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The first band to be signed to Led Zeppelin’s private label, Swan Song Records, stands as one of our favorite classic rock bands of all time. The original group only released six studio albums. The first five are some of the best records of the classic rock era. Of course, that makes it challenging to pick just one song from each. Yet, that’s what this series is all about.
All in all, Bad Company released twelve studio albums. Their final studio album, Stories Told & Untold, combined seven new songs with seven newly arranged recordings of earlier Bad Company songs, so Company of Strangers stands as their final studio album made entirely of new original material. Most Bad Company fans are very familiar with the first six. However, some pretty good stuff on the later albums featured Brian Howe and Robert Hart as lead vocalists. It was a different band then, but still a great rock-and-roll outfit.
Bad Company (1974) – “Bad Company”
Bad Company’s debut album was fueled by the huge rock hit “Can’t Get Enough.” The album has a lot of great tunes, including one of our favorites, “Ready For Love.” However, the title cut is our choice of the best song on the album.
Straight Shooter (1975) – “Shooting Star”
Bad Company wasted no time in releasing a fantastic follow-up album to their debut. Standout songs on the album included the hits “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” However, most fans, including us here at ClassicRockHistory.com, fell in love with side one’s closing track, “Shooting Star.”
Run with the Pack (1976) – “Run with the Pack”
Bad Company’s Run with the Pack stands as our favorite Bad Company album of all time. The first two albums were fantastic, but the third really resonated with us the most. The album features our favorite Bad Company song of all time, the title track, “Run With The Pack.”
Burnin’ Sky (1977) – “Man Needs Woman”
We go with a deep track on the band’s fourth album. Paul Rodgers delivers a smoking vocal on this killer Mick Ralphs Mott-the-Hoople-sounding song, “Man Needs a Woman.”
Desolation Angels (1979) – “Oh Atlanta”
Desolation Angels was the band’s final album of the 1970s. It featured a wealth of tracks, including standout songs like “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” and “Gone, Gone, Gone,” which were big hits. However, we also highlight another Mick Ralphs composition: “Oh Atlanta.”
Rough Diamonds (1982) – “Electricland”
Rough Diamonds stands as the last Bad Company album to feature the original lineup. The band faced challenges during this period, and the album marked a significant transition. It was also the last Bad Company studio album to feature Paul Rodgers as the lead vocalist. Our pick from this album is the Paul Rodgers composition “Electricland.”
Fame and Fortune (1986) – “Burning Up”
The group’s first album released without Paul Rodgers’s vocals sounds very different. On this song, the band sounds a little like Foreigner, which probably makes sense because “Burning Up” was co-written by Foreigner’s Mick Jones and Mick Ralphs. Brian Howe sings lead vocals on this track.
Dangerous Age (1988) – “No Smoke Without a Fire”
Bad Company’s second album without Paul Rodgers was a stronger effort than their first without him. Brian Howe wrote many of the songs on the album along with Terry Thomas. “No Smoke Without a Fire” was a standout song.
Holy Water (1990) – “Holy Water”
The Brian Howe and Terry Thomas songwriting team continued to fuel the majority of songs on the new Bad Company lineup. The album’s title track is the pick here.
Here Comes Trouble (1992) – “How About That”
The Brian Howe era comes to an end with the band’s tenth studio album release. For the third album in a row, we go with another Brian Howe and Terry Thomas song called “How About That.”
Read More: Top 10 Bad Company Songs
Company of Strangers (1995) – “Dance With The Devil”
Bad Company presented their fans with a new lead singer for their final studio album, made entirely of new original material. Robert Hart took control of lead vocals on the album. The standout song on this record, in our opinion, was the Simon Kirke tune “Dance With The Devil.” This one sounded like old Bad Company.
Read More: Complete List Of Bad Company Band Members
Stories Told & Untold (1996) – No Pick
We chose not to pick a tune from this album because it mixes newly arranged recordings of seven classic Bad Company songs with seven new songs. They’re all done differently from the originals, and because this album functions as both a collection of reworked classics and new material, we left it without a pick.
Read More: Simon Kirke Of Bad Company: 10 Albums That Changed My Life
Updated August 27, 2026.
Bad Company’s Best Song On Each Of Their Studio Albums article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026
