Rock Albums Released Today
Rock Albums Released on This Day in History is a daily list of albums that have shaped Rock music across decades. From iconic classics to hidden gems, discover or revisit albums from various genres and past eras.
August 13th
Rock Albums Released on This Day in History
The perfect daily read for fans looking to explore rock history one day—and one album—at a time.
Featured Rock Albums
2021
The Killers
– Pressure Machine
Pressure Machine swaps glitz for grit, giving The Killers their most grounded, soul-baring record yet. Through stories of dusty towns and bruised dreams, they find a quiet power in restraint, letting the songs breathe—and bruise—on their own terms.
1990
Pixies
– Bossanova
Bossanova floats in on feedback and leaves a burn mark across the sky. It’s the Pixies playing space rock with a beach blanket in tow—spare, strange, and oddly hypnotic. It doesn’t demand attention, but it sure rewards it.
1973
Lynyrd Skynyrd
– (Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)
Skynyrd’s debut hits like a weathered gospel shouted from a pickup bed. It’s confident, raw, and rooted in dirt, whiskey, and heartbreak. No gimmicks—just stories, riffs, and soul shaken out loud. A Southern rock landmark that still kicks.
More Rock Albums Released Today
Some are obscure or lesser-known, while others played a pivotal role in shaping the sound of rock and roll.
Year
Artist – Album
2021
Quicksand – Distant Populations
Polish Club – Now We’re Cookin’
Joey Cape – A Good Year to Forget
Meet Me at the Altar – Model Citizen
Luke Hemmings – When Facing the Things We Turn Away From
Slaughter to Prevail – Kostolom
Trash Boat – Don’t You Feel Amazing?
Blacktop Mojo – Blacktop Mojo
2020
Ho99o9 – Blurr
2013
Parachute – Overnight
Sam Phillips – Push Any Button
2012
Black Light Burns – The Moment You Realize You’re Going to Fall
While She Sleeps – This Is the Six
Why? – Sod in the Seed
2010
Iron Maiden – The Final Frontier
2008
Black Stone Cherry – Folklore and Superstition
2002
Bright Eyes – Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground
Guttermouth – Gusto!
Brad – Welcome to Discovery Park
Def Leppard – X
Sparta – Wiretap Scars
Kay Hanley – Cherry Marmalade
Nerf Herder – American Cheese
Dag Nasty – Minority of One
Agalloch – The Mantle
Eighteen Visions – Vanity
James Taylor – October Road
Beatsteaks – Living Targets
Sirenia – At Sixes and Sevens
2001
Bodyjar – How It Works
1996
Eels – Beautiful Freak
Low – The Curtain Hits the Cast
Throwing Muses – Limbo
Better Than Ezra – Friction, Baby
Reel Big Fish – Turn the Radio Off
Failure – Fantastic Planet
Jason Falkner – Presents Author Unknown
1991
Mr. Bungle – Mr. Bungle
1990
Asia – Then & Now
1982
Don Henley – I Can’t Stand Still
1979
Chicago – Chicago 13
1970
Iron Butterfly – Metamorphosis
1956
Bill Haley – Rock ‘n Roll Stage Show
Rock & Roll
– Collectibles
Dive into the rebellious spirit of rock & roll with this collection of Rock Memorabilia. Explore unique products inspired by the energy, freedom, and attitude that define rock music.
Also See…
A collection of epic events, milestones, birthdays, chart-toppers, concerts, record releases, and relevant rock music news for this day, all brought to you by the Today in Rock Music History staff.
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August 13th
2017 – Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong condemns Charlottesville white nationalists. “I f–king hate racism more than anything.” A day earlier, two opposing groups protested in response to the planned removal of a statue of Confederate Civil War general Robert E. Lee. A car driven by a white supremacist plowed into a group of people supporting the statue’s removal killing one and injuring 19 others.
Rock Albums Released in August
August has been a vibrant month for rock album releases, often capturing the adventurous energy of summer. In the early days of rock, some albums released in August lacked precise documentation of their debut dates, a reflection of the era’s less formalized industry practices. As the summer’s peak, August was the ideal time for albums that echoed the year’s hottest trends while teasing the shifts to come in fall.
