ABBA – The Visitors
ABBA, the Swedish pop quartet best known for their upbeat and lively 70s hits, set a starker tone for the moody, synthesizer-driven bands that would flourish in the 80s.
AC/DC – For Those About to Rock (We Salute You)
Continuing on from the momentum of
Back in Black,
For Those About to Rock (We Salute You) refined the Australian hard rock’s band formula and gave them their first No. 1 album in America.
Adam and the Ants – Prince Charming
Music videos for the title track and “Stand and Deliver,” both UK number one hits, made the flamboyantly costumed Adam Ant an early MTV pinup star, and this one of the best albums from 1981.