Neil Young, ‘Old Ways’
Originally intended for release in 1983, Neil Young’s country album Old Ways sat on the shelf for two years as a result of the singer’s battle with Geffen Records, who sued him for making “unrepresentative” albums such as the synth-heavy Trans and the rockabilly Everybody’s Rockin’. When he was ordered to re-work Old Ways, Young dove even deeper into country music, which as he told Rolling Stone in 1988 “was a direct result of being sued for playing country music. The more then tried to stop me, the more I did it.”

Dire Straits, ‘Brothers in Arms’
Dire Straits had their cake and ate it too with 1985’s Brothers in Arms. The album’s biggest single, “Money for Nothing,” made fun of modern culture’s rock star worship while also becoming one of the year’s most popular MTV videos, propelling the album sales to unprecedented multi-platinum levels.

David Lee Roth, ‘Crazy From the Heat’
By his account, David Lee Roth wasn’t looking to leave Van Halen when he released his Crazy From the Heat covers EP in 1985. He purposely stayed away from hard rock guitar so as to not step on his main band’s toes, but the success of his take on “California Girls” led to a film offer that helped push the already squabbling group to the breaking point.

Eric Clapton, ‘Behind the Sun’
Relenting to pressure from his label, and seemingly agreeing that his commercial fortunes need a boost, Eric Clapton teamed up with co-producer Phil Collins and outside songwriters for the slicked-up Behind the Sun. He also let the guitar solos fly a bit more freely, particularly on the lead single “Forever Man.” The plan worked, kicking off a successful Clapton revival and a decade-long string of platinum and multi-platinum albums.

Bon Jovi, ‘7800 Fahrenheit’
Bon Jovi’s second album has been largely dismissed by the band over time, but it did show them putting together major pieces of the formula they’d use to conquer the world with Slippery When Wet the following year. Despite clashing with their producer and dealing with a rushed recording schedule, the band showed their promise on songs such as “In and Out of Love” and “Only Lonely.”

Robert Plant, ‘Shaken ‘n’ Stirred’
Robert Plant continued to push further and further from his Led Zeppelin past on his third solo album. With Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward joining the band, Shaken ‘n’ Stirred explores more exotic and complex rhythms while also leaning even heavier on keyboards than Pictures at Eleven and The Principle of Moments. “Little by Little” reached the Top 40, but the album was Plant’s first not to earn platinum sales status in America.

Megadeth, ‘Killing Is My Business… and Business is Good!’
Fired from Metallica just before the release of their revolutionary debut album, Dave Mustaine started again on his own, assembling a new band and self-producing their debut album on a shoestring budget. The resulting Killing is My Business… and Business is Good! helped define thrash metal, and Megadeth went on to become acknowledged as one of the genre’s most important acts.

Aerosmith, ‘Done With Mirrors’
In a better world, this album would have launched Aerosmith’s comeback. After a half-decade apart, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford returned to to the fold and help the group record the most underappreciated album in their career. Done With Mirrors was a lean, mean return to form for one of America’s best ’70s rock bands, but the album failed to capture the public’s attention. Two years later, the band reclaimed their commercial stature with the use of outside songwriters and more ’80s-friendly production on the massively successful Permanent Vacation.

Motley Crue, ‘Theatre of Pain’
Motley Crue solidified their status as one of metal’s biggest acts with the follow up to their 1983 commercial breakthrough Shout at the Devil. Although the band themselves are rather critical of the album, Theatre of Pain’s increased emphasis on pop hooks helped the band break through to a more mainstream audience with the help of the hit singles “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” and “Home Sweet Home.”

Phil Collins, ‘No Jacket Required’
Already a star both as a solo artist and as Genesis’ frontman, Phil Collins exploded into megastardom with No Jacket Required, which sold over 25 million copies worldwide on the strength of singles such as “Sussudio,” “One More Night” and “Take Me Home.”

Heart, ‘Heart’
The Wilson sisters jumped head first into the ’80s with their self-titled album, using outside songwriters, pop-friendly keyboards, hairspray and high-budget MTV videos to pull themselves out of a commercial slump. Though they’d express regret over the commercial concessions in later years, the plan certainly worked, giving the band a five-times platinum album and their first-ever No. 1 single, “These Dreams.”

Ratt, ‘Invasion of Your Privacy’
Ratt proved that 1984’s “Round and Round” wasn’t a fluke with their 1985 follow-up Invasion of Your Privacy, which boosted the band’s unique mix of sleazy rock guitars and pop-smart hooks with higher production values. “Lay It Down” and “You’re in Love” were the big hits here, but the overall quality showed that Ratt would be a force to deal with going forward.

AC/DC, ‘Fly on the Wall’
Never a band to follow trends, AC/DC stuck to their straight-ahead winning formula on 1985’s Fly on the Wall. The album didn’t rack up the sales or acclaim of their earlier ’80s work, but contains a handful of gems for true believers including “Sink the Pink,” “Shake Your Foundations” and “Playing With Girls.”

Rush, ‘Power Windows’
Rush’s experiments with futuristic musical instruments continued on 1985’s Power Windows, as they added sampling and electronic drums to their palette on songs like “The Big Money” and “Mystic Rhythms.” The result was their eighth straight platinum album.