Remember when being a music fan was all about buying albums? You would head down to your local shop and see what was new, who was hot, and what album art caught your eye. Today, though, it’s all about singles and streaming. With that, we’ve all lost something. Here below, we wanted to take a trip down memory lane and dive into three classic rock albums that were perfect from start to finish. Indeed, this is no skips: three classic rock albums from the 1980s you’ll never have to fast-forward.

‘Purple Rain’ by Prince (1984)

Prince’s 1984 album has garnered a lot of praise over the years, and rightly so. Not only did the LP include the iconic song of the same name, but it was also part of a film by the same name that still holds up (and then some). But when diving into Purple Rain, we see a great deal more than just the title track. Songs like “Let’s Go Crazy”, “Take Me With U”, “Darling Nikki”, and “When Doves Cry” are all iconic. They could all be put in the Grammy Museum right now.

‘Appetite For Destruction’ by Guns N’ Roses (1987)

When you open a 1980s rock record with a song like “Welcome To The Jungle”, you’re automatically entered into the pool of potentially great LPs. But when listening through the rest of the 1987 record, Appetite For Destruction, by Guns N’ Roses, you find a number of other amazing songs, including “Paradise City”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and “It’s So Easy”. If you like bombastic rock, if you like earth-shattering songs, if you like high energy, this is your album.

‘Tracy Chapman’ by Tracy Chapman (1988)

The great Tracy Chapman has enjoyed a resurgence of late thanks to country star Luke Combs covering her timeless track “Fast Car”. But the 1988 LP that originally featured that song includes many more tunes worth your time. The 11-track record opens with the spirited “Talkin’ ‘Bout A Revolution” and continues with songs like “Baby Can I Hold You”, “She’s Got Her Ticket”, and “If Not Now…” If you want to hear a songwriter at the top of her game, check it out now.

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