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Our Best Rock Albums Of 2021 looks back at a year in which we saw the least amount of classic rock artists releasing albums than we ever have seen. It’s tough to get old as most classic rock artists that started their careers in the 60s and 70s finally seem to be giving in to retirement. Still, there are some in their 70s that are still rocking as hard as ever. All one has to do is catch a Neil Young show or take a listen to his new record to be convinced that age doesn’t slow down everyone. Of course, Neil Young is not the only legendary rocker still touring and releasing great new records. Once again, our friend Sammy Hagar returned with another fabulous album this time entitled Lockdown 2020. Van Morrison retains his title as the most busy recording artist of the past fifty years and once again releases another great new studio album.
Metal seems to also have no age boundaries as legendary metal artists Iron Maiden returned with one of their strongest efforts in years. That 70s band Cheap Trick also keeps turning out new albums with their great studio album In Another World. Throw in new albums by the Foo Fighters, Ani Difranco, Haley Williams, and Gov’t Mule and capped off by a new Jackson Browne album and you have another pretty good year for rock fans of all ages in 2021.
# 50 – Welcome to the Absurd Circus – Labyrinth
# 49 – Catspaw – Matthew Sweet
# 48 – Necroceros – Asphyx
# 47 – Hunter and the Dog Star – Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
# 46 – L.W.- King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
# 45 – The Battle at Garden’s Gate – Greta Van Fleet
# 44 – Landscape Tantrums – The Mars Volta
# 43 – A Better Dystopia – Monster Magnet
# 42 – The Blues Album – Whitesnake
# 41 – Godzilla – The Veronicas
# 40 – Under a Mediterranean Sky – Steve Hackett
# 39 – You Hear Georgia – Blackberry Smoke
# 38 – Leviathan – Therion
# 37 – OK Human – Weezer
# 36 – I Found the Sun Again – Steve Lukather
# 35 – The Gospel Truth – Gilby Clarke
# 34 – Turn Up That Dial – Dropkick Murphys
# 33 – Dear Monsters – Bad Wolves
# 32 – Queens of the Summer Hotel – Aimee Mann
# 31 – Too Mean to Die – Accept
# 30 – Immortal – Michael Schenker Group
# 29 – Typhoons – Royal Blood
# 28 – The Tears of Hercules – Rod Stewart
# 27 – Heights – Walk The Moon
# 26 – At My Piano – Brian Wilson
# 25 –The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy – Rob Zombie
# 24 – Nature’s Light – Blackmore’s Night
# 23 – Chemical Warfare – Escape The Fate
# 22 – Turning to Crime – Deep Purple
# 21 –Death by Rock and Roll – The Pretty Reckless
# 20 – Peter Frampton Forgets the Words – The Peter Frampton Band
# 19 – The Ides of March – Myles Kennedy
# 18 – Dirty Honey – Dirty Honey
# 17 – Flowers for Vases / Descansos – Haley Williams
# 16 – Hushed and Grim – Mastodon
# 15 – Revolutionary Love – Ani DiFranco
# 14 – Soberish – Liz Phair
# 13 – Carnage – Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
# 12 – Sweep It into Space – Dinosaur Jr.
# 11 – Music of the Spheres – Coldplay
# 10 – Pressure Machine – The Killers
# 9 – Latest Record Project, Volume 1 – Van Morrison
# 8 – Heavy Load Blues – Gov’t Mule
# 7 – Downhill from Everywhere – Jackson Browne
# 6 – United State of Mind – Robin Trower, Maxi Priest, and Livingstone Brown
# 5 – In Another World – Cheap Trick
# 4 -Medicine at Midnight – Foo Fighters
# 3 – Lockdown 2020 – Sammy Hagar & Circle
# 2 – Senjutsu – Iron Maiden
# 1 – Barn – Neil Young & Crazy Horse
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![Rob De Luca of Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach & UFO: 10 Albums That Changed My Life From humble East Coast origins to grandest stages worldwide, veteran bassist Rob De Luca has seen and done it all. De Luca first hit the local Boston rock and metal scene in the late 80s after meeting guitarist Paul DiBartolo, bonding over Van Halen before forming Bang. Regional success came quickly, but eventually, the members of Bang went their separate ways, with De Luca and drummer Tommi Gallo heading to NYC and hooking up with Ray West and, later, DiBartolo to form Spread Eagle. By 1990, Spread Eagle was on the fast track, with a contract through MCA Records and a self-titled debut album poised to crush skulls. But poor timing and MCA's sad indifference left Spead Eagle out in the cold despite being a hard-boiled answer to