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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541.

Forever Now

The Psychedelic Furs

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

96 charts

Rank Score:

412

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

541

Overall Rank:

3,553

Average Rating:

77 (96 votes)

Comments:

542.

The Firstborn Is Dead

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

154 charts

Rank Score:

412

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

542

Overall Rank:

3,555

Average Rating:

74 (178 votes)

Comments:

543.

The People Who Grinned Themselves To Death

The Housemartins

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

86 charts

Rank Score:

411

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

543

Overall Rank:

3,563

Average Rating:

77 (78 votes)

Comments:

544.

Structures From Silence

Steve Roach

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

84 charts

Rank Score:

409

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

544

Overall Rank:

3,572

Average Rating:

77 (77 votes)

Comments:

545.

Hi Infidelity

REO Speedwagon

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

99 charts

Rank Score:

409

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

545

Overall Rank:

3,573

Average Rating:

72 (114 votes)

Comments:

546.

Eden

Everything But The Girl

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

409

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

546

Overall Rank:

3,574

Average Rating:

77 (82 votes)

Comments:

547.

Throwing Muses (1986)

Throwing Muses

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

78 charts

Rank Score:

409

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

547

Overall Rank:

3,575

Average Rating:

76 (71 votes)

Comments:

548.

808 State

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

77 charts

Rank Score:

409

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

548

Overall Rank:

3,578

Average Rating:

72 (92 votes)

Comments:

549.

Gone To Earth

David Sylvian

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

67 charts

Rank Score:

408

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

549

Overall Rank:

3,581

Average Rating:

75 (77 votes)

Comments:

550.

Strong Persuader

Robert Cray

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

80 charts

Rank Score:

406

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

550

Overall Rank:

3,594

Average Rating:

73 (104 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 55 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%

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