These 32 albums that turn 40 in 2021 show how diverse the rock genre was in 1981.

The influence of punk was strong with titles from The Clash and The Go-Go’s…

Metal was a force thanks to LPs from Iron Maiden and Motorhead…

And hard rock utterly ruled with new albums from Van Halen, AC/DC and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

See which albums from the above artists and more turn 40 in 2021 by scrolling through the gallery below.

• Rush – ‘Moving Pictures’

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  Released February 12, 1981.

• Ozzy Osbourne – ‘Diary of a Madman’

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  Released November 7, 1981.

• The Rolling Stones – ‘Tattoo You’

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  Released August 24, 1981.
• Genesis – ‘Abacab’

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  Released September 18, 1981.

• Iron Maiden – ‘Killers’

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  Released February 2, 1981.

• Van Halen – ‘Fair Warning’

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  Released April 29, 1981.
• Journey – ‘Escape’

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  Released July 17, 1981.

• The Police – ‘Ghost in the Machine’

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  Released October 2, 1981.

• Def Leppard – ‘High ‘n’ Dry’

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  Released July 11, 1981.
• Black Sabbath – ‘Mob Rules’

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  Released November 4, 1981.

• Stevie Nicks – ‘Bella Donna’

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  Released July 27, 1981.

• Phil Collins – ‘Face Value’

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  Released February 13, 1981.
• AC/DC – ‘For Those About To Rock’

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  Released November 23, 1981.

• Billy Squier – ‘Don’t Say No’

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  Released April 13, 1981.

• Motley Crue – ‘Too Fast For Love’

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  Released November 10, 1981.
• Motorhead – ‘No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith’

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  Released June 27, 1981.

• The Cars – ‘Shake It Up’

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  Released June 27, 1981.

• Styx – ‘Paradise Theatre’

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  Released January 19, 1981.
• The Go-Go’s – ‘Beauty and the Beat’

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  Released July 8, 1981.

• The Who – ‘Face Dances’

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  Released March 16, 1981.

• Foreigner – ‘4’

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  Released July 2, 1981.
• Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – ‘I Love Rock ‘n Roll’

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  Released November 18, 1981.

• Rainbow – ‘Difficult To Cure’

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  Released February 3, 1981.

• Pretenders – ‘Pretenders II’

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  Released August 15, 1981.
• ZZ Top – ‘El Loco’

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  Released July 20, 1981.

• Rod Stewart – ‘Tonight I’m Yours’

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  Released November 6, 1981.

• Judas Priest – ‘Point of Entry’

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  Released February 26, 1981.
• J. Geils Band – ‘Freeze Frame’

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  Released October 26, 1981.

• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – ‘Hard Promises’

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  Released May 5, 1981.

• The Clash – ‘Sandinista’

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  Released May 5, 1981
• U2 – ‘October’

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  Released October 12, 1981.

• Daryl Hall & John Oates – ‘Private Eyes’

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  Released September 1, 1981.

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