Top 50 Greatest Music Albums by SwampThing

This is my chart for the greatest 80's albums of all time. Also, please read the notes. Thanks.

• Chart updated: 10/26/2010 03:06
• (Created: 10/24/2010 05:34).
• Chart size: 50 albums.

There are 11 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 50 Greatest Music Albums has an average rating of 84 out of 100 (from 14 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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The entries in this chart have been awarded a zero rank score because the chart has not been updated within the last ten years.

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1. (=)

Script Of The Bridge 

 The Chameleons

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A landmark album. One critic likened it, as a debut, to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Timeless, brilliant, and original: a "Dead Souls" for post-punk. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

276 charts

Rank Score:

2,237

Rank in 1983:

12

Rank in 1980s:

119

Overall Rank:

798

Average Rating:

 80 (319 votes)

Comments:

20

2. (=)

Heaven Up Here 

 Echo & The Bunnymen

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A haunting greatness: "Over the Wall," "Turquoise Days," and "I, Zimbo" are all stunning and better than anything by U2 or The Police. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

262 charts

Rank Score:

1,494

Rank in 1981:

16

Rank in 1980s:

190

Overall Rank:

1,187

Average Rating:

 77 (319 votes)

Comments:

11

3. (=)

Pornography 

 The Cure

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Robert Smith's masterpiece. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

670 charts

Rank Score:

5,962

Rank in 1982:

4

Rank in 1980s:

38

Overall Rank:

300

Average Rating:

 80 (949 votes)

Comments:

56

4. (=)

Sleep No More 

 The Comsat Angels

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New Musical Express called "Waiting For A Miracle" the greatest debut in rock history, but this was superior. "Gone" might be better than anything Ian Curtis ever did. [First added to this chart: 10/25/2010]

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

217

Rank in 1981:

108

Rank in 1980s:

893

Overall Rank:

6,015

Average Rating:

 73 (52 votes)

Comments:

4

5. (=)

Unknown Pleasures 

 Joy Division

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Presaged a generation. Still sounds refreshing. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

1,917 charts

Rank Score:

24,812

Rank in 1979:

3

Rank in 1970s:

9

Overall Rank:

37

Average Rating:

 86 (2,281 votes)

Comments:

189

6. (=)

Strange Times 

 The Chameleons

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Widely considered one of the decade's greatest, with the best cover of "Tommorow Never Knows" EVER. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

111 charts

Rank Score:

793

Rank in 1986:

28

Rank in 1980s:

319

Overall Rank:

2,085

Average Rating:

 79 (133 votes)

Comments:

8

7. (=)

From The Lion's Mouth 

 The Sound

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Raw and elegant, uncompromising and naked. Personally, I like this better than Unknown Pleasures. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

146 charts

Rank Score:

1,082

Rank in 1981:

22

Rank in 1980s:

249

Overall Rank:

1,595

Average Rating:

 79 (159 votes)

Comments:

8

8. (=)

Borderline 

 Asylum Party

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One of the great albums no one has heard. Because it belongs to the genre French Cold Wave, it is virtually impossible to find in the US, yet is perhaps the best album from 1987 to 1990. [First added to this chart: 10/25/2010]

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

19 charts

Rank Score:

185

Rank in 1989:

103

Rank in 1980s:

1,026

Overall Rank:

6,924

Average Rating:

 72 (25 votes)

Comments:

2

9. (=)

Chasing Promises 

 Breathless

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Widely considered the best of the genre. Elegy and romance unrivalled for the past 25 years. Many critics cite "Smash Palace" as one of the greatest songs ever recorded. [First added to this chart: 10/25/2010]

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

19 charts

Rank Score:

157

Rank in 1989:

117

Rank in 1980s:

1,168

Overall Rank:

7,902

Average Rating:

 70 (21 votes)

Comments:

1

10. (=)

Entertainment! 

 Gang Of Four

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One of the most important documents (and manifestos) of the era. [First added to this chart: 10/23/2010]

Year of Release:

1979

Appears in:

658 charts

Rank Score:

5,018

Rank in 1979:

6

Rank in 1970s:

91

Overall Rank:

359

Average Rating:

 81 (739 votes)

Comments:

43

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Total albums: 50. Page 1 of 5

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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums composition

Decade	Albums	%
1930s	0	0%
1940s	0	0%
1950s	0	0%
1960s	0	0%
1970s	4	8%
1980s	45	90%
1990s	1	2%
2000s	0	0%
2010s	0	0%
2020s	0	0%

Artist	Albums	%
Echo & The Bunnymen	4	8%
The Chameleons	3	6%
The Cure	2	4%
The Comsat Angels	2	4%
The Birthday Party	2	4%
Joy Division	2	4%
Tom Waits	2	4%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	32	64%
	12	24%
	3	6%
	1	2%
	1	2%
	1	2%

Top 50 Greatest Music Albums chart changes

New entries
Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
Doolittle by Pixies
Vs. by Mission Of Burma
Starfish by The Church
Junkyard by The Birthday Party
Disintegration by The Cure
Miami by The Gun Club
Zen Arcade by Hüsker Dü
Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits
Let It Be by The Replacements

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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums similarity to your chart(s)

Top 50 Greatest Music Albums ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 14 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
80/100	02/20/2018 05:21	thirstyDog	107	86/100
80/100	02/06/2017 15:43	bobbyb5	728	90/100
70/100	12/06/2015 19:31	Nobodyisemo	19	72/100
95/100	11/30/2013 11:47	Timo	20	80/100
100/100	04/13/2013 17:19	Secondsoul	46	94/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 83.8/100, a mean average of 82.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 82.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 13.6.

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Top 50 Greatest Music Albums favourites

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joedec

Top 50 Greatest Music Albums comments

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Rating:  

95/100

From Timo 11/30/2013 11:51

So similar to my list and record collection that it's almost creepy. I will check out the bands on this list I'm not yet familiar with.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From Secondsoul 04/13/2013 17:20

Impeccable taste. I love this chart, so similar to my own. And we both agree about what the greatest album ever is!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

100/100

From joedec 06/29/2012 20:08

Great list

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

From Mr.Music 11/10/2011 19:57

Crazy Rhythms by the Feelies? Los Angeles by X?, Doc at Radar Station by Captain Beefheart?, Minor Threat?,Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits?, Double Nickels on the Dime by the Minutemen, Reign in Blood by Slayer?, Paul's Boutique by Beastie Boys? Bad Brains?

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

95/100

From btener11 08/28/2011 19:37

I've gotta check out Comsat Angels...they sound right up my alley. Love your chart!

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Rating:  

70/100

From chris lancaster 03/10/2011 22:37

You can't go wrong with Unknown Pleasures!

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Rating:  

50/100

From Leonar 03/09/2011 23:25

No concuerdo demasiado, pero me gusta que expliques cada una de tus elecciones. Seguiré tu ejemplo.

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Rating:  

95/100

From KneadSilentedTheDeep 10/27/2010 22:30

Extraordinary taste!

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From CellarDoor 10/24/2010 11:07

I have to agree with cartoken, no Pixies or Sonic Youth in an 80s chart is a joke. Love the Chameleons though ! Used to have "Strange Times" on my chart a while back.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

Rating:  

80/100

From cartoken 10/25/2010 22:40

nice ! but some of the greatest band of the 80s are missing : Pixies and Sonic Youth.

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

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