501 Essential Albums of the '80s

The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

Gary Graff

$69.99

Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Motorbooks
29 May 2025

Music; Music reviews & criticism; Country & Western music; Heavy Metal music; History: specific events & topics

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 Mötley Crüe-whatever your tastes, you will relish this ultimate retrospective of the decade's music.

By: Gary Graff
Imprint: Motorbooks
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 178mm,
Weight: 1.361kg
ISBN: 9780760393369
ISBN 10: 0760393362
Pages: 448
Publication Date: 29 May 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

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.

Reviews for 501 Essential Albums of the '80s: The Music Fan's Definitive Guide

""501 Essential Albums of the 80s, edited by Gary Graff, is more than just a book—it’s a time machine for music lovers. Along with a crew of seasoned music journalists, Graff takes readers on a trip into one of the most groundbreaking, genre-bending, and flat-out fun decades in music history. This isn’t just a book—it’s your VIP pass to the ultimate ’80s sound explosion."" -- Tony Medeiros * Sandbox World *