The Best Pop-Punk Album of Every Year From 1980 to 1989

Here's the best pop-punk album from very year of the 1980s.

Genres don’t appear overnight. They are the result of a natural evolution, where musical styles collide to create something new and dynamic. While most fans think of pop-punk as being a product of the '90s and early 2000s, the sound's seeds were firmly planted in the '80s.

For much of the decade, punk was an afterthought as far as mainstream audiences were concerned. Yes, there was he occasional breakthrough song, but generally speaking the airwaves were dominated by prog rock, hair metal, glam rock and AOR.

As such, punk was largely cast aside, relegated to smaller clubs and a niche following. Of course, that's where punk was designed to live, and these years of underground success would foreshadow the mainstream explosion that would come in the following decades.

READ MORE: 11 Pop Punk One-Hit Wonders: Where Are They Now?

Below we’ve highlighted the most important pop-punk album from every year through the '80s. Since the sub-genre was still in its embryonic phase, none of these should be considered outright pop-punk releases. Instead, they are transitional and foundational, each showcasing various elements that would later become definitive to the pop-punk sound.

While Southern California was the most fertile ground for punk rock groups in the '80s, our list features from all over the U.S.A.

Some of the albums on our list were commercial successes, but many others were cult classics. Regardless of how they charted, or what hit hits they did or did not spawn, each of these releases was integral in the early formative years of pop-punk.

Below, see the best college rock album of each year from 1976 through 1990.