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	2,131	193,940	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,175	120,616	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,139	148,384	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,149	135,638	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,152	170,973	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,166	143,916	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,279	170,050	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,479	162,447	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,567	151,743	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,590	197,377	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,827	1,595,083

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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901.

Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture
Live soundtrack

David Bowie

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

216

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

901

Overall Rank:

6,053

Average Rating:

77 (132 votes)

Comments:

902.

Bring On The Night
Live

Sting

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

216

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

902

Overall Rank:

6,056

Average Rating:

72 (43 votes)

Comments:

903.

Metamatic

John Foxx

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

55 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

904.

Journeyman

Eric Clapton

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

71 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

904

Overall Rank:

6,062

Average Rating:

73 (116 votes)

Comments:

905.

Seconds Of Pleasure

Rockpile

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

40 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

906.

Mainstream

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

214

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

906

Overall Rank:

6,084

Average Rating:

75 (53 votes)

Comments:

907.

The Age Of Plastic

The Buggles

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

62 charts

Rank Score:

214

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

908.

Only Theatre Of Pain

Christian Death

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

39 charts

Rank Score:

214

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

908

Overall Rank:

6,097

Average Rating:

73 (51 votes)

Comments:

909.

101
Live

Depeche Mode

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

69 charts

Rank Score:

213

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

909

Overall Rank:

6,106

Average Rating:

76 (125 votes)

Comments:

910.

World Shut Your Mouth

Julian Cope

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

213

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

910

Overall Rank:

6,118

Average Rating:

71 (46 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 91 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	81	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	415	41%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	13	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	34	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	22	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	12	1%

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

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