I absolutely agree with the first sentence. The moment Axl Rose and Slash appeared on the scene, Bret Michaels and the rest of the hair metal scene suddenly looked like a bunch of nerds, sissies, and lame-asses. What, you need to raid your aunt’s makeup desk to rock?
But best album of the 1980s.... Hmmm.... The Joshua Tree was pretty damned good.
Nah, I take it back... That was my opinion then, but I can’t say I’d picture having a mood come over me where I’d really need to listen to Joshua Tree. Appetite for Destruction, hell yeah. (Come to think of it, I was a liberal then, too...*)
(* Hey, cradle conservatives: don’t pick on me for having been a liberal. I’ve made an intellectual decision to adopt each plank of conservatism.)
Exactly. That's why I think of it as the most influential album of the 80s. Warrant, Def Leppard, Poison, Loudness, Racer X, Whitesnake, Autograph, Krokus... they all died the Sunday night that MTV finally played "Welcome to the Jungle" at 3:00am.
Here's something no other band can take credit for: the single handed resurrection of an iconic American corporation, Gibson Guitars. In 1987, you couldn't find a Les Paul in a music store. It was all pointy-headstock superstrats with Floyd Rose whammy bars, preferably in a neon pink or green, or with some goofy graphics. Slash & Company, not Henry J, are solely responsible for keeping Gibson out of bankruptcy. When GnR happened, suddenly it was COOL to play Les Pauls again. I got my first LP in 1988 (a 1974 Deluxe, I paid $400), and I play one to this day.
The irony that Slash was playing replicas of Gibson guitars and not actual Gibsons is a topic for another thread, though.
Absolutely agree. Joshua Tree is the best album of the 80s. it has aged very well.
Yancy
The Unforgettable Fire was better. The Joshua Tree was good, but it was also the album that convinced U2 that they were “important”... which was a fatal blow to their ability to make decent music.