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	2,209	192,901	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,246	120,613	Moving Pictures (157th)by Rush
1982	2,207	147,283	Thriller (73rd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,223	135,063	Murmur (138th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,203	169,467	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,234	143,246	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,345	168,495	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,559	160,597	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,662	151,541	Daydream Nation (72nd)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,690	195,968	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,578	1,585,176

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.

Live... In The Heart Of The City
Live

Whitesnake

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

Earth, Sun, Moon

Love And Rockets

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,770

Average Rating:

74 (63 votes)

Comments:

993.

Clan Of Xymox

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

32 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,774

Average Rating:

77 (35 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:

6,778

Average Rating:

73 (36 votes)

Comments:

995.

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:

995

Overall Rank:

6,779

Average Rating:

71 (24 votes)

Comments:

996.

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:

997.

Kings Of Metal

Manowar

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,785

Average Rating:

71 (62 votes)

Comments:

998.

Runaway Horses

Belinda Carlisle

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

37 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,789

Average Rating:

74 (42 votes)

Comments:

999.

Tango

Charly García / Pedro Aznar

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

16 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,790

Average Rating:

79 (9 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Stay On These Roads

a-ha

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

52 charts

Rank Score:

188

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,813

Average Rating:

70 (93 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	98	10%
1984	103	10%
1985	79	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	88	9%
1988	96	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	%

	415	42%
	392	39%
	39	4%
	26	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 1975
1. Pink Floyd
2. Bob Dylan
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. Led Zeppelin
5. Queen
6. Brian Eno
7. Eno
8. Patti Smith
9. Neil Young
10. Parliament
11. Joni Mitchell
12. Fleetwood Mac
13. Aerosmith
14. Keith Jarrett
15. Neil Young & Crazy Horse
16. David Bowie
17. Fela Kuti
18. Fela Kuti & Africa 70
19. Elton John
20. Black Sabbath