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.
Year 1980	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,233	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 191,547	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
Year 1981	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,278	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 119,602	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
Year 1982	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,247	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 147,119	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
Year 1983	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,258	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 134,046	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Murmur (137th)by R.E.M.
Year 1984	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,228	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 168,113	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Purple Rain (75th)by Prince And The Revolution
Year 1985	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,259	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 141,972	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Hounds Of Love (53rd)by Kate Bush
Year 1986	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,374	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 167,249	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
Year 1987	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,587	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 159,336	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
Year 1988	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,694	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 150,376	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Daydream Nation (73rd)by Sonic Youth
Year 1989	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 2,731	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 193,390	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart. Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Year Total	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts. 23,889	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year) 1,572,751	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.

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.

Octet / Music For A Large Ensemble / Violin Phase

Steve Reich

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

17 RE

Litfiba

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

14 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,788

Average Rating:

70 (22 votes)

Comments:

993.

Synthesist

Harald Grosskopf

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

994.

Another Side

Fingers, Inc

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,805

Average Rating:

77 (16 votes)

Comments:

995.

Iron Fist

Motörhead

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

68 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

996.

Strange Angels

Laurie Anderson

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,815

Average Rating:

72 (44 votes)

Comments:

997.

Falco 3

Falco

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,820

Average Rating:

71 (53 votes)

Comments:

998.

Robespierre's Velvet Basement

Nikki Sudden & Dave Kusworth Jacobites

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,821

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

999.

Seasons End

Marillion

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,826

Average Rating:

76 (73 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Wind

Gigi Masin

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

20 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,827

Average Rating:

76 (15 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	119	12%
1982	107	11%
1983	99	10%
1984	101	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	97	10%
1987	87	9%
1988	95	10%
1989	95	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	390	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	11	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	34	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	22	2%

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

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

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