Ok this is not going to be your typical list. Each year classic rock radio stations would compile their annual lists and have these big radio countdowns that always had the same albums over and over again. Led Zeppelin 4, Black Sabbath Paranoid, Pink Floyd's the Wall blah blah blah.
This list is in no particular order. This list has nothing to do with sales figures or chart numbers. These are 25 albums that I love for one reason or another. They may bring back memories for you, they may inspire you to check them out. They may make you shake your head in total disgust that anyone could possibly consider it music, but here they are...
| Band | Album |
|---|---|
| Def Leppard | "Pyromania" the album that lit the fuse to music obsession |
| Quiet Riot | "Metal Health" bang your head, metal health will drive you mad! |
| Motley Crue | "Shout at the Devil" check out those aliens on the cover! The total package of image, sound and sleaze Motley Crue became THE band with this release . Crue Crue Crue! |
| L.A. Guns | "LA GUNS" The major label debut from LA Guns grabbed my attention like a freight train. I loved it immediately and became a defender of this new band. Still one of my favourite bands to see live. Tracii is mesmerizing to watch on the guitar. |
| Guns and Roses | "Appetite for Destruction" Cmon what more can be said about this classic masterpiece of debauchery. Every song PERFECT. No album collection would be complete without this title. The stars aligned for this one. |
| W.A.S.P. | "The Headless Children" Wasp were always a favourite of mine but Blackie really outdid himself with this release. Forget the antics of this band, put the headphones on and listen to the songs, the musicianship and the production. Its sonically incredible. |
| Heaven and Hell aka Black Sabbath with DIO | "Live at Radio City Music Hall" THE best vocalist ever backed by the RIFF Master Tony Iommi. Dio never sounded any better he will be missed. RIP Ronnie. |
| Brighton Rock | "Love Machine" the third release from Hamilton's own Brighton Rock. The songs and production were as good as anything out there. Gerry's voice is original, unique and powerful as hell. This band should have been HUGE. |
| Kick Axe | "Vices" Underrated Canadian Metal period. |
| KISS | "Sonic Boom" OK how can I pick one Kiss album? They have so many different albums for different moods. Some titles would be obvious choices, Alive, Destoyer, the metallic Creatures of the Night, but I chose Sonic Boom because I truly LOVE this newest album from Kiss. It really captures who they are with some really fun songs. |
| Chickenfoot | "Chickenfoot" one word WOW. I love this band. |
| Brides of Destruction | "Here Come the Brides" Nikki Sixx and Tracii Guns form the short lived Brides project. This album is a rip roaring punk injected, snotty, sleazy high octane fist pumping rollercoaster ride. Sixx AM "the Heroin Diaries soundtrack". |
| Skid Row | "Slave to the Grind" killer album with Baz's pipes. So solid. |
| Judas Priest | "Judas Rising" the reunion album with the Metal God is killer. |
| Killer Dwarfs | "Dirty Weapons" tricycle riding Canadian metal eh? |
| ConeyHatch | "Coney Hatch" great songs from a great band. Hey Operator make the telephone talk to me! |
| Motley Crue | "Motley Crue" Motley get 2 albums on the list but I consider this a different band. With Vince out and Corabi in, Motley released a forgotten album that truly is a buried treasure. Heavier than ever, the Crue delivered the goods here. |
| Van Halen | "Van Halen" masterpiece. |
| Dio | "Sacred Heart" RONNIE JAMES DIO, nothing more needs to be said. |
| Ratt | "Infestation" this one will probably surprise many. Ratt's debut album "Out of the Cellar" was a classic but the new album from Ratt really, REALLY blew me away. |
| Whitesnake | "Slide it In" the album before the big one. This one contained the 2 best whitesnake songs ever. Love aint no Stranger and Slow and Easy. Bluesy metal at its finest. |
| Accept | "Metalheart" crunching german metal. |
| AC/DC | "Back in Black" As close to a perfect album as you can get. No filler, no fluff, just 100mph rock and roll shaking you all night long. |
| David Lee Roth | "Eat em and Smile" what a lineup Vai, Sheehan, Bissonette and Roth. Talk about chops! |
| Metallica | "Metallica" aka the Black Album. Forget all the "sell out" bs. That's all a bunch of jealous nonesense. This was a killer album at the perfect time. Just like Appetite for Destruction the stars aligned on this one. |
