1985's Best Rock Albums

Photo: Big D2112 from USA / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)

As we continue our exploration and drive back into the 1980s in our rock and roll DeLorean, we turn to the halfway point as we land in the year 1985. It’s sad, but it doesn’t really seem that long ago. Nonetheless,1985 was an interesting year. There were really no huge blockbuster albums released. No new Van Halen, in fact, it’s the year David Lee Roth quits Van Halen to embark on his solo career. No new Springsteen, no Black Sabbath, no really big time progressive rock albums or anything really that special. There were still many great albums and a few new bands, but for the most part, 1985 is probably one of the most forgettable years of the decade. Still, there were some high points.

1985 was the year of the benefit. Three big events occurred in which musical artists joined forces to combat world hunger and poverty. In January, the world saw the release of the single “We Are The World,” and the accompanying album and video that was played on MTV just about every 15 minutes. In the summer of 1985, the dual Live Aid concerts were hosted on two continents. An event staged to raise money for starving kids in Ethiopia. Also, an event that saw an incredible Queen performance and one of the worst performances ever by Led Zeppelin with Phil Collins on the drums. The Live Aid concert inspired a concert for the American Framer fueled by comments Bob Dylan made on the stage at Live Aid. That concert called Farm Aid would continue to be staged every year since.

We had a tough time picking a top 10 for this year. Let us know what you think.

# 50 – The Confessor – Joe Walsh

# 49 – Theater of Pain – Motley Crüe

# 48 – Meat Is Murder –The Smiths

# 47 – The Head on the Door – The Cure

# 46 – Bad Moon Rising – Sonic Youth

# 45 –A Cappella – Todd Rundgren

# 44 – Cut The Crap – The Clash

# 43 – Tim – The Replacements

# 42 – Seven the Hard Way – Pat Benatar

# 41 – Invasion of Your Privacy – Ratt

# 40 – Voices Carry – Til’ Tuesday

# 39 – New Day Rising –Hüsker Dü

# 38 – Around The World In A Day – Prince

# 37 – Heart – Heart

# 36 – This Nation’s Saving Grace – The Fall

# 35 – Love Bomb – The Tubes

# 34 – Songs from the Big Chair – Tears For Fears

# 33 – No Jacket Required – Phil Collins

# 32 – This Is Big Audio Dynamite – Big Audio Dynamite

# 31 – Marching Out – Yngwie Malmsteen

# 30 – 7800° Fahrenheit – Bon Jovi

# 29 – Done With Mirrors – Aerosmith

# 28 – Frank Zappa Meets The Mothers of Prevention

# 27 – The Firm –The Firm

# 26 – Old Ways – Neil Young

# 25 – Maverick – George Thorogood and the Destroyers

# 24 – Fables of the Reconstruction – R.E.M.

# 23 – Sacred Heart – Dio

# 22 – Love – The Cult

# 21 – Wide Awake In America Live EP – U2

# 20 – Flash – Jeff Beck

# 19 – No Lookin’ Back – Michael McDonald

# 18 – Listen Like Thieves – INXS

# 17 – Rock A Little – Stevie Nicks

# 16 – Crazy from the Heat – David Lee Roth

# 15 – Dog Eat God – Joni Mitchell

# 14 – Riptide – Robert Palmer

# 13 – Scarecrow – John Cougar Mellencamp

# 12 – Shaken ‘n’ Stirred – Robert Plant

# 11 – Fly On The Wall – AC/DC

# 10 – Lone Justice – Lone Justice

# 9 – Hounds of Love – Kate Bush

# 8 – The Dream of the Blue Turtles – Sting

# 7 – Soul To Soul – Stevie Ray Vaughan

# 6 – Behind The Sun – Eric Clapton

# 5 – Afterburner – ZZ Top

# 4 – Centerfield – John Fogerty

# 3 – Rain Dogs – Tom Waits

# 2 – Brothers In Arms – Dire Straits

# 1 – Power Windows – Rush

More Fantastic Classic Rock Albums Released in 1985

These are listed in chronological order in which they came out throughout the year

Best Rock Albums – January 1985

Silvertone – Chris Isaak

Stella -Yello

Tales of the New West – The Beat Farmers

Phantasmagoria – The Damned

The Power Station- The Power Station

Best Rock Albums – February 1985

The Breakfast Club – Soundtrack

Hell Awaits – Slayer

Knee Deep in the Hoopla – Starship

In Square Circle – Stevie Wonder

Best Rock Albums – March 1985

Metal Heart – Accept

We Are The World – U.S.A. For Africa

First and Last and Always – The Sisters of Mercy

Dream into Action – Howard Jones

Disturbing the Peace – Alcatrazz

Scream for Help – John Paul Jones

The Secret of Association – Paul Young

Equator – Uriah Heep

Night Time – Killing Joke

Best Rock Albums – April 1985

Be Yourself Tonight – Eurythmics

Mr. Bad Guy – Freddie Mercury

Katrina and the Waves – Katrina and the Waves

Best Rock Albums – May 1985

Low-Life – New Order

On a Storyteller’s Night – Magnum

Brother Where You Bound – Supertramp

Soldiers Under Command – Stryper

Suzanne Vega – Suzanne Vega

Best Rock Albums – June 1985

Hunting High and Low – a-ha

Boys and Girls – Bryan Ferry

Crush – Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark

Innocence Is No Excuse – Saxon

Empire Burlesque – Bob Dylan

Best Rock Albums – July 1985

Mask of Smiles – John Waite

Ain’t Love Grand! – X

Flash – Jeff Beck

Under a Raging Moon – Roger Daltrey

Best Rock Albums – August 1985

Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti – Squeeze

Nervous Night – The Hooters

Freaky Styley – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Under Lock and Key – Dokken

She’s The Boss – Mick Jagger

Best Rock Albums – September 1985

Asylum – Kiss

The History Mix Volume 1 – Godley & Creme

Beyond Appearances – Santana

For the Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes

A Sense of Wonder – Van Morrison

Rescue You – Joe Lynn Turner

Best Rock Albums – October 1985

Standing on the Edge – Cheap Trick

That’s Why I’m Here – James Taylor

Picture Book – Simply Red

Mike + The Mechanics – Mike + The Mechanics

Best Rock Albums – November 1985

Ice on Fire – Elton John

Come Out and Play – Twisted Sister

Welcome to the Real World – Mr. Mister

Astra – Asia

Dinosaur – Dinosaur Jr.

Go West – Go West

I Am the Night – Pantera

Best Rock Albums – December 1985

Stereotomy – Alan Parsons Project

Club Ninja – Blue Öyster Cult

Fine Young Cannibals – Fine Young Cannibals

Hero – Clarence Clemons

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