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 53,000 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	2,130	194,039	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,174	120,424	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,138	148,446	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,147	135,691	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,147	171,046	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,148	143,896	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,277	170,118	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,475	162,441	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,564	151,806	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,586	197,486	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,786	1,595,392

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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601.

Nada Personal

Soda Stereo

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

356

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

601

Overall Rank:

4,025

Average Rating:

76 (56 votes)

Comments:

602.

Suffer

Bad Religion

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

95 charts

Rank Score:

355

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

602

Overall Rank:

4,032

Average Rating:

74 (100 votes)

Comments:

603.

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

69 charts

Rank Score:

355

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

603

Overall Rank:

4,037

Average Rating:

70 (100 votes)

Comments:

604.

Through The Looking Glass

高田みどり [Midori Takada]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

48 charts

Rank Score:

354

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

604

Overall Rank:

4,043

Average Rating:

79 (31 votes)

Comments:

605.

Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 2

Helloween

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

60 charts

Rank Score:

352

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

605

Overall Rank:

4,054

Average Rating:

74 (101 votes)

Comments:

606.

Hall Of The Mountain King

Savatage

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

352

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

606

Overall Rank:

4,070

Average Rating:

77 (62 votes)

Comments:

607.

Come Away With ESG

ESG

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

78 charts

Rank Score:

350

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

607

Overall Rank:

4,081

Average Rating:

77 (69 votes)

Comments:

608.

Automatic

The Jesus And Mary Chain

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

102 charts

Rank Score:

350

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

608

Overall Rank:

4,084

Average Rating:

74 (137 votes)

Comments:

609.

Gentlemen Take Polaroids

Japan

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

81 charts

Rank Score:

349

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

609

Overall Rank:

4,089

Average Rating:

75 (112 votes)

Comments:

610.

Hot Space

Queen

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

123 charts

Rank Score:

349

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

610

Overall Rank:

4,094

Average Rating:

62 (284 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 61 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	111	11%
1983	99	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	93	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	387	39%
	41	4%
	28	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	971	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	981	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	991	99%
Yes	13	1%

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Best Albums of the 1970s
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
3. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
4. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
5. London Calling by The Clash
6. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
7. The Wall by Pink Floyd
8. Animals by Pink Floyd
9. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
10. Who's Next by The Who
11. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
12. Exile On Main St. by The Rolling Stones
13. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
14. Marquee Moon by Television
15. Pink Moon by Nick Drake
16. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
17. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
18. Low by David Bowie
19. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
20. Blue by Joni Mitchell