It was the best and worst times, but it was also the best. We’re talking about 80s music. There is nothing better than the heavy metal, hardrock, and hair bands from the 80’s. Here is our top 10 list of metal and hard rock CDs of that decade. Most of these were purchased first on vinyl.

4. Motley Crue

Shout at The Devil: When Shout At the Devil was released, I had already worn out my copy of Too Fast for Love. The video for Looks that Kill was amazing to me. These were the worst badass of all time. With their tales of sex and drugs, and rock ‘n rolling, they became larger than life. This CD perfectly captured them. They didn’t sound the same after Vince was released from jail following the car accident that claimed Razzle’s life. Although they did release some catchy songs, I don’t believe they ever made another CD with all of their memorable tracks.

3. Metallica

Ride the Lightning – Metallica was a master at writing 80’s sex songs. They followed Kill ‘Em all with Ride the Lightning to take their sound to the next level. They improved their songwriting and the production helped to capture Hetfield’s powerful voice and crunch guitars. These songs were a serious hit. Fight Fire with Fire and For Whom the Bell Tolls, Creeping Death, Trapped Under Ice and For Whom the Bell Tolls still stand today. Although I would have preferred The Call of Ktulu, it’s not a major complaint. This CD will get you the adrenaline pumping.

2. T.T. Quick

Metal of Honor – Not only are the songs memorable, but so is the production. This band was full of potential, with songs like Metal of Honor and Child of Sin. They didn’t promote the release properly, and they never made it to the top like they should have. They have released a few CDs since then, and they still play live shows occasionally.

1. Guns and Roses

Appetite For Destruction: I have stopped listening to this CD. It has been played so many times on MTV and radio (back when MTV used music). This song was my favorite. It was a big debate whether Axl’s vocals were better for songs like It’s So Easy and Mr. Brownstone, Welcome to the Jungle and Nightrain. It didn’t matter because each song was incredible. It took almost a year for the CD to become popular so that we could see the band perform at a 1000-seat venue. They performed a fantastic live show, and they even kept the show on schedule. They just couldn’t get along on the stage.