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 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 (55th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,346	168,361	The Queen Is Dead (16th)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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931.

Blind Man's Zoo

10,000 Maniacs

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

206

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

931

Overall Rank:

6,306

Average Rating:

72 (66 votes)

Comments:

932.

Night Nurse

Gregory Isaacs

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

206

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

933.

Only Theatre Of Pain

Christian Death

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

41 charts

Rank Score:

205

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

934.

In The Dark

Grateful Dead

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

57 charts

Rank Score:

205

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

934

Overall Rank:

6,340

Average Rating:

72 (70 votes)

Comments:

935.

Reach The Beach

The Fixx

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

56 charts

Rank Score:

204

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

935

Overall Rank:

6,364

Average Rating:

72 (73 votes)

Comments:

936.

Rembrandt Pussyhorse

Butthole Surfers

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

53 charts

Rank Score:

204

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

936

Overall Rank:

6,372

Average Rating:

74 (59 votes)

Comments:

937.

Pictures At Eleven

Robert Plant

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

54 charts

Rank Score:

204

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

938.

Too Many Humans

No Trend

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

15 charts

Rank Score:

203

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

938

Overall Rank:

6,379

Average Rating:

74 (12 votes)

Comments:

939.

Balls To The Wall

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

55 charts

Rank Score:

203

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

939

Overall Rank:

6,383

Average Rating:

75 (89 votes)

Comments:

940.

Cultösaurus Erectus

Blue Öyster Cult

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

203

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 94 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%

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

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Best Artists of the 1990s
1. Radiohead
2. Nirvana
3. The Smashing Pumpkins
4. Neutral Milk Hotel
5. Oasis
6. My Bloody Valentine
7. Pearl Jam
8. R.E.M.
9. Weezer
10. Nick Cave
11. Björk
12. Richard David James
13. Pavement
14. Portishead
15. Jeff Buckley
16. Blur
17. Elliott Smith
18. Nas
19. Massive Attack
20. Red Hot Chili Peppers