I didn't have much money as a teen in the 80s, so buying albums "blind" was always a risk, but most of the time it worked out favorably. Most of my buying decisions were based on magazine reviews, advice from friends, and (dumbly) what the album cover looked like.
I remember going to the mall (!) record store in the Summer of '85 and buying "Ride The Lightning" and "Bonded By Blood" just because I'd read about this new style of metal called "thrash." Luckily, I loved both albums!