Guns N' Roses's West Coast sleaze. Spread Eagle's first chapter came to an end in '95. As for Rob De Luca, his nimble fingers and gift for melody and songwriting kept him moving forward. Soon, he found a gig with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach and the legendary outfit UFO. And in 2010, after coupling up with Ray West and his cousin Rik De Luca, Spread Eagle retook flight. During a break from Spread Eagle's increasingly busy touring schedule, Rob De Luca dialed in with ClassicRockHistory.com to run through the ten albums that changed his life. But only after adding, "I made a playlist of these songs, including some I've written or co-written. Do you hear any of these albums' influence on me?" Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3LWJuhDrE8JmzhsmTeIDUq 10) Gentlemen by Afghan Whigs (1993) Here's an entry that was so important to me. This may be the darkest break-up album of all time. Greg Dulli has been in many projects, but I feel Gentlemen is his zenith. Somewhat undefinable at times but always profound and honest. Listen to "Gentlemen," "Fountain and Fairfax," and "What Jail Is Like." 9) In on the Kill Taker by Fugazi (1993) By this time, I had been sucked in and spit out by the major-label record industry. Glam came and went; grunge was history, too. I was searching for new sounds. When I heard Fugazi's twin guitar approach, I knew this was what was missing. Fugazi may be considered a less polished sound than the albums above; however, once you "get it," it hits you like a ton of bricks, and there's no going back. From the moment I heard Fugazi, I went to every NYC show after. It's easily some of the best concerts of my life, and possibly my favorite bassist in Joe Lally. And their DIY ethics refused to charge us more than $5 a show! In on the Kill Taker is a powerful album demonstrated in songs such as "Smallpox Champion," "Great Cop," and "Public Witness Program." 8) Appetite for Destruction by Guns N' Roses (1987) I discovered many of these albums (sometimes long) after they were released. However, I was at the right place at the right time for this one. Steve Ostromogilsky had a Berklee College of Music lunch card and used to sneak out sandwiches for me. One day, he invited me to hang out at his place and listen to music. As we got off the train, he put Sony Walkman headphones on my ears and said, "Hey, check out this brand-new group." A song like "It's So Easy" was so different from the popular Sunset Strip sound at that time. Me and about 499 other informed rockers were lucky enough to see them on their first East Coast tour at the sold-out Paradise on Commonwealth Avenue, Boston (the same street Aerosmith started on). I saw Gn'R every tour after until I took a break when Buckethead joined. Gn'R is the band I've been lucky enough to see the most times live, almost 100! Everyone on this album is just stellar. Axl [Rose] had the tones, power, melodic sensibilities, and foresight to do what no other singer did then. Slash's playing was beyond memorable. Duff [McKagan] is one of the most underrated bassists in rock history, and learning his Appetite basslines is a masterclass. Steven [Adler] had the natural swing, and Izzy [Stradlin] was the secret weapon songwriter. Everything that's been heralded about this gem is deserved and true. Check out "It's So Easy," "Out Ta Get Me," and "Mr. Brownstone.' 7) Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd (1975) Another contender for my favorite album and band of all time. Using The Beatles machine (same recording studio, engineer, record label), Pink Floyd made what I feel is their strongest, most cohesive album (my second favorite of theirs would be Animals). This list mainly consists of bands with an instantly recognizable sound. Floyd is certainly no exception to that! This album included a solid handful of undeniable rock radio classics, bookended by two halves of the mind-blowing song "Shine on You Crazy Diamond.' That song was written about former band member and founder Syd Barrett. It would be hard to live in a world without this album. Check out "Welcome to The Machine," "Shine on You Crazy Diamond (parts 6-9),' or even better yet, listen to the whole thing in one sitting! 