Labour Of Love
by UB40

Labour Of Love by UB40
Year: 1983
Overall rank: 5,452nd   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
71/100 (from 112 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1983 (79th)
Award Top albums of the 1980s (793rd)
Award Best albums of all time (5,452nd)

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Product Details
Availability

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UB40 - Labour of Love [New Vinyl LP] Deluxe Ed
Condition: New


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UB40 - Labour Of Love (CD) 1983- Tested Plays Great
Condition: Like New


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Labour Of Love (deluxe edition) by Ub40 (3CD, 2015)
Condition: Brand New


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UB40 bestography

Labour Of Love is ranked 2nd best out of 29 albums by UB40 on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by UB40 is Signing Off which is ranked number 2967 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 512.

UB40 album bestography « Higher ranked (2,967th)
Signing Off
This album (5,452nd)
Labour Of Love
Lower ranked (13,717th) »
Present Arms

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

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Labour Of Love rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 5,452nd | 1980s rank: 793rd | 1983 rank: 79th

Labour Of Love collection

Labour Of Love ratings

Average Rating: 
71/100 (from 112 votes)
  Ratings distribution Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album.  | Show all 112 ratings for this album.

Sort Sort by
RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 
02/22/2026 00:14 culwin  Ratings distribution  1,41275/100
 
55/100
 
12/17/2025 16:10 Leginlists  Ratings distribution  3,11483/100
 
75/100
 
11/20/2025 20:15 Siromynian  Ratings distribution  1,62978/100
 
55/100
 
11/12/2025 23:44 NYAndreas  Ratings distribution  1,43344/100
 
70/100
 
09/25/2025 13:19 machiaj  Ratings distribution  80571/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album has a Bayesian average rating of 70.8/100, a mean average of 69.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 70.7/100. The standard deviation for this album is 15.4.

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Labour Of Love favourites

Showing all 13 members who have added this album as a favourite

Labour Of Love comments

Showing all 8 comments |
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Rating:  
75/100
From 01/26/2023 20:45 | #293285
Not a huge reggae buff but this was a lot better than I was expecting. Pleasantly surprised. Probably due to some tracks having a familiarity about them. Front half definitely the better.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 03/10/2022 08:32 | #282613
It is a thing people do, from Nanci Griffith to the Rolling Stones, make albums of remakes of the songs that influenced them. Mor often than not, they turn out kind if flat or overblown, leaky even. Not so here-- this is really the best covers album I can name, too good to miss even if reggae is not your thing...
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
90/100
From 01/10/2020 04:42 | #246657
This was an interesting concept for a record, but they really went for it. I think the result is the best covers album ever.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 02/12/2017 11:06 | #185382
I bought Labour Of Love by UB40 on 14/09/2004 from on CD for £2.69 The version I have is on the record label DEP catalogue number It entered the UK charts on 24/09/1983 and got to number 1 spending a total of 76 weeks on the chart.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 09/17/2016 03:51 | #175157
Easy listening feel good music
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 04/06/2015 00:36 | #138914
I believe the "Labour of Love" albums are albums that consist entirely of covers. I think this is the best, but "Labour of Love II: is also worthy. On multiple occasions, UB40 took Motown hits and then turned them into great reggae cover versions.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 05/26/2013 06:15 | #77274
This is their best album I love the way 'Please don't make me cry' comes in off the tail end of 'Keep On Moving' all covers but great versions 'Many Rivers To Cross'.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 06/19/2012 23:20 | #44804
Forget "Wine". Check out "Please dont make me cry, Sweet sensation and guilty". Real emotion and this band at its best.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1983
1. Murmur by R.E.M.
2. Violent Femmes by Violent Femmes
3. Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order
4. Synchronicity by The Police
5. War by U2
6. Speaking In Tongues by Talking Heads
7. Swordfishtrombones by Tom Waits
8. Kill 'Em All by Metallica
9. Let's Dance by David Bowie
10. Clics Modernos by Charly García
11. Script Of The Bridge by The Chameleons
12. The Final Cut by Pink Floyd
13. Soul Mining by The The
14. The Hurting by Tears For Fears
15. Piece Of Mind by Iron Maiden
16. Pyromania by Def Leppard
17. Holy Diver by Dio
18. Eliminator by ZZ Top
19. Texas Flood by Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble
20. Script For A Jester's Tear by Marillion