Ultimate Classic Rock reveals its choices for ‘1984’s Top 20 Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Albums’

Ultimate Classic Rock writer Matthew Wilkering has published an article titled 1984’s Top 20 Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Albums featuring a list of albums that most Sleaze Roxx readers should recognize along with a couple of puzzling choices.

Ultimate Classic Rock’s 1984’s Top 20 Heavy Metal and Hard Rock Albums:
01. Van Halen — 1984
02. Metallica — Ride The Lightning
03. Iron Maiden — Powerslave
04. Judas Priest — Defenders of The Faith
05. KISS — Animalize
06. Dio — Last In Line
07. Ratt — Out of The Cellar
08. Sammy Hagar — VOA
09. W.A.S.P. — W.A.S.P.
10. Twisted Sister — Stay Hungry
11. Anthrax — Fistful of Metal
12. Scorpions — Love At First Sting
13. Whitesnake — Slide It In
14. Corrosion of Conformity — Eye For An Eye
15. Dokken — Tooth and Nail
16. Deep Purple — Perfect Strangers
17. Mercyful Fate — Don’t Break The Oath
18. Europe — Wings of Tomorrow
19. Hanoi Rocks — Two Steps From The Move
20. Queensrÿche — The Warning

Sleaze Roxx stated the following in one of its reviews of 1984: “Aside from my very personal connection to 1984, Van Halen‘s sixth studio album — and the last one with singer David Lee Roth until A Different Kind Of Truth in 2012 — is THE album that commercialized hard rock and heavy metal, and influenced just about every major hard rock and heavy metal band to soften their sound and try out some keyboards and/or synths.

Van Halen achieved their second Diamond certified album in the United States of America with 1984 and seemingly, just about every hard rock and heavy metal band was watching and decided to try the commercial route. Mötley Crüe released their most commercial album, Theatre Of Pain, in June 1985 incorporating a glam look as well. Twisted Sister regrettably released their most polished and commercial record, Come Out And Play, in November 1985 and never recovered until reforming in 2011. Quiet Riot released their keyboard heavy album QR III in July 1986. Even the mighty Judas Priest and Iron Maiden followed Van Halen‘s lead and released synth heavy albums respectively with Turbo (in April 1986) and Somewhere In Time (in September 1986). And of course, Def Leppard followed up their hard rockin’ Pyromania album with Hysteria in August 1987 and were really the only band to stay in the almost pop rock genre after that. All of the other bands returned to their rockin’ ways after experiencing some success but also some push back at their attempts to commercialize their sound.”