Year
Artist – Album
1995
Symphony X – The Damnation Game
Pram – Sargasso Sea
Petra – No Doubt
1992
Sodom – Tapping the Vein
Powderfinger – Powderfinger (EP)
The Jennifers – Just Got Back Today
1990
Front Line Assembly – Caustic Grip
1989
Anthrax – Penikufesin
Bad Manners – Return of the Ugly
1988
The Go-Betweens – 16 Lovers Lane
Santana – Viva Santana!
1987
Mayhem – Deathcrush
Warren Zevon – Sentimental Hygiene
Midnight Oil – Diesel and Dust
The Dukes of Stratosphear – Psonic Psunspot
1986
Triumph – The Sport of Kings
Daryl Hall – Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine
Camper Van Beethoven – Camper Van Beethoven
Vinnie Vincent Invasion – Vinnie Vincent Invasion
Zodiac Mindwarp – High Priest of Love
The Triffids – In the Pines
Black ‘N Blue – Nasty Nasty
1985
Squeeze – Cosi Fan Tutti Frutti
Loverboy – Lovin’ Every Minute of It
Angel Witch – Screamin’ ‘n’ Bleedin’
Nick Lowe – The Rose of England
Spear of Destiny – World Service
1984
Bobby and the Midnites – Where the Beat Meets the Street
Kansas – The Best of Kansas
Krokus – The Blitz
The Fixx – Phantoms
Hanoi Rocks – Two Steps from the Move
1983
Moody Blues – The Present
Raven – All for One
Heart – Passionworks
Cabaret Voltaire – The Crackdown
Marc and the Mambas – Torment and Toreros
1982
George Thorogood & the Destroyers – Bad to the Bone
Tygers of Pan Tang – The Cage
America – View from the Ground
The Comsat Angels – Fiction
Michael McDonald – If That’s What It Takes
Manilla Road – Metal
John Cale – Music for a New Society
Little Heroes – Play by Numbers
Santana – Shango
Steve Winwood – Talking Back to the Night
Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Too-Rye-Ay
Demon – The Unexpected Guest
1981
The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers of the Road
Mission of Burma – Signals, Calls, and Marches
The Kinks – Give the People What They Want
Dan Fogelberg – The Innocent Age
The Minutemen – Joy
Donnie Iris – King Cool
Ian Hunter – Short Back ‘n’ Sides
Tim Curry – Simplicity
Simple Minds – Sons and Fascination/Sister Feelings Call
Little River Band – Time Exposure
Brad Whitford and Derek St. Holmes – Whitford/St. Holmes
1980
Van Morrison – Common One
Captain Beefheart – Doc at the Radar Station
Gamma – Gamma 2
Black Flag – Jealous Again
Loverboy – Loverboy
Michael Schenker Group – The Michael Schenker Group
The Allman Brothers Band – Reach for the Sky
Quartz – Stand Up and Fight
Toy Love – Toy Love
1979
J.J. Cale – 5
Randy Newman – Born Again
Billy Thorpe – Children of the Sun
Van Morrison – Into the Music
1978
Sammy Hagar – All Night Long
Wire – Chairs Missing
Player – Danger Zone
Magnum – Kingdom of Madness
Joe Cocker – Luxury You Can Afford
Klaatu – Sir Army Suit
Scorpions – Tokyo Tapes
Dan Fogelberg and Tim Weisberg – Twin Sons of Different Mothers
Johnny Winter – White, Hot and Blue
1977
The Angels – The Angels
The Animals – Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted
Eric Carmen – Boats Against the Current
Donovan – Donovan
Lone Star – Firing on All Six
Ry Cooder – Showtime
1976
Hall & Oates – Bigger Than Both of Us
Linda Ronstadt – Hasten Down the Wind
Artful Dodger – Honor Among Thieves
The Modern Lovers – The Modern Lovers
Split Enz – Second Thoughts
Roxy Music – Viva!
