Essential 2024 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Albums

Formed in 1976, Foreigner took their name because of the split between British and American members of the band. According to vocalist Lou Gramm, no matter where the band was, half of the members would be “foreigners.”

Among the 47 singles released by the band, 14 of them became top 20 hits in the Billboard Hot 100 chart, including the number-one song “I Want to Know What Love Is.” To date, the band is one of the best-selling bands of all-time, with worldwide sales of over 60 million records.

In 1981, Foreigner scaled down the band to four members and released 4, featuring “Urgent,” “Waiting For A Girl Like You,” and “Juke Box Hero.” The album held the number one position on the Billboard album chart for ten weeks, and currently sits in 79,000 collections on Discogs, with 232 versions of the album in circulation.

Considered one of the founders of heavy metal music, Ozzy Osbourne has sold over 100 million albums worldwide between Black Sabbath and his solo career. And has been celebrated for his contributions to music throughout the U.K. and U.S. In 2005, he was inducted in the U.K. Music Hall of Fame for his solo work, and has stars on both the Walk of Stars in Birmingham, England and the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.

As a member of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne was already inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. But post Black Sabbath, Ozzy has released 13 studio albums as a solo artist, beginning with Blizzard of Ozz in 1980, which sits in 78,000 collections on Discogs across 216 worldwide versions.

The first of two albums recorded with guitarist Randy Rhoads prior to his death in 1982, Blizzard of Ozz was ranked 9th on Rolling Stone’s list of 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time in 2017. “Even if you think something’s brilliant, you never know what the general public’s going to pick up on,” wrote Osbourne in his autobiography, I Am Ozzy. “But as soon as the radio stations got hold of “Crazy Train,” it was a done deal. The thing just exploded.” To date, Blizzard of Ozz is one of the most successful heavy metal albums of all time.

After rising to prominence through his work in the bands Herd and Humble Pie, Peter Frampton ventured out as a solo artist in the early ‘70s. Despite working with guests such as Ringo Starr and Billy Preston in his early solo years, Frampton had little commercial success before the release of Frampton Comes Alive!

Released in 1976, Frampton Comes Alive! was a low-priced, double live album from Frampton, and the record went on to become one of the best-selling live albums of all time. The album remained in the charts for 97 weeks and was ranked number 41 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Live Albums of All Time. To date, it’s estimated that Frampton Comes Alive! has sold over 11 million copies worldwide. Frampton Comes Alive! became so ubiquitous that it was even referenced in the 1992 movie Wayne’s World. (“If you lived in the suburbs, you were issued it,” said comedian Mike Myers.)

On Discogs, Frampton Comes Alive! is in over 93,000 collections across 266 versions. 

Formed in Jersey City, N.J. in 1964, Kool & The Gang (named after founding member Robert Earl Bell’s laid back approach) remain active to the current day, 60 years after their original formation. With pioneering contributions across R&B, jazz, soul, funk, disco, and pop, Kool & The Gang have released 23 studio albums and 70 singles, with worldwide sales of 70 million albums.

By 1980, Kool & The Gang had strayed from their funk roots to embrace a more dance-friendly sound, recording the album Celebrate! In West Orange, N.J. Encouraged by a lyric from their song “Ladies Night,” (“Come on, let’s all celebrate”), Bell was inspired to write an international anthem, which was developed on a tour bus. The resulting song, “Celebration,” became Kool & The Gang’s most well known number one hit. In the time since, the song has been used at sporting events for celebrations, and was even played by radio stations to celebrate the release of U.S. hostages in Iran in 1981. In 2021, the song was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

On Discogs, the album Celebrate! is in 15,000 collections across 96 versions.

Since rising to prominence in the 1960s as one half of the folk-rock duo Sonny & Cher, Cher’s music has transcended genres and generations, allowing her to emerge as a timeless musical icon. During the 1970s, Cher scored three Billboard Hot 100 number one singles, including “Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves,” “Half Breed,” and “Dark Lady,” becoming the female solo artist with the most number-one singles in US history at the time.

In the 1980s, Cher turned to pop/rock and released Heart of Stone in 1989, featuring the single “If I Could Turn Back Time.” The album sold more than 4 million copies worldwide, and helped introduce Cher to a new generation of listeners, who returned in unison less than a decade later when Cher made the move to dance-pop. In 1998, Cher released the album Believe, which sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, and produced one of the biggest-selling singles ever (the single for “Believe” sold 11 million copies.)

On Discogs, Heart of Stone is in 12,000 collections across 120 versions.

Formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991 by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Matthews, the Dave Matthews Band became well known in the ‘90s for their ability to blend rock, jazz, funk, and world music with improvisation and intricate arrangements.

As a jam band, DMB is renowned for their live marathon live performances, but the band has also sold more than 40 million albums worldwide (as well as over 25 million concert tickets worldwide.)

In 1996, DMB released Crash, their best selling album to date, featuring the single “Crash Into Me.” On Discogs, Crash sits in over 20,000 collections across 38 versions.

Known as the “Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,” Mary J. Blige was discovered after recording a cover version of an Anita Baker song, which was circulated to Uptown Records by her mother’s boyfriend. After signing with Uptown, Blige went to work on her debut album, What’s The 411?

The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. Her second single “Real Love,” made her a crossover success, and to date, the album has sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide. In 2020, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 271 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

On Discogs, What’s The 411? sits in over 5000 collections across 42 versions. 

Formed in Queens, N.Y. in 1985, A Tribe Called Quest rose to prominence as members of the Native Tongues collective, which combined eclectic sampling and jazz-influenced beats with positive, abstract lyrics that transcended traditional hip-hop. The movement influenced the direction of the golden age of hip-hop in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, resulting in the subgenre of alternative hip-hop.

A Tribe Called Quest’s third album, Midnight Marauders, was released in 1993 and debuted at number one on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums charts. By 1995, it had already sold 1 million copies, and it was referenced as creating a second golden age of hip-hop in the mid ‘90s. In 2020, Midnight Marauders was listed as number 201 on Rolling Stone’s Greatest Albums of All Time list.

On Discogs, Midnight Marauders is in 60,000 collections and on 47,000 Wantlists 30 years after its release.