Best Albums of 1981

Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 54,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
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Year:
1981 year summaryThe best artists of 1981 were Rush, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Electric Light Orchestra, The Human League, The Cure, Black Flag and This Heat.
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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 88 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Country Albums %


United States 312 31%
United Kingdom 279 28%
Germany 60 6%
Mixed Nationality 38 4%
Australia 35 4%
France 29 3%
Japan 28 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 939 94%
Yes 61 6%
Live? Albums %
No 969 97%
Yes 31 3%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 991 99%
Yes 9 1%
Popular  Charts
1. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
2. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
3. The Top 100 Albums by VH1 (2001)
4. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
5. 100 Best Albums - 2024 Edition by Apple Music (2024)
6. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
7. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
8. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
9. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
10. The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by Absolute Radio (2012)
11. Die 100 besten Alben der Musikgeschichte by radioeins (2019)
12. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
13. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
14. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
15. The Greatest Rock Albums by uDiscoverMusic (2015)
16. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
17. The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time (1-100) by Paste (2024)
18. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
19. Los 48 mejores discos de la historia by Esquire España (2022)
20. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
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