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	2,115	193,911	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,155	120,180	Moving Pictures (153rd)by Rush
1982	2,129	148,413	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,128	135,605	Murmur (141st)by R.E.M.
1984	2,131	170,993	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,130	143,495	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,256	171,198	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,458	162,742	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,544	152,027	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,563	197,573	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,609	1,596,137

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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121.

Operation: Mindcrime

Queensrÿche

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

273 charts

Rank Score:

2,240

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

121

Overall Rank:

800

Average Rating:

78 (355 votes)

Comments:

122.

Faith

The Cure

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

377 charts

Rank Score:

2,232

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

122

Overall Rank:

803

Average Rating:

78 (568 votes)

Comments:

123.

The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

The Traveling Wilburys

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

306 charts

Rank Score:

2,231

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

123

Overall Rank:

804

Average Rating:

76 (375 votes)

Comments:

124.

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello And The Attractions

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

290 charts

Rank Score:

2,231

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

124

Overall Rank:

805

Average Rating:

78 (376 votes)

Comments:

125.

Boy

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

408 charts

Rank Score:

2,218

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

125

Overall Rank:

812

Average Rating:

75 (738 votes)

Comments:

126.

Dare

The Human League

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

386 charts

Rank Score:

2,205

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

126

Overall Rank:

817

Average Rating:

75 (442 votes)

Comments:

127.

New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

Simple Minds

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

287 charts

Rank Score:

2,160

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

127

Overall Rank:

828

Average Rating:

77 (314 votes)

Comments:

128.

The Real Thing

Faith No More

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

314 charts

Rank Score:

2,150

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

128

Overall Rank:

829

Average Rating:

78 (471 votes)

Comments:

129.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

326 charts

Rank Score:

2,142

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

129

Overall Rank:

832

Average Rating:

79 (372 votes)

Comments:

130.

Come On Pilgrim

Pixies

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

297 charts

Rank Score:

2,105

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

130

Overall Rank:

845

Average Rating:

80 (540 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 13 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	116	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	111	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	79	8%
1986	96	10%
1987	88	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	97	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
U2	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	418	42%
	385	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	965	97%
Yes	35	4%

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

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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