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	192,928	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,248	120,593	Moving Pictures (157th)by Rush
1982	2,210	147,329	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,229	134,942	Murmur (139th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,208	169,250	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,233	143,208	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,346	168,361	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,560	160,338	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,665	151,337	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,693	195,757	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,603	1,584,042

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:

190

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,759

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:

6,762

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:

6,767

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

994.

If'n

fIREHOSE

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,769

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

995.

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:

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:

6,775

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:

6,777

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:

6,779

Average Rating:

79 (9 votes)

Comments:

999.

Stay On These Roads

a-ha

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

52 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,803

Average Rating:

70 (93 votes)

Comments:

1000.

The New Order

Testament

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

61 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,807

Average Rating:

77 (68 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	107	11%
1983	99	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	79	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	88	9%
1988	95	10%
1989	96	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	%

	416	42%
	392	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	969	97%
Yes	31	3%

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

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	11	1%

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Best Albums of 1991
1. Nevermind by Nirvana
2. Loveless by My Bloody Valentine
3. Ten by Pearl Jam
4. Spiderland by Slint
5. Achtung Baby by U2
6. The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest
7. Laughing Stock by Talk Talk
8. Blood Sugar Sex Magik by Red Hot Chili Peppers
9. Metallica by Metallica
10. Blue Lines by Massive Attack
11. Screamadelica by Primal Scream
12. Out Of Time by R.E.M.
13. Badmotorfinger by Soundgarden
14. Trompe Le Monde by Pixies
15. Use Your Illusion II by Guns N' Roses
16. Dangerous by Michael Jackson
17. Temple Of The Dog by Temple Of The Dog
18. Yerself Is Steam by Mercury Rev
19. Gish by The Smashing Pumpkins
20. Bandwagonesque by Teenage Fanclub