Formed in the late 60’s, Thin Lizzy are Ireland’s greatest rock band. With big hits like “Whiskey in the Jar”, “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Jailbreak”, the band proved to be one of the most original bands of their time. To celebrate St.Patrick’s day we decided to make this current episode of Ranked Up! on Thin Lizzy. Album’s under the name Black Star Riders will not be included as the band considers that a separate project.
12. Shades of a Blue Orphanage (1972)
This second outing is by far the band’s worse and a step down from an already mediocre debut album. The album is very unoriginal as it sounds like they were just trying to be a clone of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The band was still trying to find its sound. It would not be till later, that they would morph into Ireland’s greatest rock bands.
11.Thin Lizzy (1971)
While not as bad as its follow up, Thin Lizzy’s debut was pretty directionless. The tracks on here aren’t very memorable.
10. Chinatown (1980)
Chinatown was considered a letdown by many fans, due to the departure of guitarist Gary Moore and producer Tony Visconti. Replacing Moore was Snow White who would stay with the band till 1983. While this album does have some filler, it has many killer tracks “Sugar Blues” and “Hey You”. Any fan of mid-late 70’s Lizzy should give this one a shot.
9. Renegade (1981)
The follow up to Chinatown, Renegade contained production very similar to that of the British heavy metal bands. Also like that album, this release is has both filler and good tracks. “Angel of Death” and “Hollywood (Down on your Luck)” are some of those better tracks.
8.Nightlife (1974)
Nightlife is the first album to feature the classic Thin Lizzy line up. Guitarist Eric Bell left and was replaced by Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson. This record showed that the band was going in the right direction and while not as good as others, it’s still a pretty killer album.
7. Vagabonds of the Western World (1973)
Thin Lizzy’s third album is also the best release from the Eric Bell era. Here we witness the band write great music for the first time. The non-album single “Whiskey in the Jar” was the band’s first ever hit. “The Rocker” and “The Little Girl in Bloom” are also fantastic tracks.
6.Johnny the Fox (1976)
1976 was a busy year for the Lizzy. During the first half of the year they released their most successful album, Jailbreak and during the second half they released Johnny the Fox. While a step down from the previous record, this release is still solid. Best tracks here include “Massacre” and “Fools Gold”.
5.Fighting (1975)
In 1974 the classic Thin Lizzy line up was born. One year later, their signature sound was born. Elements from heavy metal,folk,blues,pop and funk can all be heard here. This is shown in amazing tracks like “Fighting My Way Back”, “Wild One”, “Suicide” and “Ballad of a Hard Man”.
4. Bad Reputation (1977)
Just one year after the gaining international success, these rockers released their second biggest album, Bad Reputation. With tracks like “Dancing in the Moonlight”,the title track and “Killer Without a Cause”, this album is a must have for all Lizzy fans.
3.Thunder and Lightning (1983)
In the mid-1980’s many 70’s bands were turning soft. Rush went new wave, Heart went hair metal, and Bowie became generic pop. Thin Lizzy on the other hand, went full metal. Tracks like “Holy War” and “Cold Sweat” (the band’s heaviest song) will keep you headbanging. A year later the band would split up(till 1996) and two years after that, Phil Lynott would die. This is the last Thin Lizzy album as the new, line up releases records under the name Black Star Riders.
2. Black Rose: A Rock Legend (1979)
Featuring acclaimed guitarist Gary Moore, Black Rose is one of the best albums of the late 70’s. With tracks ranging from ballads, traditional songs and hard rockers, this record is the band’s most diverse release. Best tracks include “Waiting for an Alibi”, “Toughest Street in Town”, and “Sarah”.
1.Jailbreak (1976)
Thin Lizzy’s opus is also one of the greatest rock albums every released. This record is also the band’s breakthrough into the American mainstream. Their slow and steady climb to success had finally reached the the top and forever immortalized them as rock icons. Here we hear the band’s sound perfected. “Warriors”, “Jailbreak”, “The Boys are Back in Town”, “Emerald”, you just can’t go wrong with any track on this release.
