Bob Dylan Perfect Sound Lab

Bob Dylan live at Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, 19th November 1979.

Bob Dylan live at Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, 18th November 1979.

Bob Dylan live at Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, USA, 7th June 1978.

Bob Dylan live at Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, USA, 3rd June 1978.

Bob Dylan live at Universal Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, USA, 1st June 1978.

The Top 100 '80s Rock Albums span a series of genres as startling and varied as the era's neon-flecked fashions.No one was immune to the early-decade emergence of new wave, from up-and-coming acts to legacy groups – many of whom began incorporating the then-new sound into their bedrock approach.Meanwhile, classic rock and subsequently metal began a transformation into mass acceptance when the edges were smoothed out to form arena rock and hair metal, respectively. The arrival of roots, thrash, and world music influences kept things interesting, along the way. All of it made selecting the period's best releases both intriguing and deeply challenging.Check out the list below, as Ultimate Classic Rock takes a chronological look at the Top 100 '80s Rock Albums.

Any discussion of the Top 100 '90s Rock Albums will have to include some grunge, and this one is no different. A defining element of that decade, the genre (and the bands that rose to fame playing it) was given credit for revitalizing rock at a badly needed moment. That said, there's far more to the story. Our list of the Top 100 '90s Rock Albums, presented in chronological order, takes in the rich diversity of the period.