Orleans – Waking and Dreaming
Gasolin’ – What a Lemon
1975
Tina Turner – Acid Queen
Grand Funk Railroad – Caught in the Act
Eric Clapton – E.C. Was Here
The Marshall Tucker Band – Searchin’ for a Rainbow
Loggins & Messina – So Fine
Climax Blues Band – Stamp Album
The Allman Brothers Band – Win, Lose or Draw
1974
Emerson, Lake & Palmer – Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends… Ladies and Gentlemen
Alice Cooper – Greatest Hits
T. Rex – Light of Love
Harry Chapin – Verities & Balderdash
Bachman–Turner Overdrive – Not Fragile
Steppenwolf – Slow Flux
1973
Golden Earring – Moontan
The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers and Sisters
War – Deliver the Word
Can – Future Days
Van Morrison – Hard Nose the Highway
Blood, Sweat & Tears – No Sweat
Ian Matthews – Valley Hi
Buffalo – Volcanic Rock
Brownsville Station – Yeah!
1972
Black Sabbath – Vol. 4
Family – Bandstand
Bonnie Raitt – Give It Up
Boz Scaggs – My Time
Brinsley Schwarz – Nervous on the Road
Mickey Hart – Rolling Thunder
Sandy Denny – Sandy
Pentangle – Solomon’s Seal
Budgie – Squawk
David Clayton-Thomas – Tequila Sunrise
1971
Jimi Hendrix – Experience
Big Brother and the Holding Company – How Hard It Is
Atomic Rooster – In Hearing of Atomic Rooster
If – If 3
New Riders of the Purple Sage – New Riders of the Purple Sage
Nigel Olsson – Nigel Olsson’s Drum Orchestra and Chorus
Butterfield Blues Band – Sometimes I Just Feel Like Smilin’
The Partridge Family – Sound Magazine
Ten Years After – A Space in Time
Can – Tago Mago
Gene Clark – White Light
1970
Al Kooper – Easy Does It
Fairfield Parlour – From Home to Home
Quicksilver Messenger Service – Just for Love
Joe Cocker – Mad Dogs & Englishmen
Status Quo – Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon
The Bob Seger System – Mongrel
Little Richard – The Rill Thing
Mungo Jerry – Mungo Jerry
1969
The Association – The Association
Harry Nilsson – Harry
Can – Monster Movie
Ten Years After – Ssssh
The Head Shop – The Head Shop
1968
Ultimate Spinach – Behold & See
Donovan – Donovan in Concert
Eric Burdon & The Animals – Every One of Us
The Vogues – Memories
Blue Cheer – Outsideinside
Country Joe and the Fish – Together
The Vogues – Turn Around, Look at Me
1967
Chuck Berry – Chuck Berry in Memphis
Tim Buckley – Goodbye and Hello
Joan Baez – Joan
The Electric Prunes – Underground
Vanilla Fudge – Vanilla Fudge
1966
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band – East-West
1965
Beau Brummels – The Beau Brummels, Volume 2
Paul Simon – The Paul Simon Songbook
1964
Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry – Two Great Guitars
The Ventures – Walk, Don’t Run, Vol. 2
1963
The Ventures – Let’s Go!
1962
Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
1960
Bill Haley & His Comets – Haley’s Juke Box: Songs of the Bill Haley Generation
The daily guide to the rock albums that have left an indelible mark on music history, each released on this day across past years. Rock Albums Released on This Day in History offers a journey through time, revisiting the albums that have shaped the genre and influenced generations. Shining a spotlight on legendary records, cult classics, and hidden gems, celebrating the diverse sounds behind these unforgettable releases.
These albums influenced the rock scene, changed perceptions, and expanded the boundaries of music. Perfect for music aficionados, casual listeners, or anyone looking to deepen their understanding of rock history, Rock Albums Released on This Day in History is more than just a daily read—it’s an invitation to explore the artistry that has built rock into what it is today. Whether you’re looking to discover music from new bands, revisit old favorites, or connect with the spirit of rock across decades.