Best Albums of 1981

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Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

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 Cure, The Human League, Black Flag and This Heat.

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51.

Desire

Tuxedomoon

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

78 charts

Rank Score:

525

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

446

Overall Rank:

2,896

Average Rating:

76 (88 votes)

Comments:

52.

Scientist Rids The World Of The Evil Curse Of The Vampires

Scientist

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

67 charts

Rank Score:

519

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

451

Overall Rank:

2,919

Average Rating:

77 (55 votes)

Comments:

53.

Pretenders II

Pretenders

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

121 charts

Rank Score:

475

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

487

Overall Rank:

3,152

Average Rating:

75 (131 votes)

Comments:

54.

No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith
Live

Motörhead

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

470

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

491

Overall Rank:

3,179

Average Rating:

80 (162 votes)

Comments:

55.

Playing With A Different Sex

Au Pairs

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

85 charts

Rank Score:

467

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

494

Overall Rank:

3,194

Average Rating:

78 (79 votes)

Comments:

56.

Wild Gift

X (US)

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

129 charts

Rank Score:

457

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

498

Overall Rank:

3,250

Average Rating:

75 (135 votes)

Comments:

57.

Hard Promises

Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

129 charts

Rank Score:

454

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

499

Overall Rank:

3,259

Average Rating:

75 (157 votes)

Comments:

58.

The Durutti Column

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

451

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

504

Overall Rank:

3,277

Average Rating:

75 (91 votes)

Comments:

59.

Mask

Bauhaus

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

124 charts

Rank Score:

450

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

506

Overall Rank:

3,284

Average Rating:

77 (151 votes)

Comments:

60.

Speak & Spell

Depeche Mode

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

141 charts

Rank Score:

447

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

511

Overall Rank:

3,299

Average Rating:

70 (211 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 6 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	15	2%
Frank Zappa	5	1%
Scientist	3	0%
Kitarō	3	0%
Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra	3	0%
Simple Minds	3	0%
David Bowie	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	305	31%
	284	28%
	58	6%
	39	4%
	36	4%
	30	3%
	27	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	939	94%
Yes	61	6%

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

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	10	1%

« View best albums of 1980View best albums of 1982 »

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Best Albums of 1985
1. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
2. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
3. Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
4. Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
5. Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain
6. Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
7. The Head On The Door by The Cure
8. Tim by The Replacements
9. Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
10. Rum Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues
11. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
12. Low-Life by New Order
13. This Is The Sea by The Waterboys
14. New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü
15. This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall
16. Fables Of The Reconstruction by R.E.M.
17. Little Creatures by Talking Heads
18. Around The World In A Day by Prince And The Revolution
19. Love by The Cult
20. The Dream Of The Blue Turtles by Sting