6) Decade by Neil Young (1977) About this time, I started playing guitar. As a beginner, it was comfortable jamming to this album because the chord changes were simple—a great "first ten years" retrospective of Neil's stunning, unique songwriting. Neil is a treasure who always writes from the heart and stands up for what's right. Check out "Southern Man," "A Man Needs a Maid," "Down by The River," and "After the Goldrush." 5) Highway to Hell by AC/DC (1979) When I heard this album, I was firmly "me." My life would be 100% focused on hard rock music forever. AC/DC are like air; they're ubiquitous. Everyone knows them and their incredible songs. However, as a young teen in Wilmington, Delaware, I only had WMMR 93.3 FM Philadelphia and a few friends to inform me about the world of Rock outside my bedroom. AC/DC had not gone mainstream, and their albums were available primarily in the USA as imports. To put things more in perspective, I only knew two people in the world who had heard of AC/DC. A friend had an import that we played in Steve Buckley's basement, which sounded ripping. When Highway to Hell was released, WMMR started spinning the title track, and I immediately bought the album, listening to it every single day after school. Then WMMR announced AC/DC was coming to the Spectrum in Philly, supporting Ted Nugent! I liked Ted but loved AC/DC, so my good friend Mick Cummins and I bought tickets, and he drove us up to the Spectrum (where we saw most of our concerts). Bon Scott was in fine form, and the band went over great. Although the crowd knew Ted better, Angus [Young] wouldn't let anyone upstage him. I'll never forget it! Unfortunately, Bon would be gone in 6 months. Check out "Walk All Over You," "Touch Too Much," "Shot Down in Flames," and "If You Want Blood (You Got It)." 4) Toys in the Attic by Aerosmith (1975) By the time I heard this, I was now in my teens. I had a childhood friend up the street, Jim Linberg (we're still good buddies). His older sister had a great album collection, including Toys in The Attic. Once I heard that groove, my taste changed. I lost interest in rock music that didn't have some sort of "swing" feel to it. I think Rocks is a slightly better Aerosmith album (and possibly my favorite album of all time), but both are perfect or very close. Check out "Uncle Salty," "Adam's Apple," "No More No More," "Round and Round," and "You See Me Crying." 3) Alive! by Kiss (1975) When I was still a little kid, I asked for Cheech and Chong's Up in Smoke album for Christmas. The entire family came over for an enormous feast, and I dropped the needle. When my mother heard the content, she turned off the album and said I had to exchange it. My mom was cool, but I was young and knew much more about life than she suspected. Anyway, the next day, she drove me back to the store. In the music section, promoted on an "endcap" was a Kiss Alive! display. I had never heard of Kiss, but that cover picture told me I had to have it! My first foray into hard rock. Check out “Strutter.” I went through my Kiss phase very quickly, I believe in a matter of months because I discovered the previous entry, Aerosmith's Toys in the Attic. 2) Honky Chateau by Elton John (1972) When I was a wee lad, my parents bought a used Volkswagen camper van from my uncle Ozzie. My favorite Elton John album is Yellow Brick Road, but Honky Chateau is great and easily one of his best. It sent me down a lifelong rabbit hole of loving everything about the 1970s partnership between Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin. The simple beauty of voice, the master songwriting, the perfect backing band, the clear, unobtrusive recordings, and always Bernie's incredible lyrics. The day this album was released, Elton became an unstoppable force that conquered the music industry. Check out "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "Rocket Man." 1) Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967) Another tape that was included in the VW Camper. The van had a bunch of music tapes, and one was Sgt Pepper. I was too young to understand the sophistication of the music, but that was one of the many skills of The Beatles. They attracted listeners at every level, even little kids. I still feel that immediate connection to Sgt Pepper; now, I hear so much more. It's an album that changed the world and the world of music. Check out "Lucy in The Sky with Diamonds," "A Day In The Life," and "Fixing a Hole."](http://www.classicrockhistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Shutterstock_1815495569-1-300x200.jpg)
