The year 1996 marked a turning point for a number of artists. Allow us to highlight a few…
Phil Collins officially departed from Genesis in order to focus more on his solo career, there was an extremely brief reunion between David Lee Roth and Van Halen, plus Slash left Guns N’ Roses. (Nearly 20 years would pass before his return.)
“Axl [Rose] and I have not been capable of seeing eye to eye on Guns N’ Roses for some time. We recently tried to collaborate, but at this point, I’m no longer in the band,” Slash said at the time. “I’d like to think we could work together in the future if we were able to work out our differences.”
Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Michael Jackson after less than two years of marriage. Meanwhile, John Anthony Gillis married Meg White, taking her surname and effectively becoming Jack White.
Britpop sensation Oasis performed one of the biggest free-standing concerts in U.K. history that summer at Knebworth, drawing approximately 250,000 people. This was also the year of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” the biggest-selling debut single by an all-girl group ever.
Of course, these events make up just the tip of an iceberg. Throughout the year, a number of significant albums entered the world — debut releases, live LPs and a lot more. Not all of them were commercially successful, or even critically admired, but they were all, in some way, key moments in the grand musical scheme of things. In the below gallery, we’ve rounded up 30 Essential Rock Albums Turning 30 in 2026.
30 Essential Rock Albums Turning 30 in 2026
Unplugged LPs, groundbreaking debut releases and much more.
Gallery Credit: Allison Rapp
