rock and metal. Looking through the 60 albums below, you'll find many bands' first albums, including Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, MSG, and others. Also notable is Ian Gillan's two-year stint not just in the top spot, but at #1 here, and #1 and #2 the following year.



Top Ten - 1980
91.11 -- Gillan - Glory Road
90.22 -- Def Leppard - On Through the Night
89.96 -- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
89.62 -- Manilla Road - Invasion
89.07 -- Warrior - Let Battle Commence
88.74 -- Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law
87.83 -- Tygers of Pan Tang - Wild Cat
86.21 -- Robin Trower - Victims of the Fury
86.04 -- Krokus - Metal Rendez-vous
85.23 -- AC/DC - Back In Black

Other 1980 releases:
85.05 -- Budgie - Power Supply
84.83 -- Michael Schenker Group - The Michael Schenker Group
84.55 -- Quartz - Stand Up and Fight
84.47 -- Samson - Head On
84.38 -- Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
84.25 -- Ted Nugent - Scream Dream
84.21 -- Triumph - Progressions of Power
83.48 -- Motörhead - Ace of Spades
82.95 -- The Rods - Rock Hard
82.84 -- Killer - Ready for Hell
82.23 -- White Spirit - White Spirit
82.23 -- Chevy - The Taker
82.17 -- Samson - Survivors
81.84 -- Fist - Turn the Hell On
81.53 -- Saxon - Wheels of Steel
81.02 -- Molly Hatchet - Beatin' the Odds
80.60 -- Rush - Permanent Waves
80.57 -- Gamma - Gamma 2
80.50 -- Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
80.14 -- Girlschool - Demolition
80.04 -- Angel Witch - Angel Witch
79.93 -- Scorpions - Animal Magnetism
78.82 -- Queen - The Game
78.49 -- Judas Priest - British Steel
75.42 -- Atomic Rooster - Atomic Rooster
75.36 -- Thin Lizzy - Chinatown
74.94 -- Whitesnake - Ready an' Willing
74.62 -- Van Halen - Women and Children First
74.57 -- UFO - No Place to Run
73.52 -- Max Webster - Universal Juveniles
72.74 -- 707 - 707
72.46 -- Heart - Bebe le Strange
72.27 -- Witchfynde - Stagefright
72.05 -- Blackfoot - Tomcattin'
71.58 -- Uriah Heep - Conquest
71.39 -- Crack the Sky - White Music
71.05 -- Hawkwind - Levitation
70.68 -- Pete Townshend - Empty Glass
70.58 -- Blue Öyster Cult - Cultosaurus Erectus
70.09 -- Winterhawk - Dog Soldier
68.79 -- Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Chance
68.04 -- Pat Travers Band - Crash and Burn
65.44 -- Foghat - Tight Shoes
65.15 -- Bow Wow - Glorious Road
61.53 -- Sweet - Waters Edge
60.17 -- Jethro Tull - A
59.17 -- Alice Cooper - Flush the Fashion
58.93 -- Queen - Flash Gordon
51.41 -- Touch - Touch
46.24 -- Kiss - Unmasked
62.80 -- Hawkwind - Church Of Hawkwind
62.50 -- Van Halen - Diver Down
61.10 -- Venom - Black Metal
59.50 -- Pete Townshend - All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes
55.66 -- Alice Cooper - Zipper Catches Skin
52.96 -- Foghat - In the Mood for Something Rude
50.14 -- Queen - Hot Space

Top Ten - 1990

I rated 45 albums from 1990, and sadly, it was the last great year for three top metal bands - Black Sabbath, Scorpions and Judas Priest. Never again would these bands crack the top ten. Kinda sad, but there's still hope that they'll once again find some of that past metal magic.



Top Ten - 1990:
93.55 -- Megadeth - Rust in Peace
90.85 -- Black Sabbath - Tyr
90.04 -- Blind Guardian - Tales from the Twilight World
89.52 -- Warrior Soul - Last Decade Dead Century
89.16 -- Jeff Healey Band - Hell to Pay
87.85 -- Anthem - No Smoke without Fire
87.68 -- Scorpions - Crazy World
86.73 -- Judas Priest - Painkiller
84.90 -- Rage - Reflections of a Shadow
82.93 -- Artillery - By Inheritance

