Best Albums of the 1980s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1980s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1980	2,128	194,129	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,159	120,498	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,134	148,449	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,130	135,703	Murmur (143rd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,142	171,129	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,142	143,798	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,268	170,226	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,472	162,367	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,623	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,583	197,367	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,720	1,595,290

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, Pixies, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.

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141.

New Day Rising

Hüsker Dü

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

286 charts

Rank Score:

1,987

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

141

Overall Rank:

906

Average Rating:

77 (360 votes)

Comments:

142.

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

235 charts

Rank Score:

1,957

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

142

Overall Rank:

926

Average Rating:

77 (216 votes)

Comments:

143.

Soul Mining

The The

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

272 charts

Rank Score:

1,926

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

143

Overall Rank:

934

Average Rating:

77 (306 votes)

Comments:

144.

This Nation's Saving Grace

The Fall

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

362 charts

Rank Score:

1,912

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

144

Overall Rank:

944

Average Rating:

78 (434 votes)

Comments:

145.

Youth Of America

Wipers

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

247 charts

Rank Score:

1,908

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

145

Overall Rank:

948

Average Rating:

81 (227 votes)

Comments:

146.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

256 charts

Rank Score:

1,882

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

146

Overall Rank:

958

Average Rating:

77 (296 votes)

Comments:

147.

Peter Gabriel IV

Peter Gabriel

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

274 charts

Rank Score:

1,879

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

147

Overall Rank:

961

Average Rating:

79 (347 votes)

Comments:

148.

Sound Affects

The Jam

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

289 charts

Rank Score:

1,854

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

148

Overall Rank:

970

Average Rating:

79 (374 votes)

Comments:

149.

Diesel And Dust

Midnight Oil

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

285 charts

Rank Score:

1,835

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

149

Overall Rank:

980

Average Rating:

76 (319 votes)

Comments:

150.

Pyromania

Def Leppard

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

302 charts

Rank Score:

1,831

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

150

Overall Rank:

983

Average Rating:

73 (432 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 15 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Rush	8	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Talking Heads	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	415	41%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	34	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	13	1%

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Best Albums of 1966
1. Revolver by The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
3. Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
4. Sounds Of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel
5. Aftermath by The Rolling Stones
6. Freak Out! by The Mothers Of Invention
7. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary And Thyme by Simon & Garfunkel
8. Wild Is The Wind by Nina Simone
9. The Psychedelic Sounds Of The 13th Floor Elevators by 13th Floor Elevators
10. Face To Face by The Kinks
11. Ascension by John Coltrane
12. Fresh Cream by Cream
13. If You Can Believe Your Eyes And Ears by The Mamas And The Papas
14. Black Monk Time by Monks (US)
15. Fifth Dimension by The Byrds
16. Sunshine Superman by Donovan
17. Speak No Evil by Wayne Shorter
18. Blues Breakers by John Mayall & Eric Clapton
19. Da Capo by Love
20. Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo [The Good, The Bad & The Ugly] by Ennio Morricone