'80s Rock

Hey, the '80s weren't only about skinny ties, shoulder pads, and synth-pop. Fact is, the second-to-last decade of the 20th century was prime time for real-deal, straight-ahead rock 'n' roll, and we've got the '80s Rock Basics to prove it, with tracks like Bon Jovi's blue-collar fist-pumper "Livin on a Prayer". Motörhead deals up "Ace of Spades" and heavy metal madman Ozzy Osbourne bares his gums to "Bark at the Moon". Keep it rolling into Next Steps for more righteous '80s rock.

The beauty of '80s rock is that you could score a little bit of everything. So while Yes was left all alone to ponder the "Owner of a Lonely Heart", Judas Priest flew the flag for British heavy metal with "Living After Midnight". David Lee Roth left Van Halen, shook a leg, and conquered the world with "Just Like Paradise" while Guns N' Roses ("Paradise City") showcased the axe-magnificence of Stoke-on-Trent transplant Saul Hudson — a.k.a. Slash. Ten great years, three great playlists – Deep Cuts has more '80s rock extravaganzas.

If there's one thing that defines great '80s rock, it's that there's no one sound to define it. INXS may have scored with the funky, rafter-raising arena rock of tracks like "New Sensation", but the Georgia Satellites nailed it just as dead-on with their down-home, southern-fried stomper "Battleship Chains". On one side of the Atlantic there was Iron Maiden ("2 Minutes to Midnight"), on the other there was Megadeth, sending "Anarchy In the U.K." right back at us with an L.A. twist.

The '80s crammed in a lot of great — nay, superlative — rock, right across the spectrum, as U2 planted one of several expansive sonic landmarks with "Where the Streets Have No Name", Billy Idol switched codes from punk with "Rebel Yell", and old dogs the Who and the Stones showed no sign of letting up with "You Better You Bet" and "Start Me Up", respectively. The Cult unleashed their goth-grinder classic "She Sells Sanctuary" and Canadian power-trio Rush conjured up its mainstream-breakthrough epic, "Tom Sawyer". We've got all that, and then some, in our '80s Rock Essentials — a set of songs that makes collecting the sounds of a decade as easy as a download.