Slade Albums Ranked
Slade is an English rock band formed in Wolverhampton in 1966. They rose to prominence during the glam rock era in the early 1970s, achieving 17 consecutive top 20 hits and six number ones on the UK Singles Chart. The British Hit Singles & Albums names them the most successful British group of the 1970s based on sales of singles. They were the first act to have three singles enter the charts at number one; all six of the band’s chart-toppers were penned by Noddy Holder and Jim Lea. As of 2006, total UK sales stand at 6,520,171, and their best-selling single, “Merry Xmas Everybody”, has sold in excess of one million copies. According to the 1999 BBC documentary, It’s Slade, the band has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Following an unsuccessful move to the U.S. in 1975, Slade’s popularity in the UK waned but was unexpectedly revived in 1980 when they were last-minute replacements for Ozzy Osbourne at the Reading Rock Festival. The band later acknowledged this to have been one of the highlights of their career. The original line-up split in 1992 but reformed later in the year as Slade II. The band has continued, with a number of line-up changes, to the present day. They have also shortened the group name back to Slade.
A number of artists from diverse genres have cited Slade as an influence, including Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Ramones, Sex Pistols, The Undertones, The Runaways, The Clash, Kiss, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Def Leppard, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, The Replacements, Cheap Trick, and Oasis. The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Music tells of Holder’s powerful vocals, guitarist Dave Hill’s equally arresting dress sense, and the deliberate misspelling of their song titles (such as “Cum On Feel the Noize” and “Mama Weer All Crazee Now”) for which they became well known. Here are all of Slade’s albums ranked.
Don’t miss out on the music of Slade below! Click to enjoy songs that made it to the top 20 in UK!
10. Play It Loud (1970)
“Play It Loud album seems to me a tad boring and full of bathos so after all these years it didn’t sound nostalgic at all. “Tell raven that it’s fatal chasing everything that glitters” – didn’t Slade themselves behave exactly like this and wasn’t their genre called glitter rock after all? “Once kept in a stable snug and warm but now he’s growing old” – isn’t the fate of all fashionable bands similar to the fate of this horse? Isn’t it the fate of Slade? Don’t play it loud, play it rarely – once in a decade or so.”
9. Whatever Happened To Slade (1977)
“It seems that Slade shows us all their claws out. Glam rock? Man, this is hard rock tonality around here. Absolutely blow-minded first two tracks ‘Be’ and ‘Lightning’ goes one after another with a machine-gun tempo and killing riffs! The rest are also mostly a strong stuff, only a few filler here. Let it be known, my favorite track is ‘When Fantasy Calls’ as number one here, then ‘Be’ and ‘Lightning Never Strikes Twice’ as silver and bronze. Powerful and melodic both. In my view, Slady lads are one of the biggest rock names in music history with this underrated album. It is what really happened with them. “
8. Slade Smashes (1980)
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“I’m sure we’ll still be stomping to Slade songs when we’re all travelling through space in updated versions of Dave Hill’s silver cat-suit. There is some immortal elixir included in the brew which ensures they retain their exuberant blush. There was a time when “Merry Xmas Everybody” could be guaranteed to be found residing in the Christmas charts every year. Like watching The Wizard Of Oz whilst eating turkey and pulling crackers, the song became part of the seasonal tradition. They always reminded me of the Dave Clark Five in their ability to pound out rhythms which seemed to graft themselves onto your pulsebeat and inexorably draw you in.”
7. Slade On Stage (1982)
“With the comeback in the bag, Slade took to the UK and recorded this in Newcastle with one mic (someone apparently screamed ‘bast*rd’ in the other for the duration of the gig!). The entire band are in great form, particular mention to Jimmy Lea on the bass and fiddle, however it’s Noddy’s amazing vocals which carry the whole performance above what must be one of the loudest audiences ever recorded. A candidate for one of the greatest live rock albums ever recorded….yep, it’s that good. A timely reminder of just how good they were.”
6. Sladest (1973)
‘Do not believe the naysayers and hipper-than-thous. Loosen up your inner fifteen year old and tune into their early hits, “Cos I Luv You” and especially “Look Wot You Dun”. These bright, tight pop songs flippin’ ROCK! Unfortunately however, Slade were not able to sustain the artistic “quality”. “Cum On Feel The Noize”, “Gudbuy T’Jane” and “Mama Weer All Crazy Now” aren’t too bad with simple but catchy choruses. “Get Down And Get With It” is pretty awful, one-dimensional basic rock n’ roll. If you want a bit o’ Slade, the first two tracks above and side one of “Slade Alive” is the best of it.”
5. Old New Borrowed And Blue (1974)
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“The Sladester’s… what a fun loving lot of foot stompin’ and yellin’ yobs. The boys with the shag cuts generated big glam racket, while storming the countryside with their infectious hooligan chants. Taking their spelling lessons to heart, Noddy ‘n’ company packed Stomp Your Hands, Clap Your Feet, with ten roof raising pop rockers, which includes the balls out rollers “Do We Still Do It”, “Good Time Gals”, “When the Lights Are Out”, “Just Want a Little Bit”, and “Don’t Blame Me”.”
4. Slade Alive! (1972)
“If you’re a great live band that can’t sell records make a live one. And that’s exactly what Slade did here. I don’t give too many albums 5 stars and this is more of a 4 star by Slade’s standards however: a) This album rocks from start to finish b) The production on this album is a great example of how a live album should be recorded c) This is album that documents the birth of glam rock and the sounds that would influence countless metal band from there on in (weather they knew it or not) Crank it up! They don’t rock like this no more!!!”
3. Slade In Flame (1974)
“Almost Slade’s swan-song so far as the UK album charts were concerned, “Slade in Flame” is a pretty good album soundtrack to a pretty good movie which when it was released sadly evidenced their fall from commercial grace. This is a pretty solid set of typical Slade boogie-fare, leavened by the two best songs they ever wrote, the singles “Far Far Away”, a rousing yet affecting traveller’s lament and especially the elegiac (honest) “How Does It Feel”, with its serious, thoughtful lyric and haunting piano motif deliberately reminiscent of the “…coming to take you away” fade to “Magical Mystery Tour”. Just a shame they didn’t build on these advances from here on but you’d settle for these two tunes in your catalogue any day of the week.”
2. The Amazing Kamikaze Syndrome (1983)
“This album had a couple of major hits, namely “Run runaway” and “My oh my”, both of witch I had heard several times before, but never knew witch band it was. They are both way overplayed in my opinion, and becomes tracks worth skipping when I listen trough this record. They are not really bad, but as I have already mentioned, the longevity of these tracks are rather limited. The only thing about Slade (at least on this album) that goes somewhat against the mainstream, is the voice of singer Noddy Holder, as it is (at least some times) rather raw and mean. I mentioned Quiet Riot in the beginning of this review, and Noddy Holder sounds almost exactly the same as Kevin DuBrow from that band.”
1.Slayed? (1972)
” I have been listen to Slade, so I cannot give them low rating. Many of rockers have listen Aerosmith, so they would never rate them low. Slade are heroes of my generation, and it’s nothing for a shame. I remember how it sounded from my tape-recorder filled all around on a regular basis. Just Andy Slade not Andy Upit. It is silly to analyze Slayed, the music is simple while effective either. Love it or hate it. Wild and powerful stuff to make you happy and alive. I don’t care what are you thinking about this band and this output, but ‘Look at Last Nite’ and “Gudbuy Gudbye’ are the biggest songs for ages. Slade forever.”
