Ten Punk Albums From The 1980's That You Need

Top ten punk albums of the 1980's (in no particular order)

10: Zen Arcade by Husker Du. SST Records 1984. Groundbreaking second album for Husker Du and a first being that it was released as a double album and told the story of a young man who runs away to escape an abusive home life. The album has been called "the closest hardcore will ever get to an opera....a kind of thrash Quadrophenia"

9: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables by Dead Kennedys. Alternative tentacles 1980. The debut album by the Dead Kennedys and now considered one of the best punk albums every recorded.

8: I Against I by Bad Brains, SST Records 1986. Third studio album by the Bad Brains, I Against I continues to receive critical accolades and remains the best selling album by the Bad Brains even to this day. 

7. Combat Rock by The Clash, CBS Records 1982. The fifth studio album by the Clash, it charted in the UK at the number 2 spot for 23 weeks and is by far the best selling album by The Clash. It has now been certified 2X platinum here in the US.

6. Walk Among Us by The Misfits, Ruby, Slash Records 1982. The first full length release by The Misfits despite being the 8th recording release by them. Walk Among Us is know for it's lack of any political or social message and instead relies on a purely whimsical horror fantasy theme. 

5. The Record by Fear, Slash Records 1982. Fear's debut studio album has been called the "punk equivalent of the movie Animal House--puerile, offensive and often reveling in it's own ignorance but pretty entertaining on a non-think level." Despite such harsh words from early critics, the album is now considered a classic album of the LA hardcore punk scene in the early 80's. 

4. Group Sex by Circle Jerks, Frontier Records 1980. The debut studio album by the Circle Jerks features 14 songs and is a little over 15 minutes long and is now considered a landmark album in hardcore punk.

3. Damaged by Black Flag, SST Records 1981. The debut studio album for Black Flag is considered one of the most influential punk records ever made. Rolling Stone listed Damaged as #340 in The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time.

2. Mommy's Little Monster, Social Distortion. 13th Floor Records, 1983. Critically acclaimed first album by southern California-based Social Distortion was not a huge commercial success initially. The album today has been reissued several times with different labels and various formats. 

1. Los Angeles, X. Slash Records, 1980. The debut album by X is now a classic and a must have for any record collection. Los Angeles was rated #24 on Rolling Stone's list of 100 best albums of the 80's.