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 55,000 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	2,223	191,916	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,265	120,404	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,234	147,263	Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,247	134,354	Murmur (138th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,219	168,675	Purple Rain (77th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,242	142,889	Hounds Of Love (54th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,356	167,932	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,572	159,857	The Joshua Tree (51st)by U2
1988	2,680	150,758	Daydream Nation (73rd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,710	194,784	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,748	1,578,832

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.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,775

Average Rating:

77 (35 votes)

Comments:

992.

Iron Fist

Motörhead

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

68 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

993.

In God We Trust, Inc

Dead Kennedys

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

994.

Friday The 13th
Live

The Playn Jayn

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

6 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

995.

The Only Fun In Town

Josef K

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

996.

Nena

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,806

Average Rating:

72 (39 votes)

Comments:

997.

Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III

Prince Far I & The Arabs

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

998.

Live... In The Heart Of The City
Live

Whitesnake

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

999.

Vengeance

New Model Army

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

1000.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,829

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	119	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	108	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	97	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	92	9%
1989	95	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	419	42%
	389	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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Best Albums of 1963
1. The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady by Charles Mingus
2. The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan by Bob Dylan
3. Please Please Me by The Beatles
4. James Brown Live At The Apollo by James Brown
5. With The Beatles by The Beatles
6. Night Beat by Sam Cooke
7. Monk's Dream by The Thelonious Monk Quartet
8. A Christmas Gift For You From Phil Spector by Various Artists
9. Duke Ellington & John Coltrane by Duke Ellington & John Coltrane
10. Money Jungle by Duke Ellington / Charlie Mingus / Max Roach
11. Samba Esquema Novo by Jorge Ben
12. Midnight Blue by Kenny Burrell
13. Night Train by The Oscar Peterson Trio
14. In Dreams by Roy Orbison
15. Ballads by John Coltrane Quartet
16. Beethoven: Symphonien No. 9 by Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
17. Surfer Girl by The Beach Boys
18. John Coltrane And Johnny Hartman by John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman
19. Back At The Chicken Shack by Jimmy Smith
20. Surfin' U.S.A. by The Beach Boys