They may not have known it at the time in 1979, but when these ten artists released the albums below, they’d go on to become classics and influence generations to come.

Scroll through our gallery and check out our selection of the best rock albums of 1979.

• Warner Bros.

  Van Halen – ‘Van Halen II’

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  Van Halen’s second studio album was recorded in one week and gave fans “Dance the Night Away,” “Beautiful Girls” and the underrated cover “You’re No Good.”

• Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – ‘Damn The Torpedos’

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  The first album from Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers to crack the top 10 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, ‘Damn The Torpedos’ yielded three of the band’s biggest songs: “Don’t Do Me Like That,” “Refugee” and “Here Comes My Girl.”

• The Police – ‘Reggatta de Blanc’

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  ‘Reggatta de Blanc’ gave The Police their first number one album in their native U.K. and foreshadowed their pop-rock excellence.
• The Clash – ‘London Calling’

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  One of punk’s most iconic albums, ‘London Calling’ remains one of the best albums of all time thanks to the power of the classic title track, “The Guns of Brixton” and “Death of Glory.”

• Pink Floyd – ‘The Wall’

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  Certified 23-times Platinum by the RIAA, Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ has remained one of the greatest rock operas of all time and seems to only get better and more poignant with age.

• Neil Young & Crazy Horse – ‘Rust Never Sleeps’

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  Recorded live, ‘Rust Never Sleeps’ was overdubbed in a studio and remains one of Young’s most beloved albums in his catalog.
• Led Zeppelin – ‘In Through the Out Door’

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  The final studio from Led Zeppelin, ‘In Through the Out Door’ served as a moving farewell from one of the biggest bands in music history.

• Fleetwood Mac – ‘Tusk’

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  ‘Tusk’ had the unreal task of following ‘Rumours,’ which is still one of the highest-selling albums of all time. While it wasn’t super well-received upon its release, ‘Tusk’ has become respected over time.

• The Eagles – ‘The Long Run’

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  ‘The Long Run’ would serve as The Eagles’ final studio album for nearly three decades and gave fans classics like the title track and “Heartache Tonight.”
• AC/DC – ‘Highway to Hell’

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  AC/DC would finally breakthrough in the United States in a big way thanks to ‘Highway to Hell,’ and it serves an epic farewell to the late Bon Scott.

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