The database currently contains 7367 historical events.
- Columbia Records released his 21st studio album, “Shot of Love,” which reached No. 6 in the UK and No. 33 in the US; its religious themes drew mixed critical reactions.
- The Rolling Stones released their 18th studio album „Tattoo You“ on their own Rolling Stones Records label. The album consisted largely of previously recorded outtakes and topped the charts for nine weeks. „Start Me Up“ became a major hit; the band had first recorded it in 1977 in a reggae rhythm but reworked it into a rock version for the album. The album reached No. 1 in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, France, New Zealand and the U.S.
- Foreigner’s album “4” was released in the United Kingdom.
- The Police released their fourth album “Ghost in the Machine,” the last in their series of four consecutive autumn albums. The title comes from a psychological book by Arthur Koestler, and the album reached No. 2 in the United States. It included the hit “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic.”
- Billy Joel released Songs in the Attic, the first live album recorded using digital technology. It contained songs he had recorded before his major breakthrough with “Just The Way You Are.”
- CBS Records released the children's album In Harmony: A Sesame Street Record.
- Alice Cooper's album “Zipper Catches Skin” was released.
- Judas Priest released the album “Screaming for Vengeance” in the United States.
- Peter Gabriel released the album "Security", also known as "Peter Gabriel 4".
- Accept released their fourth studio album, “Restless and Wild.” The album was self-produced by the band and included, among other songs, “Fast as a Shark,” which many consider one of the recordings that helped give rise to speed metal.
- While still a member of the Commodores, Lionel Richie released his self-titled solo debut album through Motown. The album was recorded with 35 backing musicians and strings, included “Truly,” “You Are” and “My Love,” reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart and No. 1 on the Cashbox Album Chart, and later went four-times platinum in the U.S. and platinum in the UK.
- KISS released the album Creatures of the Night, marking a return to a harder rock sound. Ace Frehley still appeared on the cover, although the guitar parts on the recording were played by Vinnie Vincent.
- Black Sabbath vydali album „Born Again“, jediné album skupiny s Ianem Gillanem jako hlavním zpěvákem.
- Billy Joel released his ninth studio album "An Innocent Man". The album reached No. 4 in the U.S. and contained three Billboard Top 10 singles: "Tell Her About It" at No. 1, "Uptown Girl" at No. 3 and "An Innocent Man" at No. 10. It was later certified eight-times platinum.
- Culture Club released their second album, Colour by Numbers, which features the hit “Karma Chameleon.” The song spent six weeks at number one on the UK singles chart and became the UK's best-selling single of the year. It also reached number one in the U.S., where it received a gold certification for one million copies sold.
- Lionel Richie released his second solo album, Can't Slow Down, which subsequently sold more than ten million copies in the United States.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their self-titled debut album, produced with Andy Gill of Gang of Four.
- Scandal featuring Patty Smyth released the album “Warrior”. The collection of rock songs aimed at radio audiences reached the Top 20 thanks to the title hit and later achieved platinum certification.
- Puerto Rican boy band Menudo released their sixteenth studio album “Evolucion”. The album marked the first appearance of their new 12-year-old singer Ricky Martin.
- Queensrÿche released their first full-length studio album The Warning.
- David Bowie released his sixteenth studio album, Tonight. The album followed the success of Let's Dance and featured “Blue Jean”, “Loving the Alien” and the title track, a duet with Tina Turner. It also included three songs originally recorded by Iggy Pop, including “Tonight” and “Neighborhood Threat”. The album reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
- The album “Apollonia 6” was released.
- U2 released the album “The Unforgettable Fire”, on which they began working extensively with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. The album included, among other songs, the hit “Pride”.
- David Bowie reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart with the album Tonight. The album included, among other songs, the single “Blue Jean.”
- The album The Unforgettable Fire reached number one on the UK album chart and remained there for two weeks. It became U2’s second album to top the UK chart. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois and included the single “Pride (In the Name of Love).”
- They released the album Sacred Heart.
- Red Hot Chili Peppers released their second studio album, Freaky Styley, produced by George Clinton. Guitarist Hillel Slovak also returned to the band.
- His 1976 Christmas album “O Holy Night” became the first classical album to receive platinum certification after selling more than one million copies in the United States.
- Bon Jovi released their third studio album, Slippery When Wet, which reached No. 1 on the US chart. The album contained two US No. 1 singles, “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Livin' on a Prayer,” and later went twelve-times platinum.
- Chrysalis Records released Huey Lewis and the News' fourth studio album, “Fore!”. The album reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard album chart and eventually sold more than three million copies. It produced five successful singles, including “Jacob’s Ladder” and “Stuck with You”, which reached No. 1 in the U.S., as well as “Doing It All for My Baby” at No. 6, “Hip to Be Square” at No. 3 and “I Know What I Like” at No. 9. The latter three songs peaked at No. 12, No. 93 and No. 41 respectively on the British chart.
- Paul Simon released his seventh solo studio album “Graceland”, which became his most successful album and his highest-charting album in more than a decade. It reached number three in the US and number one in the UK, and sold more than 16 million copies worldwide. In 1987 it won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and in 2006 it was added to the US National Recording Registry.
- Tina Turner's album “Break Every Rule” was released.
- Elton John's album "Leather Jackets" reached No. 1 on the UK chart.
- Tom Waits released the album Franks Wild Years on Island Records. The album reached No. 115 in the United States and No. 14 in Switzerland.
- Aerosmith released the album Permanent Vacation, their first album after overcoming addiction. Hits such as “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” and “Angel” launched a remarkable comeback for the band, which had spent the previous decade struggling with drug addiction and a creative crisis.
- Metallica released their first EP, “The $5.98 E.P. – Garage Days Re-Revisited”. It contained cover versions of popular metal and punk rock songs from the 1970s and 1980s.