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	2,222	192,377	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,262	120,328	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,231	147,681	Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,239	134,602	Murmur (139th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,216	169,218	Purple Rain (77th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,239	143,067	Hounds Of Love (54th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,354	168,565	The Queen Is Dead (16th)by The Smiths
1987	2,567	160,116	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,675	151,210	Daydream Nation (73rd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,704	195,345	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,709	1,582,510

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.

Past Masters
Compilation

The Beatles

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

45 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,788

Average Rating:

84 (218 votes)

Comments:

992.

Cry Tuff Dub Encounter Chapter III

Prince Far I & The Arabs

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

993.

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:

994.

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:

995.

Nena

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

35 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,819

Average Rating:

72 (39 votes)

Comments:

996.

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:

997.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,830

Average Rating:

77 (35 votes)

Comments:

998.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,832

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

999.

If'n

fIREHOSE

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,834

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Earth, Sun, Moon

Love And Rockets

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,835

Average Rating:

74 (64 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	103	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	97	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	91	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%
U2	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	418	42%
	390	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	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 Artists of 1965
1. Bob Dylan
2. The Beatles
3. John Coltrane
4. Otis Redding
5. Nina Simone
6. The Beach Boys
7. The Who
8. The Byrds
9. The Rolling Stones
10. Vince Guaraldi
11. The Sonics
12. Albert Ayler
13. Albert Ayler Trio
14. Herbie Hancock
15. Jackson C. Frank
16. B.B. King
17. The Kinks
18. Bert Jansch
19. John Fahey
20. The Yardbirds