Photo Gallery: Guitar World Magazine Covers Through the Years — 1984

By 1984, there was a new sheriff in town: heavy metal.

The previous year saw massively successful releases from Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot and Metallica, to name just a few. Those bands, along with others such as Van Halen, Ratt, Dokken and Kiss, would continue the trend in 1984 with more classic releases.

In the interest of supply and demand - and recognizing undeniable talent when it's loud and in your face - Guitar World featured some of the most proficient guitar heroes of rock on several covers from 1984.

Check out the gallery below and see some of the classic images from a banner year for rock guitar.

Next week we visit 1985, beginning with that most enduring of icons, Jeff Beck.

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Marcus Miller performs on stage at Teatro Nuevo Apolo on May 28, 2019 in Madrid, Spain.

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“All the labels said, ‘You’re dated.’ If we weren’t doing so well, it would have been crushing, but we were playing to sold-out crowds”: How forgotten ’80s heroes Zebra earned their stripes as the people’s power-trio

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“It’s been an incredibly intense year – even my closest friends didn’t know what we were doing. I can’t believe we were able to keep it a secret”: Brad Delson on Linkin Park’s miraculous comeback, why he quit touring, and how he trained his replacement

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“He showed me the Rickenbacker he used with the Beatles at Shea Stadium. It still had the song list taped to the side”: Released weeks before his murder, John Lennon’s final album paired him with some of the era’s finest session guitarists

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