4 of the Most Underrated and Overrated Albums From the Most Popular Rockers of the 1980s

Tons of rock albums dropped in the 1980s that have stood the test of time. And some remain the most underrated albums of the 1980s, who deserve way more attention nowadays than they do. Let’s take a look at a pair of each, shall we?

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It’s worth noting that the “overrated” entries on our list became famous for a reason. They’re genuinely great albums. However, I think they’ve been overplayed to their own detriment in retrospect.

Underrated: ‘The Dreaming’ by Kate Bush (1982)

Everybody loves Hounds Of Love, but The Dreaming is a masterpiece that deserves so much more recognition today. This has to be one of Kate Bush’s most adventurous and creative albums to date, and also he first wholly self-produced record. In a way, it was intended to be “uncommercial.” Bush was doing what she wanted as an artist should. Still, I’m surprised it wasn’t more popular, especially with radio-worthy singles like the title track and “Sat In Your Lap”. Nobody was doing avant-pop like Bush was in the 80s, that’s for sure.

Overrated: ‘1984’ by Van Halen (1984)

I get it. Eddie Van Halen could do things with his axe that most guitarists could only dream of. The album 1984, from start to finish, is a masterclass in shredding and a solid example of what early heavy metal sounded like. However… it’s been played to death. “Jump” has been played to death. Even “Hot For Teacher” has been played to death. After one listen, I’m satisfied. A second listen or more, and it’s hard to ignore how this record sounds mostly like instrumentally talented people shoving all their tricks into one album.

Underrated: ‘Bleach’ by Nirvana (1989)

Nirvana’s discography is painfully short. Even then, all the love tends to go straight to Nevermind, the band’s most commercially successful album, or their finale record In Utero. Heck, even the compilation album Incesticide gets more attention in retrospect than their debut album, Bleach. I think that’s a real shame. I love the sound of early grunge, and there’s something about the unpolished and arguably more aggressive sound of Bleach that just scratches a very particular rock music itch. “Negative Creep” and “Love Buzz” are legendary tracks.

Overrated: ‘The Joshua Tree’ by U2 (1987)

The Joshua Tree was the album that put U2 on the map. It’s a fine little rock album, and hits like “With Or Without You” and are still quite popular on classic rock radio today. The tracks “Where The Streets Have No Name” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” are anthemic and spiritual, respectively. On the latter, Bono sounds absolutely incredible, likely at his career best. But outside of those three tracks, The Joshua Tree leaves me wanting more. It’s overall not an awful record, but putting all the gold on one side of the album was a strange choice. In return, it feels like the A-side greatly overshadows the B-Side.

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