Van Halen released "Diver Down", their fifth album, today in 1982. It is an odd mix of instrumentals, originals and a strange selection of cover songs. It is also a kick ass, if eclectic, Van Halen record that spent over a year on the chart and went platinum many times over. From the Kinks to Roy Orbison to Motown to Country and Western, this album has it all.
Iron Maiden released their eponymous debut in 1980. Despite some fairly awful production, the album offers a glimpse of what is to come from Steve Harris and the boys - well-crafted precision metal with a flair for the dramatic. The album reached #4 on the UK chart and propelled Iron Maiden to an opening slot for KISS on their 1980 European tour, delivering Maiden to a massive audience.
The crown jewel of today's offerings, Judas Priest forged "British Steel" today in 1980. A landmark album that still remains one of metal's standard bearers, "British Steel" reached astonishing heights for a metal album at that time, landing at #34 on the US chart. The album contained two Priest classics that your Mother might even know, "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight", as well as a litany of Priest staples.
