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	2,121	193,682	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,159	120,067	Moving Pictures (154th)by Rush
1982	2,131	147,981	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,128	135,153	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,136	170,750	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,138	143,669	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,264	170,138	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,466	162,457	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,907	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,581	197,376	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,686	1,593,181

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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881.

Wind

Gigi Masin

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

18 charts

Rank Score:

219

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

881

Overall Rank:

5,966

Average Rating:

75 (14 votes)

Comments:

882.

Denim And Leather

Saxon

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

58 charts

Rank Score:

219

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

883.

Biograph
Compilation

Bob Dylan

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

31 charts

Rank Score:

218

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

883

Overall Rank:

5,974

Average Rating:

78 (118 votes)

Comments:

884.

Icehouse

Flowers (AU)

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

218

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

885.

Seconds Of Pleasure

Rockpile

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

40 charts

Rank Score:

217

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

886.

Songs Of Pain

Daniel Johnston

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

48 charts

Rank Score:

217

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

887.

Bring On The Night
Live

Sting

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

217

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

887

Overall Rank:

6,014

Average Rating:

72 (43 votes)

Comments:

888.

Radio K.A.O.S.

Roger Waters

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

63 charts

Rank Score:

216

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

888

Overall Rank:

6,034

Average Rating:

68 (121 votes)

Comments:

889.

Mainstream

Lloyd Cole And The Commotions

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

216

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

889

Overall Rank:

6,035

Average Rating:

75 (53 votes)

Comments:

890.

Too Low For Zero

Elton John

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

890

Overall Rank:

6,036

Average Rating:

69 (135 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 89 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%
U2	7	1%
The Fall	7	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	386	39%
	40	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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