Blackout was the Scorpions' first majorly successful album, due to its clever balance of pop/rock (the title track), power ballads ("When the Smoke Is Going Down"), and catchy heavy metal ("Dynamite," "No One Like You"). Vocalist Klaus Meine had a throat operation prior to the record's release, and surprisingly, his voice sounds more melodic and lively than ever…

Prior to Lovedrive's recording, the Scorpions' lineup had a major change when their lead guitarist, Uli Jon Roth, quit the group (not to mention, the rock genre was rapidly changing). With this in mind, the band not only highlighted the album with the licks and riffs of three guitarists (Rudolf Schenker, Michael Schenker, Matthias Jabs), but they also dramatically changed their style to sound more like that of Van Halen…

Seventh Son of a Seventh Son is the last great Iron Maiden album, reconnecting with the band's prog rock roots and reversing the signs of decline that had been evident on their previous record. By this point, Maiden had earned the respect of metalheads the world over with their steadfast adherence to unadulterated metal and their grandiose aesthetic…

Heart Attack is the tenth studio album by the Swiss hard rock band Krokus, and is described by the band as "the last attempt to keep the band together in a deep crisis". As well as being the band's first album on MCA Records, it saw the return of original Krokus founding member Chris von Rohr. The track "Rock 'n' Roll Tonight" was a live hit, and is still played by the band in concerts. Krokus is a hard rock and heavy metal band from Switzerland. They enjoyed great success in North America during the 1980s. Krokus was founded in Solothurn in 1975 by bassist (and original lead vocalist) Chris von Rohr and guitarist Tommy Kiefer. Former TEA vocalist Marc Storace joined the band as frontman in time for their Metal Rendez-vous album in 1979.

Man in Motion is the fifth studio album released in 1988 by the hard rock/arena rock band Night Ranger. Original Night Ranger keyboardist Alan Fitzgerald had left the band prior to recording sessions for the album, and new keyboardist Jesse Bradman is featured as his replacement. This effort would be the last studio album released by the band until the mid-1990s…

New Wave of British Heavy Metal band Demon were known for their shocking and elaborate performances (quite unique, considering the no-fuss, stripped-down philosophy characteristic of the movement), but never sounded as extreme as their name might suggest. Instead, they forged a mainstream hard rock/metal style, which, though it didn't stand out from the pack, has managed to keep them in business for several decades. Singer Dave Hill and guitarist Mal Spooner had already cut their teeth with various amateur acts in their native Staffordshire, England, by the time they decided to join forces and found Demon midway through 1980.

The Instrumental Works is a 1988 compilation album by The Alan Parsons Project, featuring many (but not all) of the band's instrumental tracks from throughout its discography…

This live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival is the last of the glorious 1980s albums by the polish trumpet virtuoso / composer Tomasz Stanko and his Freelectronic ensemble, here consisting of keyboardists Janusz Skowron and Tadeusz Sudnik and bassist Witold Szczurek. Stanko is in top form and in a great mood, which is evident by the happy atmosphere captured herein. His trumpet soars to incredible heights and the brilliant improvisations chase one another. In retrospect this is a perfect moment captured for posterity, just before the ever-changing Stanko would embark on yet another musical journey with the onset of the 1990s. The 1980s Stanko's Jazz-Rock period was about to be abandoned and replaced by a return to the Jazz tradition and the new (again) Stanko, which would capture worldwide audiences with his ECM recordings…

With Talking Heads having split, guitarist Jerry Harrison released his second solo effort with 1987's Casual Gods. In addition to playing guitar, keyboards, and singing, Harrison also produced the release which featured players like Bernie Worrel on keyboards and Chris Spedding and Robbie McIntosh playing guitar. Harrison's vocals have a quality similar to David Byrne and the music is reminiscent of Fear of Music-era Talking Heads. "Rev It Up" was an AOR hit and deservedly so. The song lives up to its name with a funky, loose groove, snaky guitar, and throbbing bass. "Man With a Gun" is just one of many great lyrics on Casual Gods with a series of wry observations ("A pretty girl can walk anywhere/All doors open for her") over a moody rhythm punctuated by guitar twitches. Casual Gods is a pleasure for Talking Heads fans, but manages to stand on its own.

Silicon Dream was a synthpop band formed by the German Klaus Munzert in 1987. Other prominent members were the dancers Angelo and Danny, who featured on the band's music videos.
Inspired by bands such as Kraftwerk and Depeche Mode, the band came to life following Munzert's experimentations with samplers and his desire to have fun onstage dressed up, even though other people still managed to recognize him. The band's sound was similar to contemporary acts such as Off and 16 Bit, Silicon Dream performing live with the latter.

Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth studio album by John Lennon. The album was released in February 1975, reaching number 6 in both the United Kingdom and the United States, later being certified gold in both countries. It was supported by the single "Stand by Me", which peaked at number 20 in the US, and 30 in the UK. The cover was taken by Jürgen Vollmer during the Beatles' stay in Hamburg.