Best Albums of 1981

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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

Decade:

Year:

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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Rush

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

987 charts

Rank Score:

10,091

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

154

Average Rating:

82 (1,260 votes)

Comments:

Computerwelt [Computer World]

Kraftwerk

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

472 charts

Rank Score:

3,461

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

437 charts

Rank Score:

3,295

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

546

Average Rating:

80 (590 votes)

Comments:

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

380 charts

Rank Score:

2,864

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

621

Average Rating:

80 (421 votes)

Comments:

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno & David Byrne

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

369 charts

Rank Score:

2,795

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

100

Overall Rank:

638

Average Rating:

77 (418 votes)

Comments:

Time

Electric Light Orchestra

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

271 charts

Rank Score:

2,574

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

106

Overall Rank:

706

Average Rating:

76 (374 votes)

Comments:

Faith

The Cure

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

378 charts

Rank Score:

2,229

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

121

Overall Rank:

802

Average Rating:

78 (571 votes)

Comments:

Dare

The Human League

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

389 charts

Rank Score:

2,215

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

125

Overall Rank:

811

Average Rating:

75 (445 votes)

Comments:

Damaged

Black Flag

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

379 charts

Rank Score:

2,067

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

133

Overall Rank:

866

Average Rating:

76 (486 votes)

Comments:

10.

Deceit

This Heat

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

249 charts

Rank Score:

2,038

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

135

Overall Rank:

880

Average Rating:

79 (244 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	15	2%
Frank Zappa	5	1%
Simple Minds	3	0%
Gary Numan	3	0%
Scientist	3	0%
David Bowie	3	0%
Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	305	31%
	285	29%
	58	6%
	39	4%
	36	4%
	29	3%
	27	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	938	94%
Yes	62	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	970	97%
Yes	30	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	10	1%

« View best albums of 1980View best albums of 1982 »

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