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	2,115	193,859	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,155	120,147	Moving Pictures (153rd)by Rush
1982	2,129	148,353	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,128	135,561	Murmur (141st)by R.E.M.
1984	2,132	170,911	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,134	143,500	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,258	171,215	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,461	162,694	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,544	152,020	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,565	197,466	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,621	1,595,727

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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331.

The Days Of Wine And Roses

The Dream Syndicate

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

156 charts

Rank Score:

753

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

331

Overall Rank:

2,173

Average Rating:

76 (145 votes)

Comments:

332.

Killing Joke

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

181 charts

Rank Score:

751

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

332

Overall Rank:

2,175

Average Rating:

77 (202 votes)

Comments:

333.

Complete Discography
Compilation

Minor Threat

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

107 charts

Rank Score:

742

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

333

Overall Rank:

2,194

Average Rating:

81 (138 votes)

Comments:

334.

Music For A New Society

John Cale

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

110 charts

Rank Score:

741

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

334

Overall Rank:

2,196

Average Rating:

77 (108 votes)

Comments:

335.

Introspective

Pet Shop Boys

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

144 charts

Rank Score:

740

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

335

Overall Rank:

2,203

Average Rating:

76 (173 votes)

Comments:

336.

Vs.

Mission Of Burma

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

156 charts

Rank Score:

740

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

336

Overall Rank:

2,204

Average Rating:

78 (179 votes)

Comments:

337.

Upstairs At Eric's

Yazoo

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

143 charts

Rank Score:

732

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

337

Overall Rank:

2,217

Average Rating:

75 (143 votes)

Comments:

338.

Dolmen Music

Meredith Monk

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

69 charts

Rank Score:

732

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

338

Overall Rank:

2,218

Average Rating:

75 (78 votes)

Comments:

339.

Wild Planet

The B-52's

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

140 charts

Rank Score:

729

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

339

Overall Rank:

2,228

Average Rating:

76 (155 votes)

Comments:

340.

Cloud Nine

George Harrison

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

164 charts

Rank Score:

728

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

340

Overall Rank:

2,232

Average Rating:

75 (254 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 34 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%

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

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