Best Albums of the 1980s

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
YearAlbums 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.
19802,210192,946
19812,247120,615
19822,208147,327
19832,227135,089
Murmur (138th)by R.E.M.
19842,207169,528
19852,233143,336
19862,346168,530
19872,559160,626
19882,663151,563
19892,691195,939
Total23,5911,585,497

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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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,760
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,666
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,581
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,542
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,326
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,005
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,978
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,930
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,874
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,857
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 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 %


United Kingdom 415 41%
United States 392 39%
Australia 39 4%
Mixed Nationality 27 3%
Canada 23 2%
Germany 22 2%
Argentina 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%
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
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