Top 10 for 1987

TheBigBlack's Rock Top 10

Twisted Sister
Love Is For Suckers

Hard Rock | Album | 30 June 1987

Noiseworks
Noiseworks

Rock | Album | 19 June 1987

U2
The Joshua Tree

Rock | Album | 9 March 1987

Jimmy Barnes
Freight Train Heart

Rock | Album | ?? November 1987

Motorhead
Rock 'n' Roll

Hard Rock | Album | 5 September 1987

INXS
Kick

Rock | Album | 19 October 1987

Pink Floyd
A Momentary Lapse Of Reason

Classic Rock | Album | 7 September 1987

Midnight Oil
Diesel And Dust

Rock | Album | 2 August 1987

Def Leppard
Hysteria

Hard Rock | Album | 3 August 1987

Guns n' Roses
Appetite For Destruction

Hard Rock | Album | 21 July 1987

TheBigBlack's Rock Honourable Mentions

Soundgarden
Screaming Life

Grunge Rock | E.P. | 1 October 1987

The Angels
Live Line

Hard Rock | Album | ?? December 1987

In everyday life we all primarily listen to studio versions of songs, but a band's ability and reputation to hold a crowd at a live show is really what makes or breaks them. Some band build a massive reputation on the live circuit, and many Aussie stalemates proved themselves in the pubs long before they were put on a record. The Angels were one of these bands, and even over a decade and a half into their career Live Line proved that they could still cut it against even the toughest audience. What makes a great live record is the combination of many things - the songs selected, the quality of the performance, the recording quality - but above all else, it has to give the listener the feeling of being there. If you close your eyes, do you feel like you are in the crowd, shoulder to shoulder with other fans bouncing in time to the beat. Live Line does this effortlessly, with performances culled from four different shows ranging from 1981 to 1987, stitched together to form a single cohesive 'concert'. Tracks from the most recent show from March 1987 bristle with electric energy, as the band tear through songs from their current album Howling with focused intent and enjoyment. As good as the performances are though, the stars of the album are undoubtably the tracks from the Narara Music Festival in January 1983. To this day, still one of the biggest Australian music festivals of all time (with a line-up featuring Choirboys, Divinyls, The Church, INXS, Moving Pictures, Australian Crawl, Men At Work, Rose Tattoo, Cold Chisel and many many more), frontman Doc Neeson announced to the band it would be his final performance and beneath a blood-red moon the band played a show like a bunch of men possessed. The songs from that performance carry that energy to the listener perfectly. Needless to say, the band did carry on after that show. From the massive sing-along choruses of 'After The Rain' and 'Comin' Down' to the subtle acoustic performances of 'Love Takes Care' and 'Be With You' even song is played with care and precision, and also the key ingredient in any Angels performance - personality. Neeson makes every show unique with his between song banter and barnstorming vocals on songs 'Like For The Shelter' and 'Face The Day'. And of course, no Angels live album can be complete without the usual audience participation on 'Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again?'. Some live albums are just a product of their time and are quickly forgotten by next studio album, whereas some stand up so well on their own that they become an absolutely critical part of a band's discography. Live Line sits firmly in the latter category.

TheBigBlack's Metal Top 10

Dio
Dream Evil

Heavy Metal | Album | 21 July 1987

Celtic Frost
Into The Pandemonium

Black Metal | Album | 2 November 1987

Death Angel
The Ultra-Violence

Thrash Metal | Album | 27 September 1987

Kreator
Terrible Certainty

Thrash Metal | Album | 22 September 1987

Blood Feast
Kill For Pleasure

Thrash Metal | Album | 13 February 1987

Napalm Death
Scum

Death Metal (Grindcore) | Album | 1 July 1987

Testament
The Legacy

Thrash Metal | Album | 21 April 1987

Exodus
Pleasures Of The Flesh

Thrash Metal | Album | 7 October 1987

Death
Scream Bloody Gore

Death Metal | Album | 25 May 1987

Anthrax
Among The Living

Thrash Metal | Album | 27 March 1987

TheBigBlack's Metal Honourable Mentions

Metallica
The $5.98 E.P. Garage Days Re-Revisited

Thrash Metal | E.P. | 21 August 1987

Mayhem
Deathcrush

Black Metal | E.P. | 16 August 1987