Other 1990 releases:
82.49 -- Iron Maiden - No Prayer for the Dying
82.33 -- Riot - The Privilege of Power
82.23 -- Manilla Road - Courts of Chaos
82.23 -- Deep Purple - Slaves and Masters
82.12 -- Desperado - Bloodied but Unbowed
81.78 -- Lynch Mob - Wicked Sensation
81.17 -- Queensrÿche - Empire
81.16 -- Elixir - Lethal Potion
80.20 -- Sanctuary - Into the Mirror Black
80.12 -- Testament - Souls of Black
79.71 -- Warrant - Cherry Pie
79.48 -- Reverend - World Won't Miss You
78.50 -- AC/DC - The Razor's Edge
77.76 -- Bow Wow - Mountain Top
77.74 -- Extreme - Extreme II: Pornograffitti
77.39 -- Damn Yankees - Damn Yankees
75.61 -- Spread Eagle - Spread Eagle
72.87 -- Pat Travers Band - School of Hard Knocks
72.21 -- Ratt - Detonator
72.16 -- ZZ Top - Recycler
69.95 -- Dio - Lock Up the Wolves
69.90 -- Blues Traveler - Blues Traveler
69.88 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Eclipse
69.45 -- Vixen - Rev It Up
69.02 -- Pantera - Cowboys from Hell
68.72 -- Slaughter - Stick It to Ya
68.40 -- Blackfoot - Medicine Man
67.96 -- Hawkwind - Space Bandits
67.40 -- Bruce Dickinson - Tattooed Millionaire
67.27 -- Morgana Lefay - Symphony of the Damned
65.63 -- Pretty Maids - Jump the Gun
63.37 -- Styx - Edge of the Century
58.31 -- Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss
57.20 -- Axxis - Axxis II
54.66 -- Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom

Top Ten - 1991

Looking at the 41 albums in this list, you'll see over 3/4 are metal or metal-related (including an all-metal Top Ten). Not a whole lot going on classic rock-wise. Also, if you look closely, you'll find one of the few Grunge albums (Nirvana's Nevermind) that will appear in this blog.



Top Ten - 1991:
91.18 -- Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation
90.26 -- Metal Church - The Human Factor
88.40 -- Running Wild - Blazon Stone
88.28 -- Aria - Blood for Blood
87.94 -- Warrior Soul - Drugs, God and the New Republic
85.78 -- Galactic Cowboys - Galactic Cowboys
84.40 -- Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears
84.39 -- Bride - Kinetic Faith
83.12 -- Gamma Ray - Sigh No More
82.79 -- Venom - Temples of Ice

Other 1991 releases:
82.37 -- Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid
82.28 -- Metallica - Metallica
81.61 -- Saxon - Solid Ball of Rock
81.46 -- Iced Earth - Iced Earth
81.44 -- Motörhead - 1916
81.20 -- Krokus - Stampede
79.18 -- Great White - Hooked
78.76 -- Savatage - "Streets" - A Rock Opera
78.61 -- Cirith Ungol - Paradise Lost
78.43 -- Badlands - Voodoo Highway
77.47 -- Skid Row - Slave to the Grind
77.42 -- Helloween - Pink Bubbles Go Ape
77.06 -- Demon - Hold On to the Dream
76.46 -- Van Halen - For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
75.60 -- Crimson Glory - Strange and Beautiful
73.87 -- Pink Cream 69 - One Size Fits All
72.65 -- Kik Tracee - No Rules
72.53 -- Blues Traveler - Travelers and Thieves
72.31 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion II
71.53 -- Guns 'n' Roses - Use Your Illusion I
71.45 -- Reverend - Play God
71.29 -- Anvil - Worth the Weight
70.87 -- Nirvana - Nevermind
69.22 -- Queen - Innuendo
68.90 -- Uriah Heep - Different World
68.71 -- Fates Warning - Parallels
67.64 -- Praying Mantis - Predator in Disguise
65.99 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Nasty Reputation
65.07 -- Jethro Tull - Catfish Rising
63.68 -- Golden Earring - Bloody Buccaneers
61.33 -- Stevie Ray Vaughan - The Sky is Crying

Top Ten - 1992

Another relatively small list containing only 35 album ratings. As I mentioned in my other mid-90s Top Ten posts, Grunge was ruling the rock scene, which limited albums that appeal to me. Speaking of which, I'm sure many of you noticed (and maybe vehemently disagreed with) my rating of Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power. I've read other reviews of this album -- it's a classic; a 10/10 rating, etc. -- but this style of metal just doesn't work for me.

1992 Top Ten:
89.83 -- Megadeth - Countdown to Extinction
89.64 -- Dream Theater - Images and Words
88.02 -- War Babies - War Babies
87.10 -- Running Wild - Pile of Skulls
86.56 -- Saxon - Forever Free
86.00 -- Iced Earth - Night of the Stormrider
83.81 -- Rage - Trapped!
83.67 -- Demon - Blow Out
83.67 -- Testament - The Ritual
82.90 -- Warrior Soul - Salutations from the Ghetto Nation

Other 1992 releases:
82.49 -- Killers - Murder One
82.43 -- Anthem - Domestic Booty
82.22 -- Damn Yankees - Don't Tread
80.83 -- Iron Maiden - Fear of the Dark
78.92 -- Black Sabbath - Dehumanizer
78.63 -- Jackyl - Jackyl
78.38 -- Blind Guardian - Somewhere Far Beyond
77.17 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Fire and Ice
76.11 -- McAuley Schenker Group - MSG
76.06 -- Faith No More - Angel Dust
75.71 -- Cozy Powell - The Drums are Back
75.31 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Eternal Prisoner
74.08 -- Pretty Maids - Sin-Decade
73.52 -- Motörhead - March ör Die
73.15 -- Kiss - Revenge
72.31 -- UFO - High Stakes & Dangerous Men
72.02 -- Wildside - Under the Influence
70.77 -- Stratovarius - Twilight Time
70.72 -- Hardline - Double Eclipse
69.18 -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Black Moon
67.24 -- Alice in Chains - Dirt
64.42 -- Manowar - The Triumph of Steel
63.54 -- Def Leppard - Adrenalize
61.83 -- Manilla Road - The Circus Maximus
50.94 -- Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power

