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	2,132	193,884	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,176	120,575	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,139	148,321	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,151	135,611	Murmur (143rd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,154	170,880	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,166	144,128	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,282	170,049	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,486	162,476	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,567	151,815	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,592	197,480	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,845	1,595,219

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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191.

Starfish

The Church

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

226 charts

Rank Score:

1,486

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

191

Overall Rank:

1,198

Average Rating:

78 (221 votes)

Comments:

192.

Raising Hell

Run-D.M.C.

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

343 charts

Rank Score:

1,472

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

192

Overall Rank:

1,208

Average Rating:

76 (338 votes)

Comments:

193.

Rattle And Hum

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

317 charts

Rank Score:

1,461

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

193

Overall Rank:

1,215

Average Rating:

72 (626 votes)

Comments:

194.

Hex Enduction Hour

The Fall

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

234 charts

Rank Score:

1,448

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

194

Overall Rank:

1,223

Average Rating:

78 (246 votes)

Comments:

195.

...Nothing Like The Sun

Sting

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

218 charts

Rank Score:

1,447

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

195

Overall Rank:

1,224

Average Rating:

73 (269 votes)

Comments:

196.

Bad Brains

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

252 charts

Rank Score:

1,441

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

196

Overall Rank:

1,226

Average Rating:

77 (288 votes)

Comments:

197.

Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun

Dead Can Dance

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

201 charts

Rank Score:

1,437

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

197

Overall Rank:

1,231

Average Rating:

80 (243 votes)

Comments:

198.

Pleased To Meet Me

The Replacements

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

246 charts

Rank Score:

1,435

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

198

Overall Rank:

1,234

Average Rating:

79 (315 votes)

Comments:

199.

The Lexicon Of Love

ABC

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

252 charts

Rank Score:

1,427

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

199

Overall Rank:

1,242

Average Rating:

77 (259 votes)

Comments:

200.

Madonna

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

235 charts

Rank Score:

1,424

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

200

Overall Rank:

1,243

Average Rating:

71 (338 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 20 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	93	9%
1987	88	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
U2	7	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	386	38%
	41	4%
	28	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	969	97%
Yes	35	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	981	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	992	99%
Yes	12	1%

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