AC/DC, Def Leppard, Metallica and U2 are four of the biggest rock bands in the world. Each band has its own unique sound, but the four of them have this in common.
Per ChartData.org, these four bands have each netted a top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart in the past five decades from the 1980s through to the 2020s.
.@U2 become the fourth group to earn a new top 10 album on the Billboard 200 in each of the last five decades, joining @acdc, @Metallica and @DefLeppard (1980s, 90s, 00s, 10s and 20s). pic.twitter.com/JVJW9aBBJZ
— chart data (@chartdata) March 26, 2023
U2 was the latest to accomplish this feat with their latest album, Songs Of Surrender, debuting at number five on the Billboard 200 chart for the week of April 1, 2023. As for their overall chart history, U2 scored two number one albums in the 1980s with The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum. In the 1990s, they had three number one albums with Achtung Baby, Zooropa and Pop. The 2000s brought two number one albums with How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and No Line On The Horizon, while All That You Can’t Leave Behind peaked at number three. Finally, the 2010s saw Songs of Innocence peak at number nine while Songs of Experience peaked at number one.
As for the AC/DC, Def Leppard and Metallica, here’s a breakdown of their album chart figures. (Peak chart position will be in parentheses.)
AC/DC
-1980s: Back In Black (4), Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (3), For Those About To Rock… (1).
-1990: The Razors Edge (2), Ballbreaker (4)
-2000s: Stiff Upper Lip (7), Black Ice (1)
-2010s: Rock Or Bust (3)
-2020s: Power Up (1)
Def Leppard
-1980s: Pyromania (2), Hysteria (1)
-1990: Adrenalize (1)
-2000s: Songs From The Sparkle Lounge (5)
-2010s: Def Leppard (10)
-2020s: Diamond Star Halos (10)
Metallica
-1980s: …And Justice For All (6)
-1990: Metallica (1), Load (1), ReLoad (1), Garage Inc. (2), S & M (2)
-2000s: St. Anger (1), Death Magnetic (1)
-2010s: Metallica: Through the Never (9), Hardwired…The Self-Destruct (1)
-2020s: S&M2 (4)