Top Ten - 1994

Judging by how quickly the ratings drop into the 70s and below, 1994 looks like a weak year in music. This may be misleading, though, because I only reviewd 31 albums, due in part because of the popularity of Grunge at the time. But things could change if I eventually include some of those bands.

1994 Top Ten:
89.52 -- Running Wild - Black Hand Inn
86.23 -- Savatage - Handful of Rain
85.66 -- Pat Travers Band - Blues Magnet
84.14 -- Axel Rudi Pell - Between the Walls
83.61 -- Bruce Dickinson - Balls to Picasso
83.42 -- Threshold - Psychedelicatessen
83.32 -- Warrior Soul - Space Age Playboys
83.21 -- Megadeth - Youthanasia
82.26 -- Dream Theater - Awake
82.00 -- Riot - Night Breaker

Other 1994 releases:
81.78 -- Doctor Butcher - Doctor Butcher
80.17 -- Helloween - Master of the Rings
79.74 -- Dio - Strange Highways
78.64 -- Foghat - The Return of the Boogie Men
78.11 -- Stratovarius - Dreamspace
76.95 -- Mötley Crüe - Mötley Crüe
76.00 -- Pretty Maids - Scream
74.14 -- Black Sabbath - Cross Purposes
74.09 -- Helloween - Chameleon
73.70 -- Mägo de Oz - Mägo de Oz
70.97 -- Alice Cooper - The Last Temptation
70.81 -- Fight - War of Words
70.33 -- Symphony X - Symphony X
70.18 -- Blues Traveler - Four
69.12 -- Annihilator - King of the Kill
68.05 -- Yngwie Malmsteen - Seventh Sign
66.51 -- Queensrÿche - Promised Land
65.25 -- Emerson, Lake & Palmer - In the Hot Seat
61.35 -- ZZ Top - Antenna
58.87 -- Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
57.09 -- Fates Warning - Inside Out

Rock Island - Chapter Eleven

There's not much to do on the island. Everyone is bored and tempers are starting to run high. The captain suggests everyone make up a game or activity. Some of the better ideas are golf clubs made from clam shells and bamboo with avocado pit golf balls, a badminton net and rackets (Roy says he can make the rackets, but he suggests you not ask how he makes the birdies), a bowling alley with bamboo lanes and coconut bowling balls, and turtle races.

At lunch one day (fish, again; no one wants to eat the turtles), Cinnamon mentions that you haven't finished telling her the songs on your MP3 player. Happily, you finish the list:

• Savatage - Sirens; Midas Knight; Hall of the Mountain King; Gutter Ballet; When the Crowds are Gone; Edge of Thorns; Chance; I Am; Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24); Drive
• Saxon - Princess of the Night; Power and the Glory; Run for Your Lives; Bloodletter; Circle of Light
• Scorpions - The Riot of Your Time; Another Piece of Meat; Can't Get Enough; Lovedrive; The Zoo; Animal Magnetism; Blackout; Can't Live Without You; No One Like You; Rock You Like a Hurricane; Still Loving You; Hit Between the Eyes; Alien Nation; Mind Like a Tree
• Seven Witches - Camelot; Second War in Heaven; Xiled to Infinity and One
• Silent Force - Infatuator
• Silver Mountain - Felo De Se
• Stratovarius - Eternity; Season of Change; Babylon; Infinity; Soul of a Vagabond; Fantasia; Elements; Awaken the Giant
• Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow
• Symphony X - Sea of Lies; Evolution (The Grand Design)
• Tad Morose - Anubis
• Testament - Alone in the Dark; Electric Crown
• Threshold - Consume to Live; Angels; Turn on Tune In; Ravages of Time; Mission Profile
• Thy Majestie - Wings of Wind; The Siege of Paris
• Tierra Santa - Pegaso
• Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry; I Wanna Rock
• Vanderhoof - Nowhere Train
• W.A.S.P. - L.O.V.E. Machine; Inside the Electric Circus; Headless Children; Kill Your Pretty Face; Shadow Man
• War Babies - Hang Me Up; Blue Tomorrow
• Warrior Soul - I See the Ruins; We Cry Out; The Losers; Trippin' On Ecstasy
• White Spirit - Midnight Chaser
• Whitesnake - Fool for Your Loving; Still of the Night; Judgment Day

You're alone with Cinnamon. She catches you staring at her. And then you hear the captain calling. "I guess I need to go," you say.