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August 18th
album anniversaries

August 18th album covers: Follow The Leader, Who Are You, Days Before Rodeo, What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (The Best Of The Grateful Dead), Drama, Slippery When Wet
Follow The Leader sleeve

Korn • Follow The Leader

Released 18 August 1998 · 28th anniversary

Follow The Leader builds its heaviness around rhythm. Downtuned guitars and hip-hop-influenced vocal delivery lock into the groove, giving the songs a different pulse from metal built primarily around speed.

The production amplifies that physical relationship between the parts. The force comes from their combined weight and timing as much as from distortion.

Who Are You sleeve

The Who • Who Are You

Released 18 August 1978 · 48th anniversary

Keith Moon delivered his final performance on this record, passing away just weeks after its release. The title track stands as a defiant, complex centerpiece that captures the band grappling with their own mythos and the changing landscape of late seventies rock.

Synthesizers and slicker production values mark a departure from the raw, explosive energy of their earlier work. It feels like a transitional moment where the group polished their hard rock edge to fit the evolving pop sensibilities of the era.

Days Before Rodeo sleeve

Travis Scott • Days Before Rodeo

Released 18 August 2014 · 12th anniversary

Fans consider this the definitive bridge between underground obscurity and the massive, psychedelic trap sound that would eventually define a decade of hip-hop. It serves as a raw, unfiltered look at the artist's early creative impulses before the polished stadium tours took over.

The production is drenched in hazy synthesizers, distorted vocals, and aggressive percussion that perfectly captures the gritty energy of the mid-2010s scene. You can hear the experimental spirit of the era in every track, making it a essential piece of history for anyone tracking the evolution of modern rap.

What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (The Best Of The Grateful Dead) sleeve

The Grateful Dead • What A Long Strange Trip It's Been (The Best Of The Grateful Dead)

Released 18 August 1977 · 49th anniversary

This collection serves as the perfect entry point for those looking to understand the band's unique blend of folk, psychedelia, and improvisational rock. It highlights the transition from their early, high-energy blues-rock roots to the more expansive, cosmic sound they became famous for.

Compiled during the band's peak, the tracklist captures the spirit of a group that thrived on live performance and communal energy. It is a essential document of the counterculture era, showcasing the songwriting depth that kept their fanbase loyal for decades.

Drama sleeve

Yes • Drama

Released 18 August 1980 · 46th anniversary

Trevor Horn and Geoff Downes of The Buggles unexpectedly stepped in to lead this record after Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman departed the group. The result is a surprisingly muscular, streamlined version of the band that trades sprawling symphonies for punchy, modern rock textures.

Released at the dawn of a new decade, the production embraces the crisp, forward-thinking aesthetics of 1980. It marks a pivotal shift for the progressive rock giants, proving they could adapt their complex arrangements to a tighter, more aggressive sound.

Slippery When Wet sleeve

Bon Jovi • Slippery When Wet

Released 18 August 1986 · 40th anniversary

Songwriter Desmond Child helped craft the massive hooks that turned this record into a global phenomenon. The band famously road-tested these tracks in local clubs before recording, ensuring that every chorus was built to fill an arena.

Bruce Fairbairn’s polished production perfectly captures the high-energy sound of mid-eighties New Jersey rock. It remains a definitive example of the era's glossy, radio-ready aesthetic that dominated the airwaves throughout the decade.

Also on this day

Octuor De Schubert sleeve

Franz Schubert, Philharmonisches Oktett Berlin • Octuor De Schubert

Released 18 August 1958 · 68th anniversary

Bach Organ Music sleeve

Johann Sebastian Bach, Fernando Germani • Bach Organ Music

Released 18 August 1958 · 68th anniversary

St. Louis Blues sleeve

Nat King Cole • St. Louis Blues

Released 18 August 1958 · 68th anniversary

Scheherazade sleeve

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Thomas Beecham • Scheherazade

Released 18 August 1958 · 68th anniversary

Concerto Per Pianoforte In Sol Maggiore / Concerto Per Pianoforte N. 4 In Sol Minore Op. 40 sleeve

Sergei Rachmaninoff, Maurice Ravel, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Philharmonia Orchestra, Ettore Gracis • Concerto Per Pianoforte In Sol Maggiore / Concerto Per Pianoforte N. 4 In Sol Minore Op. 40

Released 18 August 1958 · 68th anniversary

Crown Of Creation sleeve

Jefferson Airplane • Crown Of Creation

Released 18 August 1968 · 58th anniversary

Fathers And Sons sleeve

Muddy Waters • Fathers And Sons

Released 18 August 1969 · 57th anniversary

Melanie sleeve

Melanie (2) • Melanie

Released 18 August 1969 · 57th anniversary

Aardvark sleeve

Aardvark • Aardvark

Released 18 August 1970 · 56th anniversary

Joe sleeve

Joe Dassin • Joe

Released 18 August 1972 · 54th anniversary

My Time sleeve

Boz Scaggs • My Time

Released 18 August 1972 · 54th anniversary

Daryl Hall & John Oates sleeve

Daryl Hall & John Oates • Daryl Hall & John Oates

Released 18 August 1975 · 51st anniversary

Man In The Hills sleeve

Burning Spear • Man In The Hills

Released 18 August 1976 · 50th anniversary

Out Of The Shadow sleeve

Caroline Bernier • Out Of The Shadow

Released 18 August 1978 · 48th anniversary

Dark Continent sleeve

Wall Of Voodoo • Dark Continent

Released 18 August 1981 · 45th anniversary

Kicking Against The Pricks sleeve

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds • Kicking Against The Pricks

Released 18 August 1986 · 40th anniversary

Better Than Heaven sleeve

Stacey Q • Better Than Heaven

Released 18 August 1986 · 40th anniversary

Live sleeve

ABBA • Live

Released 18 August 1986 · 40th anniversary

Out Of The Blue sleeve

Debbie Gibson • Out Of The Blue

Released 18 August 1987 · 39th anniversary

Down To Business sleeve

Spinners • Down To Business

Released 18 August 1989 · 37th anniversary

How to track album anniversaries in your collection

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