Just because an album goes to the top of the charts doesn't mean it's destined to be a classic, as music history makes very clear. Sometimes a record sells a ton of copies based on the popularity of the band or artist but ends up being a disappointment, other times the music just doesn't age particularly well. (Many times, it's a combination of both of those factors.)
This is especially true of some of the most successful rock albums of the '80s, a decade celebrating all kinds of behavior that's frowned upon now. So when the entertainment website What Culture decided to rank the "10 worst #1 rock albums of the 1980's," there was no shortage of options to choose from.
Warning: This list is bound to make some people angry, and that's okay. Musical taste is subjective, after all. For example, this writer vehemently disagrees with the idea that the album in tenth place belongs here: Double Fantasy (1980) byJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono. Apparently, it made the list because of the criticism it received immediately upon release (some thought it idealized Lennon and Ono's marriage, among other things), though many of those reviews were pulled out of respect when Lennon was murdered three weeks after Double Fantasy came out. (But seriously, how an album with songs like "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" and "Watching the Wheels" could make a "worst of" list is beyond me.)
Interestingly enough, #9 was the only Styx album to ever make it to the very top of the charts: Paradise Theatre (1981). As What Culture argued, while it was technically a huge success, there isn't "anything special on this album to elevate it to the dizzying heights of its peers." ("Too Much Time on My Hands" is pretty great, though.) Next up, at #8, was U2's Rattle and Hum (1988), which — though it spawned such hits as "Desire" and "Angel of Harlem" — got mixed reviews upon release from both critics and fans who considered it a step down from The Joshua Tree (1987).
REO Speedwagon had a massive hit with Hi Infidelity, coming in at #7, which spent a staggering 15 weeks dominating the charts and gave the world such radio mainstays as "Take it on the Run" and "Keep on Loving You." However, the record earned its place among the "worst" because it's "cheesier than a Sunday farmer's market," in the opinion of What Culture (okay, and a lot of other people). As for the album taking the #6 slot, to call it "rock" is kind of a stretch...but whatever you want to label Huey Lewis and the News' fourth studio album, Fore! (1986), it was popular...at the time. (Why? Maybe because it's "Hip to Be Square.")
Kicking off the top five was Fleetwood Mac's Mirage (1982), the band's follow-up to the experimental (and divisive) Tusk. While it's definitely not Fleetwood Mac's best album, whether it belongs on a list of the worst albums of the decade is another question entirely (considering the album has "Gypsy" on it, some might say the answer is no). Next up, in fourth place, Asia's self-titled 1982 debut was slammed from the start for sounding artificial and hollow, but hey, they're still playing "Heat of the Moment" on the radio, right?
In third place, appropriately, was Boston's Third Stage (1986). The album was supposed to be somewhat of a comeback for the band, and while it sold well, fans weren't thrilled (though "Amanda" was a hit). Pat Benatar came in second with Precious Time (1981), her only number one album...which is odd, considering nobody really remembers any of the songs on it.
As for the worst rock album of the '80s...that dubious distinction went to Van Halen's OU812 (1988). The band's second album with Sammy Hagar, it produced the hits "When It's Love" and "Finish What Ya Started," but reviews were mixed...and it probably didn't win over any Van Halen fans who were still upset about David Lee Roth's departure.
Related: This 'Absolutely Terrible' Chart-Topper Was Voted 'Worst Song of the '60s'
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