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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421.

Flip Your Wig

Hüsker Dü

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

134 charts

Rank Score:

565

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

421

Overall Rank:

2,722

Average Rating:

78 (144 votes)

Comments:

422.

Talking With The Taxman About Poetry

Billy Bragg

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

561

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

422

Overall Rank:

2,737

Average Rating:

77 (122 votes)

Comments:

423.

Bizarro

The Wedding Present

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

90 charts

Rank Score:

561

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

423

Overall Rank:

2,743

Average Rating:

77 (86 votes)

Comments:

424.

Various Positions

Leonard Cohen

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

560

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

424

Overall Rank:

2,749

Average Rating:

75 (150 votes)

Comments:

425.

Kilimanjaro

The Teardrop Explodes

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

139 charts

Rank Score:

557

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

425

Overall Rank:

2,753

Average Rating:

75 (130 votes)

Comments:

426.

Desire

Tuxedomoon

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

81 charts

Rank Score:

556

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

426

Overall Rank:

2,759

Average Rating:

76 (89 votes)

Comments:

427.

A Walk Across The Rooftops

The Blue Nile

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

127 charts

Rank Score:

552

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

427

Overall Rank:

2,771

Average Rating:

79 (128 votes)

Comments:

428.

Over The Edge

Wipers

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

114 charts

Rank Score:

552

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

428

Overall Rank:

2,774

Average Rating:

77 (113 votes)

Comments:

429.

Swoon

Prefab Sprout

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

550

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

429

Overall Rank:

2,786

Average Rating:

74 (106 votes)

Comments:

430.

Psychic... Powerless... Another Man's Sac

Butthole Surfers

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

549

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

430

Overall Rank:

2,789

Average Rating:

77 (135 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 43 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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