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	193,862	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,176	120,565	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,140	148,217	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,154	135,570	Murmur (144th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,154	170,824	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,167	144,176	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,284	170,063	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,489	162,455	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,567	151,786	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,593	197,509	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,858	1,595,027

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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821.

The Mekons Rock 'N' Roll

Mekons

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

54 charts

Rank Score:

240

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

821

Overall Rank:

5,542

Average Rating:

75 (43 votes)

Comments:

822.

Ali Farka Toure (Ten Songs From The Legendary Singer From Mali)

Ali Farka Touré

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

239

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

822

Overall Rank:

5,548

Average Rating:

78 (34 votes)

Comments:

823.

Living My Life

Grace Jones

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

45 charts

Rank Score:

239

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

823

Overall Rank:

5,552

Average Rating:

74 (45 votes)

Comments:

824.

Element Of Light

Robyn Hitchcock And The Egyptians

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

27 charts

Rank Score:

238

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

824

Overall Rank:

5,565

Average Rating:

76 (30 votes)

Comments:

825.

Freaky Styley

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

87 charts

Rank Score:

238

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

825

Overall Rank:

5,569

Average Rating:

65 (213 votes)

Comments:

826.

Trio

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

238

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

826

Overall Rank:

5,571

Average Rating:

71 (30 votes)

Comments:

827.

One From The Heart - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Of Francis Coppola's Movie
Soundtrack

Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

41 charts

Rank Score:

238

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

827

Overall Rank:

5,573

Average Rating:

73 (74 votes)

Comments:

828.

True

Spandau Ballet

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

75 charts

Rank Score:

238

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

828

Overall Rank:

5,575

Average Rating:

74 (78 votes)

Comments:

829.

Junta

Phish

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

54 charts

Rank Score:

237

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

829

Overall Rank:

5,578

Average Rating:

75 (74 votes)

Comments:

830.

When Dream And Day Unite

Dream Theater

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

30 charts

Rank Score:

237

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

830

Overall Rank:

5,580

Average Rating:

67 (85 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 83 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	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%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	416	41%
	386	38%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	970	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	981	98%
Yes	22	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	991	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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Best Albums of 1951
1. Genius Of Modern Music by Thelonious Monk
2. Masterpieces By Ellington by Duke Ellington And His Orchestra
3. Hank Williams Sings by Hank Williams With His Drifting Cowboys
4. Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite by Machito
5. Ritual Of The Savage by Les Baxter
6. On Moonlight Bay by Doris Day
7. Lover Man by Billie Holiday
8. Les Paul's New Sound, Vol. 2 by Les Paul & Mary Ford
9. Satchmo At Symphony Hall by Louis Armstrong
10. Sonatas And Interludes For Prepared Piano By John Cage by Maro Ajemian
11. The New Sounds by Miles Davis
12. Judy At The Palace by Judy Garland
13. Talking And Drum Solos by Baby Dodds
14. I'll See You In My Dreams by Doris Day
15. Lullaby Of Broadway by Doris Day
16. Encores by Édith Piaf
17. Harmony Time Vol.2 by The Chordettes
18. 1ère Série: Félix Leclerc Chante Ses Derniers Succès by Félix Leclerc
19. Blessed Assurance by Sister Rosetta Tharpe
20. Porgy And Bess by George Gershwin