The bestselling rock albums from each decade effectively show how rock has been influenced and changed over time. From The Beatles to Nirvana, from country rock to punk rock, there is something for everyone within this 50-year range of rock and roll.
‘60s: “Abbey Road” by The Beatles - 60,232,000 Equivalent Album Sales
Everyone who knows anything about rock and roll is aware that “Abbey Road” is one of the most revolutionary albums ever made, and The Beatles are some of the most influential artists in the music scene, giving rock and roll a defining turn in sound.
“Abbey Road” is lighthearted (“Here Comes the Sun”), playful (“Octopus’s Garden”) and humorous (“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”), though it also features some heavier themes such as loss (“Oh! Darling”), yearning (“I Want You”) and recovery (“Golden Slumbers”).
The ending of the album is quite unexpected as the second-to-last song is titled, “The End,” featuring drum beats that give off the feeling of the end of a concert, then followed by “Her Majesty,” an unexpected final encore that wraps up the last 26 seconds of the album.
The Beatles do an excellent job of giving each song its own individual identity, while simultaneously maintaining a sonically cohesive album overall.
‘70s: “Hotel California” by Eagles - 73,771,000 Equivalent Album Sales
“Hotel California” is the second bestselling album in history, following Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” It features the classic and culturally significant “Hotel California” as its title track, highlighting one of the best guitar solos in rock history.
The album’s songwriting is made up of vivid imagery and storytelling through lyrics such as, “Up ahead in the distance, I saw a shimmering light, my head grew heavy and my sight grew dim,” from the title track, and “Victim of love, I see a broken heart, you got your stories to tell; victim of love, it’s such an easy part, and you know how to play it so well” from “Victim of Love,” an accusatory song which calls out the subject for always playing the victim.
The songs on the country rock album include soulful reminiscing (“Wasted Time”), heartfelt moods (“Pretty Maids All in a Row”) and hopeful tones (“Try and Love Again”).
The final song on the album encapsulates the themes, sounds and storytelling that Eagles successfully carried throughout the record, topped off with a slow fade out after the lyric, “kiss it goodbye” as a final farewell to “Hotel California.”
‘80s: “The Joshua Tree” by U2 - 50,818,000 Equivalent Album Sales
With vocals ranging from soft and breathy to emotionally raspy, U2 captures the classic ‘80s pop rock genre sound in “The Joshua Tree.”
The album’s introduction provides the listener with a coming-of-age feeling through a slow fade-in leading up to lyrics that hold the dramatic and edgy emotion of adolescence: “I want to run, I want to hide, I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.”
The band’s greatest hit, “With or Without You,” was featured on the Billboard Top 100 list for three weeks. The painful love ballad includes lyrics of yearning and dissatisfaction: “Through the storm we reach the shore, you give it all but I want more… I can’t live with or without you.”
The album features some slightly louder drumbeats and stronger moods including “Bullet the Blue Sky,” in which the vocals contain exaggerated growls to emphasize the enveloping emotion in the lyrics.
The listener might also be surprised to hear sudden country twangs in songs such as “Running to Stand Still” opened with a bluesy guitar riff, and “Trip Through Your Wires” with a harmonica moment. Overall, the album reflects the soft pop rock craze of the decade.
‘90s: “Nevermind” by Nirvana - 62,895,000 Equivalent Album Sales
Nirvana is well-known for heavily influencing the grunge scene. As the bestselling album of the ‘90s, “Nevermind” gave grunge a great impact on music overall. Top songs include “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (Nirvana’s top song), “Come As You Are” and “Lithium,” all featured on Billboard’s Top 100.
Frontman Kurt Cobain’s vocals ranged from low and clear to loud and raspy, fluctuating based on tone and mood of lyrics along with accommodating instrumentals.
The lyricism in “Nevermind” — violence and sexual innuendos aside — might resonate with listeners who are experiencing existential crises, focusing on the lines, “Load up on guns, bring your friends, it’s fun to lose and to pretend… Here we are now, entertain us, I feel stupid and contagious,” from “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “I’m so happy ‘cause today I found my friends, they’re in my head,” from “Lithium.” These lyrics can only resonate with a listener who has the particular mind to which these words are meant to connect, but the infectious melodies and layered instrumentals could be appreciated by anybody.
2000s: “American Idiot” by Green Day - 26,034,000 Equivalent Album Sales
A punk rock album of activism and rebellion, “American Idiot” is a label for the second Bush administration and its followers. Opposition to right-wing actions and agenda is portrayed in “Holiday” and “American Idiot” along with reactions to the right’s criticism of the leftist activists.
The first line of the album, “Don’t want to be an American idiot,” introduces listeners to one of the most significant messages of the album, which is stating the desire to not fall for the propaganda posed by conservatives. This point is elaborated in lines such as “Now everybody do the propaganda and sing along to the age of paranoia,” and (from “Holiday”), “I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies.”
The album overall consists of rebellious and mocking tones, which is seen often in frontman Billie Joe Armstrong’s personality. His vocals, along with rapid drumbeats and vibrant electric guitar riffs, capture the political passion that Americans had (and many lacked) during the events which influenced “American Idiot.”
Rock and roll has provided a well-rounded variety of emotions and sounds to enhance the listener’s experience. Each decade’s bestselling album between the ‘60s and 2000s has a different subgenre, representing the malleability of the impressionable and iconic music genre.
Samantha Stapleton is a sophomore studying professional and public writing with a particular interest in writing poetry and reading classic literature.
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