My top 20 heavy metal albums from 1981. Let me know some of your fave.

I think it's safe to say 1981 was one hell of a year in music.

Albums from 1981 I dig...and I'm not doing just heavy metal, cause I like being a contrary bastard.   

Rush - Moving Pictures
King Crimson - Discipline
Robert Fripp & The League Of Gentlemen - The League of Gentlemen
Judas Priest - Point of Entry
John McLaughlin, Al DiMeola & Paco DeLucia - Friday Night In San Francisco
Thin Lizzy - Renegade
Motorhead - No Sleep Till Hammersmith
Jack Bruce, Bill Lordan & Robin Trower - B.L.T.
Jack Bruce & Robin Trower - Truce
Iron Maiden - Killers
Black Sabbath - Mob Rules
Air - Air Mail
Riot - Fire Down Under
Blue Oyster Cult - Fire Of Unknown Origin
Genesis - Abacab
Venom - Welcome To Hell
Electric Light Orchestra - Time
Various Artists - Heavy Metal: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Triumph - Allied Forces
Kix - Kix
Saga - Worlds Apart
The Michael Schenker Group
Van Halen - Fair Warning
The Blasters - The Blasters
Go-Gos - Beauty And The Beat
Stevie Nicks - Belladonna
Frank Zappa - Shut Up 'N Play Yer Guitar
Tom Petty - Hard Promises
Ozzy Osbourne - Diary Of A Madman
Motley Crue - Too Fast For Love
Raven - Rock Until You Drop
Foreigner - 4
Joan Jett - I Love Rock 'N' Roll
Camel - Nude
Michael Hedges - Breakfast In The Field
Buggles - Adventures In Modern Recording
AC/DC - For Those About To Rock
Pat Benatar - Precious Time
Pharaoh Sanders - Rejoice
Robert Fripp - Let The Power Fall
The Kinks - Give The People What They Want
The Rods - The Rods
Lucifer's Friend - Mean Machine

Dont be a bastard, only heavy metal      

I've been enjoying listening to your album selections during my workouts. I'm currently obsessed with Girlschool's "The Hunter." What an awesome song!

I think you're right that metal will become more "metal" as the 1980s move along. 1981 is my favorite year for music because of the synthpop that came out. I'm guessing 1983 might be my favorite year for metal, but I haven't inventoried all my favorite metal albums by year to be sure. Watching your future videos will help me determine my favorite metal year.

S.D. wrote:

Albums from 1981 I dig...and I'm not doing just heavy metal, cause I like being a contrary bastard.   

Here's my top 15 1981 albums in general (with a few that have yet to be mentioned--sorry for the non-metal, krokus)

1.Dance--Gary Numan
2. Music From the Elder--KISS
3. Diary of a Madman--Ozzy Osbourne
4. Rage In Eden--Ultravox
5. Sirocco--Australian Crawl
6. Passion Factory--The Twins
7. The New Traditionalists--Devo
8. Dare--Human League
9. High 'N' Dry--Def Leppard
10. Killers--Iron Maiden
11. Tin Drum--Japan
12. It's A Condition--Romeo Void
13. Abacab--Genesis
14. I Love Rock 'N' Roll--Joan Jett
15. Adventures in Modern Recording--Buggles


(might need to make room on the list for Girlschool's Hit And Run now)

I never even heard the term "heavy metal" 'till 82, we certainly didn't call it that back in school...

80s Metal Lady wrote:

I've been enjoying listening to your album selections during my workouts. I'm currently obsessed with Girlschool's "The Hunter." What an awesome song!

I think you're right that metal will become more "metal" as the 1980s move along. 1981 is my favorite year for music because of the synthpop that came out. I'm guessing 1983 might be my favorite year for metal, but I haven't inventoried all my favorite metal albums by year to be sure. Watching your future videos will help me determine my favorite metal year.

Great that i am helping you to determine your favorite metal year   . Yes, i also think that metal became more pure and without all those 70s heavy rock influences from 1982 on. I think THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST made a big change back then in the music of many records that came out after that one.
I am going to start working soon on my 1982 video getting records out of my collection, play them again and make a list. Thanks for watching!!!! and thanks for your own list.