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 54,000 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	2,212	193,037	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,254	120,704	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,218	147,772	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,234	135,048	Murmur (140th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,211	169,411	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,234	143,556	Hounds Of Love (55th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,347	168,690	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,564	160,474	The Joshua Tree (53rd)by U2
1988	2,672	151,628	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,696	195,895	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,642	1,586,215

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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991.

Live... In The Heart Of The City
Live

Whitesnake

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

Vengeance

New Model Army

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

993.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,773

Average Rating:

77 (35 votes)

Comments:

994.

Strange Angels

Laurie Anderson

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

35 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,774

Average Rating:

72 (44 votes)

Comments:

995.

The Only Fun In Town

Josef K

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

996.

Tango

Charly García / Pedro Aznar

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

16 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,780

Average Rating:

79 (9 votes)

Comments:

997.

If'n

fIREHOSE

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,782

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

998.

Earth, Sun, Moon

Love And Rockets

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,787

Average Rating:

74 (64 votes)

Comments:

999.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,790

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Kings Of Metal

Manowar

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,791

Average Rating:

71 (62 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	108	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	96	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
The Smiths	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
U2	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	393	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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