10 often overlooked albums of the 1980s

Kings of the Wild Frontier - Adam and the Ants (1980)

This album was huge at the time, especially in Britain, but Adam Ant has kind of been forgotten over the decades. This was one of the first big New Wave albums of the 1980s, continuing the trend from the late '70s, but also giving it that glam edge that caught on so well for many '80s bands. The title track, "Kings of the Wild Frontier," was a fun song, but there were also fun tunes like "Dog Eat Dog" and "Ants Invasion."

Aldo Nova - Aldo Nova (1981)

In my opinion, Aldo Nova is too often overlooked when it comes to early 80s hard rock music, not that his tunes rocked the hardest being more akin to early Bon Jovi than the more metal bands of the time, like Judas Priest. This, his first album, was his biggest seller, and it well deserves it. There were hit songs like "Fantasy" and "Foolin' Yourself," but there were other cool songs like "Heart to Heart."

High N Dry - Def Leppard (1981)

A big band, but before they hit it big. This album was Def Leppard's second, the album before they became a U.S. sensation with Pyromania. I've always preferred High N Dry. In fact, I think it's their best album. It's got a solid ballad in "Bringin' On the Heartbreak," but the albums not full of ballads like later works from the band. There are also plenty of heavy rocking tunes, such as "Let it Go" and "On Through the Night."

Come An' Get It - Whitesnake (1981)

This is another rock band that hit in big, this time in the mid-to-late 1980s. But before that, Whitesnake was still pretty well known in Britain, and this album proves why. Before the band's leader, David Coverdale, discovered spandex and screaming guitars, Whitesnake was a band more akin to bluesy, guitar-driven '70s rock. And this album, in my opinion, is the best of the lot from those days of Whitesnake. My favorite song here is "Child of Babylon," but you can also find great tunes like "Lonely Days, Lonely Nights" and "Don't Break My Heart Again."

Valotte - Julian Lennon (1984)

The son of John Lennon began his musical career with this album, and it was a solid, poppy album. Julian even sounds a bit like his father, especially on the hit "Too Late for Goodbyes." Julian stayed in the music industry after this album, but this one was his biggest. He continues to put out albums every so often, and has done work on soundtracks and has filmed a documentary himself. Other songs I like on this album are "Valotte" and "Let Me Be."

The Lace - Benjamin Orr (1986)

The late Benjamin Orr is most-often remembered as a member of the '80s hit band The Cars, but he was in some other bands, too, and had this, his only solo album. "Stay the Night" was the only hit off the album, but if you like '80s pop, you should enjoy songs such as "When You're Gone" and "This Time Around."

Unlimited! - Roger Troutman (1987)

The late Roger Troutman is remembered for a lot of things in hip hop and R&B circles. Not only was he the lead singer for the band Zapp, but he's also fondly remembered for his unique use of the talkbox, which is featured quite heavily on this album. "I Want to Be Your Man" was a huge hit off Unlimited!, but I enjoyed other tunes, too. Roger's version of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" is awesome, as is "Tender Moments."

See the Light - The Jeff Healey Band (1988)

Jeff Healey has always been my favorite of the blues guitarists who came out of the 1980s. Sorry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, fans, but I always felt Stevie's guitar was a little too clean. But that's just me. This was Healey first albums, and it rocks right along in his bluesy kind of way. "Angel Eyes" was a big hit from See the Light, but other great songs are "Confidence Man" and "Nice Problem to Have."

Outrider - Jimmy Page (1988)

This album was released back in the days when Led Zeppelin fans were missing their favorite band, and former Zep guitarist Jimmy Page helped fill that void with this, his first and only solo album. Page himself did very few vocals on the album, though it's his guitar work all the way. Vocals were provided by Robert Plant, Chris Farlowe and John Miles. This is just an awesome, awesome album. Fans of Zeppelin, hard rock and blues should definitely check out Outrider. It's difficult to pick out only a few of my favorites from the track list, but I'll go with "Wanna Make Love," "Wasting My Time" and "Prison Blues."

Kingdom Come - Kingdom Come (1988)

The heyday of this German hard rock band was short lived, basically just this album. But it had some groovy songs, including the hit "Get It On." I also enjoyed "Living Out of Touch" and "Now Forever After." Kingdom Come, the band, was compared a lot to Led Zeppelin, which actually hurt the band because of all the bashing from critics. Still, though they're no Led Zeppelin, Kingdom Come was a decent band and I've always enjoyed this album.