Best Albums of 1981

Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
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1981 year summaryThe best artists of 1981 were Rush, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Electric Light Orchestra, The Cure, The Human League, Black Flag and This Heat.
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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,023
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,447
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,315
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,849
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,785
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,588
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
  • iTunes
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,220
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,209
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,085
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,025
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Country Albums %


United States 305 31%
United Kingdom 284 28%
Germany 58 6%
Mixed Nationality 39 4%
Australia 36 4%
France 30 3%
Japan 27 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 939 94%
Yes 61 6%
Live? Albums %
No 969 97%
Yes 31 3%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 990 99%
Yes 10 1%
Best Albums of the 2000s
1. Kid A by Radiohead
2. In Rainbows by Radiohead
3. Funeral by Arcade Fire
4. Is This It by The Strokes
5. Illinois by Sufjan Stevens
6. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
7. Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not by Arctic Monkeys
8. Madvillainy by Madvillain
9. Turn On The Bright Lights by Interpol
10. Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor
11. Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem
12. A Rush Of Blood To The Head by Coldplay
13. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
14. Elephant by The White Stripes
15. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips
16. Songs For The Deaf by Queens Of The Stone Age
17. Amnesiac by Radiohead
18. Demon Days by Gorillaz
19. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
20. Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
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