Bad Company Albums Ranked

Bad Company is an English hard rock supergroup formed in Westminster, London, in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers and guitarist Mick Ralphs, later adding drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell. Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, also managed Bad Company until 1982.
Bad Company are known for their song “Bad Company” from their album of the same name. However, Bad Company enjoyed great success throughout the 1970s. Their first three albums, Bad Company (1974), Straight Shooter (1975), and Run with the Pack (1976), reached the top five in the album charts in both the UK and US. Many of their singles and songs, such as “Bad Company”, “Can’t Get Enough”, “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad”, “Feel Like Makin’ Love”, “Ready for Love”, “Shooting Star”, and “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy”, remain staples of classic rock radio. They have sold 15.5 million RIAA-certified albums in the United States.
Bad Company once again teamed with Lynyrd Skynyrd for Skynyrd’s The Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour, which started on 4 May 2018 at the Coral Sky Amphitheater in Palm Beach, Florida and ran through the summer. Between September and December 2018, the band has a small number of live shows scheduled in the USA, starting in Livermore, CA. Here are all of the Bad Company Albums ranked.

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8. Dangerous Age (1988)

“The VERY best of the 3 Brian Howe vocalized Bad Company albums. Its the usual story – girls and boys and rebels and bikes, its very American sounding AOR and if you love that sound you won’t go wrong buying this one. Bad Company are not American but they are up there with the best. They don’t make bad albums anyway but this period is very special for me in my own life and in seeing this band live on several occasions so all in all the Brian Howe era is very special. Dangerous Age is my favorite track but there are none on here that I don’t like and none that I would class as fillers. I recommend this very strongly.”

7. Rough Diamonds (1982)

“I confess a soft spot for this album that a friend taped for me when it came out. It jumped in a few places and I must have wiped it, but not before the music wormed its way into my long term memory. I bought the CD last week – that’s about 30 years later – and realized that I still knew every note (except for the jumps!) No, it’s not the debut album or Straight Shooter but those albums are still around to listen to, if that’s what you really want. For me the songs on Rough Diamonds are strong, there are some great hooks and the production sounds great.”

6. Holy Water (1990)

“HOLY WATER is an album that testifies to an individual’s determination to get what he/she wants/needs/deserves. The album features numerous songs with great lyrics about taking as much control over one’s fate as possible, even if others strongly disagree with what your intentions are. Of course, some kids who took this album’s messages too literally ended up in special schools because of it, but overall, this CD is a great example of an album whose songs are connected yet not connected.”

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5. Burnin’ Sky (1977)

“Burnin’ Sky” (title track) was the only song from this album that the radio would play (I guess the radio programmers already had too many Bad Company songs on permanent rotation to take the chance of adding more). The only weak song is the tiny “Knapsack” ditty, and even that one fits well in the context of the album. “Morning Sun” is as good a song as any of their big hits and the rest of the album is equally terrific. I think the only mistake this album makes is ending with the seven-plus minute long “Master of Ceremony”, which has an odd-sounding beginning, but is a song that grows on you. This album would have gotten much more respect if that song had been in the middle rather than the tune that people left the album thinking about. Such minor details DO make a difference in an album’s success. However, as an album, this one still earns Five Stars.”

4. Desolation Angels (1979)

“This may have been the last of Bad Company’s best albums, but this is the best of the lot. This one only generated two songs that entered the charts, but it has the best collection of songs of any Bad Company album. It has the hits, “Rock n Roll Fantasy” and “Gone, gone, gone”, but the best song on the album is “Evil Wind”. Some discount this album, mainly because it `only’ has two hits, but do not pass this one up. This is Paul Rodgers’ best album since the “Heartbreaker” album he did with the group `Free’. I am very happy to replace my old LP with this great CD even though it lacks a decent booklet (it only has a single folded card for the CD cover). This album earns a Solid Five Stars. “

3. Run with the Pack (1976)

“This album used to take a back seat to the big hit single albums, Bad Co and Straight Shooter. But it’s up there with them and still hangs together after all these years. You get a lot for your money. Unbeatable Paul Rodgers’ vocals. Perfect, raunchy but somehow tempered rock guitar. Controlled, understated power. When you start the CD just turn up the volume to about 10. “Live for the Music” – and they give you everything they’ve got. Great lead guitar and bluesy vocal. It’s just you and the band in a room, entertaining you. The arrangements are simple but never boring. “Honey Child” is a straight-up rock. “Love me somebody” is a desperate loner kind of ballad, with lots of piano and organ, perfect for Rodger’s voice. If the guitar sounds a bit too close to Country, Ralphs rocks it back up with the title track – sing along to “you never give me my money, you only give me your sympathy” and you just have to feel better. Then suddenly it’s all bar piano and strings. Followed by the soulful, lost-love ballad “Silver, Blue, and Gold”. “Do Right By Your Woman” with flange dreaminess. My favorite rocker is the driving classic “Sweet Li’l Sister” – try keeping off the accelerator with this on. A moody album, maybe. “Simple Man” is simply a fantastic rock ballad and for me the real standout. Love it.”

2. Straight Shooter (1975)

“This was Bad Company’s second album on the heels of the self-titled first release Bad Company – Bad Company established them as a top-notch hard-rocking concert band that found commercial radio play success as well. Any Bad Company enthusiast or classic rock collector must include their first release and this one. In Straight Shooter they turn the rock up a notch and do not fill this album up with as much hard commercial rock (made for radio tunes) yet Good Loving Gone Bad, Feel Like Makin’ Love and Shooting Star capture that same hard rock ballad storytelling that captured us on their initial release: Bad Company. There is not a bad cut on this release – it is all top-notch rock music, mainly hard and, perhaps, they turned it up maybe a notch.”

1. Bad Company (1974)

“I’ve listened to Paul Rodgers music since he was with Free and now his Queen association is on my computer as a part of the many albums I have, that he is a part of. This is the first and foremost of the Bad Company music. It was probably the most noteworthy music of the time frame, and for many years after it came out. Everyone I knew owned this album, on vinyl, and then on CD. When “Straight Shooter” was put out, I grabbed it and liked it as well, just not as well as this offering. The first isn’t always the best, but in this case I think it applies correctly. The songs, “Can’t get enough”, “Ready for Love” and “Bad Company” were played endlessly, it seemed, at home and on the Radio. If you are not a Paul Rodgers fan, then I can understand not owning this album, but if you are, this would be the one you would have first and last. His other groups he carried over the years; Free, The Firm , The Law and now Queen and a Bad Company reunion, take advantage of his skills of voice and delivery. I also especially like The Law CD, an example of the old Rock Delivery by one of the greatest voices of our lifetime. Just a guy that likes Paul Rodgers.”