Best Albums of the 1980s

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

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	2,117	193,957	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,157	120,039	Moving Pictures (154th)by Rush
1982	2,129	148,164	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,128	135,463	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,133	171,023	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,136	143,865	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,261	170,405	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,462	162,590	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,560	152,102	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,572	197,250	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,655	1,594,860

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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271.

Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963
Live

Sam Cooke

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

139 charts

Rank Score:

975

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

271

Overall Rank:

1,745

Average Rating:

82 (171 votes)

Comments:

272.

The Dream Of The Blue Turtles

Sting

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

972

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

272

Overall Rank:

1,751

Average Rating:

74 (240 votes)

Comments:

273.

Plastic Surgery Disasters

Dead Kennedys

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

181 charts

Rank Score:

970

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

273

Overall Rank:

1,754

Average Rating:

79 (236 votes)

Comments:

274.

You Made Me Realise

My Bloody Valentine

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

144 charts

Rank Score:

960

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

274

Overall Rank:

1,762

Average Rating:

83 (266 votes)

Comments:

275.

Escape

Journey

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

186 charts

Rank Score:

953

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

275

Overall Rank:

1,771

Average Rating:

71 (250 votes)

Comments:

276.

High Land, Hard Rain

Aztec Camera

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

180 charts

Rank Score:

948

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

276

Overall Rank:

1,778

Average Rating:

76 (172 votes)

Comments:

277.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Midnight Oil

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

127 charts

Rank Score:

946

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

277

Overall Rank:

1,782

Average Rating:

76 (139 votes)

Comments:

278.

Blackout

Scorpions

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

185 charts

Rank Score:

945

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

278

Overall Rank:

1,785

Average Rating:

76 (214 votes)

Comments:

279.

Suzanne Vega

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

170 charts

Rank Score:

944

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

279

Overall Rank:

1,786

Average Rating:

75 (194 votes)

Comments:

280.

Heartattack And Vine

Tom Waits

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

190 charts

Rank Score:

935

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

280

Overall Rank:

1,803

Average Rating:

75 (254 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 28 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	80	8%
1986	96	10%
1987	87	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	97	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	385	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	34	3%

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

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

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