501 Essential Albums of the '80s

501 Essential Albums of '80s is the ultimate curated list detailing dozens of the decade's most influential releases across all genres, featuring descriptions of the releases, album art, and artist imagery.



Break out the parachute pants, jelly shoes, and Aqua Net and indulge in this nostalgic illustrated trip through the 1980s' most influential albums across all genres.

In 501 Essential Albums of the '80s, Gary Graff leads a cast of fellow music journalists in presenting the music of one of the most pivotal decades in the history of recorded music...the decade that gave us some of the most monstrous-selling albums ever and introduced more and more listeners to emergent genres like indie rock and hip-hop.

With lively descriptions of the releases and nearly 600 images, this hefty volume curates 501 albums spanning genres and subgenres-pop, rock, hip-hop, R&B, metal, country, college and indie rock, and more-and features:

Year-by-year organizationKnowledgeable rundowns of every album featuredAlbum art for each selectionArtist imageryRecord label, release date, and producer(s) for eachSoundtracks and compilation releases
The journalists detail the circumstances of the releases, notable singles from each, their influence on contemporary and later artists...in short, why each is considered one of the best of the decade.

Madonna or Michael, Prince or the Police, Bruce or Black Flag, Men at Work or Motley Crue-whatever your tastes, you will relish this ultimate retrospective of the decade's music.

About the Author

Gary Graff is an award-winning music journalist based in Detroit. He is a regular contributor to Billboard, the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Media News Group, Ultimate Classic Rock, Consequence, and other publications, as well as to radio stations in Detroit and Milwaukee. He is the author of Alice Cooper at 75; co-author of Neil Young: Long May You Run, Rock ’n’ Roll Myths: The True Stories Behind the Most Famous Legends, and Travelin’ Man: On the Road and Behind the Scenes with Bob Seger; and the series editor of the MusicHound Essential Album Guides. He is also co-founder and co-producer of the Emmy Award–winning Detroit Music Awards. Graff lives in Beverly Hills, Michigan.