Best Albums of the 1980s

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

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	2,214	192,954	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,256	120,795	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,220	147,836	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,236	135,114	Murmur (140th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,211	169,147	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,234	143,417	Hounds Of Love (54th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,349	168,872	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,564	160,485	The Joshua Tree (53rd)by U2
1988	2,673	151,482	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,697	195,794	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,654	1,585,894

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.

Robespierre's Velvet Basement

Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth Jacobites

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,749

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

992.

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:

993.

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:

994.

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:

995.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,786

Average Rating:

77 (35 votes)

Comments:

996.

If'n

fIREHOSE

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,789

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

997.

Tango

Charly García / Pedro Aznar

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

16 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,790

Average Rating:

79 (9 votes)

Comments:

998.

Strange Angels

Laurie Anderson

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

35 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,791

Average Rating:

72 (44 votes)

Comments:

999.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,795

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Earth, Sun, Moon

Love And Rockets

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,796

Average Rating:

74 (64 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	97	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	91	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%
R.E.M.	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	392	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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Best Albums of the 1970s
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
3. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
4. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
5. London Calling by The Clash
6. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
7. The Wall by Pink Floyd
8. Animals by Pink Floyd
9. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
10. Who's Next by The Who
11. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
12. Exile On Main St. by The Rolling Stones
13. Marquee Moon by Television
14. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
15. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
16. Pink Moon by Nick Drake
17. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
18. Low by David Bowie
19. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
20. Blue by Joni Mitchell