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	2,210	192,946	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,247	120,615	Moving Pictures (157th)by Rush
1982	2,208	147,327	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,227	135,089	Murmur (138th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,207	169,528	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,233	143,336	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,346	168,530	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,559	160,626	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,663	151,563	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,691	195,939	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,591	1,585,497

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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211.

Around The World In A Day

Prince And The Revolution

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

264 charts

Rank Score:

1,340

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

211

Overall Rank:

1,305

Average Rating:

77 (351 votes)

Comments:

212.

Uprising

Bob Marley & The Wailers

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

252 charts

Rank Score:

1,339

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

212

Overall Rank:

1,307

Average Rating:

77 (281 votes)

Comments:

213.

Face Value

Phil Collins

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

249 charts

Rank Score:

1,336

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

213

Overall Rank:

1,310

Average Rating:

72 (307 votes)

Comments:

214.

Glass Houses

Billy Joel

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

1,319

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

214

Overall Rank:

1,326

Average Rating:

77 (293 votes)

Comments:

215.

Oh Mercy

Bob Dylan

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

257 charts

Rank Score:

1,300

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

215

Overall Rank:

1,343

Average Rating:

75 (383 votes)

Comments:

216.

Children Of God

Swans

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

206 charts

Rank Score:

1,296

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

216

Overall Rank:

1,346

Average Rating:

80 (268 votes)

Comments:

217.

Apollo: Atmospheres & Soundtracks

Brian Eno With Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

1,270

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

217

Overall Rank:

1,368

Average Rating:

80 (239 votes)

Comments:

218.

Killers

Iron Maiden

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

259 charts

Rank Score:

1,260

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

218

Overall Rank:

1,379

Average Rating:

77 (451 votes)

Comments:

219.

Atomizer

Big Black

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

184 charts

Rank Score:

1,260

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

219

Overall Rank:

1,382

Average Rating:

76 (194 votes)

Comments:

220.

Actually

Pet Shop Boys

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

256 charts

Rank Score:

1,259

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

220

Overall Rank:

1,383

Average Rating:

76 (273 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 22 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	107	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	79	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	96	10%
1989	96	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	415	41%
	392	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	970	97%
Yes	31	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	11	1%

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

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Best Artists of 1992
1. R.E.M.
2. Rage Against The Machine
3. Alice In Chains
4. Pavement
5. Aphex Twin
6. Richard David James
7. Dr. Dre
8. Faith No More
9. Tori Amos
10. Red House Painters
11. The Cure
12. Tom Waits
13. Dream Theater
14. Sonic Youth
15. Stone Temple Pilots
16. Pantera
17. Neil Young
18. Beastie Boys
19. Sugar
20. Sade