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	2,134	193,595	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,176	120,391	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,140	148,030	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,154	135,426	Murmur (144th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,155	170,577	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,167	144,008	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,284	169,869	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,489	162,134	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,569	151,537	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,595	197,370	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,863	1,592,936

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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471.

No Control

Bad Religion

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

109 charts

Rank Score:

492

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

471

Overall Rank:

3,052

Average Rating:

77 (116 votes)

Comments:

472.

Drama

Yes

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

127 charts

Rank Score:

491

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

472

Overall Rank:

3,056

Average Rating:

75 (174 votes)

Comments:

473.

McCartney II

Paul McCartney

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

113 charts

Rank Score:

489

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

473

Overall Rank:

3,069

Average Rating:

70 (189 votes)

Comments:

474.

Vivid

Living Colour

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

132 charts

Rank Score:

488

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

474

Overall Rank:

3,074

Average Rating:

74 (153 votes)

Comments:

475.

True Colours

Split Enz

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

86 charts

Rank Score:

487

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

475

Overall Rank:

3,078

Average Rating:

74 (104 votes)

Comments:

476.

The Blues Brothers: Music From The Soundtrack
Soundtrack

The Blues Brothers

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

92 charts

Rank Score:

486

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

476

Overall Rank:

3,087

Average Rating:

76 (136 votes)

Comments:

477.

The Good Earth

The Feelies

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

485

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

477

Overall Rank:

3,093

Average Rating:

77 (89 votes)

Comments:

478.

Mind Bomb

The The

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

98 charts

Rank Score:

484

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

478

Overall Rank:

3,098

Average Rating:

74 (117 votes)

Comments:

479.

A Pagan Place

The Waterboys

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

89 charts

Rank Score:

484

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

479

Overall Rank:

3,100

Average Rating:

75 (100 votes)

Comments:

480.

Signing Off

UB40

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

94 charts

Rank Score:

484

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

480

Overall Rank:

3,102

Average Rating:

73 (119 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 48 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	101	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	416	41%
	387	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	972	97%
Yes	32	3%

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

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	991	99%
Yes	13	1%

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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Best Albums of 1953
1. Black Coffee With Peggy Lee by Peggy Lee
2. Ellington Uptown by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
3. Chante Les Chansons Poétiques no1 by Georges Brassens
4. Sonny Rollins With The Modern Jazz Quartet by Sonny Rollins
5. Dean Martin Sings by Dean Martin
6. The Great Artistry Of Django Reinhardt by Django Reinhardt
7. An Evening With Billie Holiday by Billie Holiday
8. Songs By Tom Lehrer by Tom Lehrer
9. Inca Taqui by Yma Sumac
10. Jazz At Oberlin by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
11. Calamity Jane by Doris Day
12. Puccini: Tosca by Maria Callas / Victor De Sabata
13. Nat King Cole Sings For Two In Love by Nat King Cole
14. Moondog And His Friends by Moondog
15. Memorial Album by Hank Williams
16. New Concepts Of Artistry In Rhythm by Stan Kenton
17. Vol. 2 by Georges Brassens
18. The Duke Plays Ellington by Duke Ellington
19. Young Man With A Horn by Miles Davis
20. Chante... Charles Aznavour by Charles Aznavour