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	2,211	192,921	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,252	120,543	Moving Pictures (157th)by Rush
1982	2,215	147,469	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,233	134,895	Murmur (140th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,210	169,451	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,233	143,343	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,348	168,575	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,562	160,353	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,668	151,463	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,695	195,902	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,627	1,584,915

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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991.

Earth, Sun, Moon

Love And Rockets

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,765

Average Rating:

74 (63 votes)

Comments:

992.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,768

Average Rating:

77 (35 votes)

Comments:

993.

Robespierre's Velvet Basement

Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth Jacobites

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

27 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,776

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

994.

The Only Fun In Town

Josef K

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

995.

If'n

fIREHOSE

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,779

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

996.

Kings Of Metal

Manowar

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,784

Average Rating:

71 (62 votes)

Comments:

997.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,785

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

998.

Tango

Charly García / Pedro Aznar

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

16 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,787

Average Rating:

79 (9 votes)

Comments:

999.

The Pink Opaque
Compilation

Cocteau Twins

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

42 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,800

Average Rating:

78 (71 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Stay On These Roads

a-ha

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

52 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,811

Average Rating:

70 (93 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	104	10%
1985	79	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	96	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
The Smiths	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
The Fall	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	392	39%
	39	4%
	28	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	970	97%
Yes	32	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	991	99%
Yes	11	1%

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

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Best Albums of the 1960s
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles
2. Revolver by The Beatles
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
4. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
5. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
6. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
7. In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) by King Crimson
8. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
9. Rubber Soul by The Beatles
10. The Doors by The Doors
11. Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
12. Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
13. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
14. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
15. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
16. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
17. Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
18. Forever Changes by Love
19. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
20. Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles