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	2,125	194,092	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,158	120,255	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,132	148,187	Thriller (78th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,129	135,692	Murmur (141st)by R.E.M.
1984	2,139	171,288	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,140	143,785	Hounds Of Love (59th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,269	170,628	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,470	162,648	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	152,152	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,583	197,573	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,707	1,596,300

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.

Skyscraper

David Lee Roth

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

42 charts

Rank Score:

192

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

991

Overall Rank:

6,724

Average Rating:

73 (55 votes)

Comments:

992.

New Clear Days

The Vapors

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

24 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

993.

Twitch

Ministry

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,737

Average Rating:

72 (41 votes)

Comments:

994.

Kings Of Metal

Manowar

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

27 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,740

Average Rating:

71 (61 votes)

Comments:

995.

Songs To Learn And Sing
Compilation

Echo & The Bunnymen

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,741

Average Rating:

80 (71 votes)

Comments:

996.

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:

997.

Filigree & Shadow

This Mortal Coil

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

62 charts

Rank Score:

191

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,746

Average Rating:

75 (66 votes)

Comments:

998.

Vun Drinne Noh Drusse

BAP

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

17 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

999.

Squirrel And G-Man Twenty Four Hour Party People Plastic Face Carnt Smile (White Out)

Happy Mondays

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,759

Average Rating:

73 (50 votes)

Comments:

1000.

...Off The Bone
Compilation

The Cramps

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

26 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

1,000

Overall Rank:

6,772

Average Rating:

73 (47 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	116	12%
1981	122	12%
1982	111	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	87	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	97	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%
The Fall	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	385	39%
	41	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%

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

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Best Albums of 1957
1. Blue Train by John Coltrane
2. Here's Little Richard by Little Richard
3. Brilliant Corners by Thelonious Monk
4. Saxophone Colossus by Sonny Rollins
5. The "Chirping" Crickets by The Crickets
6. Birth Of The Cool by Miles Davis
7. 'Round About Midnight by Miles Davis
8. Johnny Cash With His Hot And Blue Guitar by Johnny Cash
9. After School Session by Chuck Berry
10. Ray Charles by Ray Charles
11. Cookin' With The Miles Davis Quintet by Miles Davis Quintet
12. Miles Ahead by Miles Davis + 19
13. The Best Of Muddy Waters by Muddy Waters
14. Monk's Music by Thelonious Monk Septet
15. The Clown by Charles Mingus
16. Dance Album by Carl Perkins
17. After Midnight by Nat King Cole
18. Singin' The Blues by B.B. King
19. Way Out West by Sonny Rollins
20. Singin' To My Baby by Eddie Cochran