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	2,129	194,108	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,163	120,442	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,135	148,622	Thriller (75th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,131	135,689	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,144	171,181	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,146	143,883	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,277	170,319	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,473	162,558	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,917	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,586	197,493	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,746	1,596,212

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:

287 charts

Rank Score:

1,987

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

141

Overall Rank:

907

Average Rating:

77 (360 votes)

Comments:

142.

Rattlesnakes

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

236 charts

Rank Score:

1,956

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

142

Overall Rank:

923

Average Rating:

77 (218 votes)

Comments:

143.

Soul Mining

The The

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

271 charts

Rank Score:

1,924

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

143

Overall Rank:

936

Average Rating:

77 (306 votes)

Comments:

144.

This Nation's Saving Grace

The Fall

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

362 charts

Rank Score:

1,911

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

144

Overall Rank:

942

Average Rating:

78 (434 votes)

Comments:

145.

Youth Of America

Wipers

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

247 charts

Rank Score:

1,906

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

145

Overall Rank:

950

Average Rating:

81 (227 votes)

Comments:

146.

Fire Of Love

The Gun Club

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

256 charts

Rank Score:

1,880

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:

1,877

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

147

Overall Rank:

962

Average Rating:

79 (347 votes)

Comments:

148.

Sound Affects

The Jam

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

289 charts

Rank Score:

1,851

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

148

Overall Rank:

973

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:

1,829

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

150

Overall Rank:

983

Average Rating:

73 (433 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 15 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	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	42%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%

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