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	2,192	193,491	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,226	120,879	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,181	147,851	Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,227	135,321	Murmur (139th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,191	170,205	Purple Rain (78th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,217	143,847	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,335	169,347	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,543	161,211	The Joshua Tree (54th)by U2
1988	2,638	151,960	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,672	197,044	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,422	1,591,157

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.

Place Without A Postcard

Midnight Oil

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

Batman™ (Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Soundtrack

Prince

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

75 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,758

Average Rating:

68 (118 votes)

Comments:

993.

Complete Madness
Compilation

Madness

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

994.

It's Only Right And Natural

The Frogs

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,774

Average Rating:

67 (39 votes)

Comments:

995.

Dois

Legião Urbana

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,775

Average Rating:

81 (72 votes)

Comments:

996.

Man Of Colours

Icehouse

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,776

Average Rating:

68 (56 votes)

Comments:

997.

The New Order

Testament

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

60 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,777

Average Rating:

77 (68 votes)

Comments:

998.

Ammonia Avenue

The Alan Parsons Project

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

999.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,796

Average Rating:

71 (51 votes)

Comments:

1000.

To Mega Therion

Celtic Frost

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

61 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,797

Average Rating:

76 (77 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	108	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	414	41%
	390	39%
	41	4%
	26	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	980	98%
Yes	20	2%

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

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

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