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	2,210	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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321.

October

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

208 charts

Rank Score:

788

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

321

Overall Rank:

2,084

Average Rating:

72 (425 votes)

Comments:

322.

Introspective

Pet Shop Boys

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

151 charts

Rank Score:

788

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

322

Overall Rank:

2,085

Average Rating:

76 (179 votes)

Comments:

323.

Rebel Yell

Billy Idol

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

183 charts

Rank Score:

786

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

323

Overall Rank:

2,092

Average Rating:

74 (199 votes)

Comments:

324.

Bad Moon Rising

Sonic Youth

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

164 charts

Rank Score:

783

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

324

Overall Rank:

2,100

Average Rating:

73 (241 votes)

Comments:

325.

The Turn Of A Friendly Card

The Alan Parsons Project

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

135 charts

Rank Score:

779

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

325

Overall Rank:

2,107

Average Rating:

76 (192 votes)

Comments:

326.

Music For A New Society

John Cale

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

112 charts

Rank Score:

776

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

326

Overall Rank:

2,118

Average Rating:

77 (111 votes)

Comments:

327.

Complete Discography
Compilation

Minor Threat

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

109 charts

Rank Score:

765

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

327

Overall Rank:

2,145

Average Rating:

81 (139 votes)

Comments:

328.

Scarecrow

John Cougar Mellencamp

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

159 charts

Rank Score:

763

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

328

Overall Rank:

2,147

Average Rating:

76 (191 votes)

Comments:

329.

Whitesnake

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

149 charts

Rank Score:

760

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

329

Overall Rank:

2,155

Average Rating:

74 (193 votes)

Comments:

330.

Ambient 4: On Land

Brian Eno

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

157 charts

Rank Score:

758

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

330

Overall Rank:

2,157

Average Rating:

78 (203 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 33 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 Albums of the 1990s
1. OK Computer by Radiohead
2. Nevermind by Nirvana
3. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
4. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine
5. The Bends by Radiohead
6. Automatic For The People by R.E.M.
7. Ten by Pearl Jam
8. Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins
9. In Utero by Nirvana
10. Grace by Jeff Buckley
11. (What's The Story) Morning Glory? by Oasis
12. Illmatic by Nas
13. Dummy by Portishead
14. Ágætis Byrjun by Sigur Rós
15. Weezer (Blue Album) by Weezer
16. Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins
17. Homogenic by Björk
18. Spiderland by Slint
19. Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) by Wu-Tang Clan
20. Achtung Baby by U2