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	2,127	194,177	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,159	120,391	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,134	148,467	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,130	135,737	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,142	171,184	Purple Rain (82nd)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,142	143,810	Hounds Of Love (59th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,268	170,224	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,472	162,359	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,772	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,583	197,435	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,719	1,595,555

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.

Songs To Learn And Sing
Compilation

Echo & The Bunnymen

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

192

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,717

Average Rating:

80 (71 votes)

Comments:

992.

Caifanes

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

192

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

992

Overall Rank:

6,718

Average Rating:

79 (35 votes)

Comments:

993.

Blue Blood

X Japan

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

17 charts

Rank Score:

192

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,725

Average Rating:

74 (30 votes)

Comments:

994.

Theatre Of Pain

Mötley Crüe

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

55 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,732

Average Rating:

64 (108 votes)

Comments:

995.

Skyscraper

David Lee Roth

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

42 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,734

Average Rating:

73 (56 votes)

Comments:

996.

The New Order

Testament

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

60 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,741

Average Rating:

77 (68 votes)

Comments:

997.

Tonight

David Bowie

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

102 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

998.

Jimi Plays Monterey (Original Motion Picture Sound Track)
Live soundtrack

Jimi Hendrix

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,756

Average Rating:

81 (56 votes)

Comments:

999.

Twitch

Ministry

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,759

Average Rating:

72 (41 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Kings Of Metal

Manowar

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

27 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,762

Average Rating:

71 (61 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	415	42%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%

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Best Artists of the 1970s
1. Pink Floyd
2. David Bowie
3. Led Zeppelin
4. Neil Young
5. The Rolling Stones
6. The Clash
7. Fleetwood Mac
8. Black Sabbath
9. The Who
10. Genesis
11. Stevie Wonder
12. Bob Dylan
13. Paul McCartney
14. Yes
15. Joni Mitchell
16. Bruce Springsteen
17. Bob Marley
18. Nick Drake
19. Queen
20. Joy Division