Architecture & Morality
by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark

Album
Architecture & Morality by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
Year: 1981
Release date: 1981-11-06
Overall rank: 1,643rd   Overall chart history
Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 236 votes)
  Ratings distribution   Average rating history
Accolades:
Award Top albums of 1981 (21st)
Award Top albums of of the 1980s (250th)
Award Best albums of all time (1,643rd)

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Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark bestography

Architecture & Morality is ranked as the best album by Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark.

Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark album bestography « Higher ranked
- This album (1,643rd)
Architecture & Morality Lower ranked (4,121st) »
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(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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Architecture & Morality rankings

Architecture & Morality rankings summary
Overall rank: 1,643rd | 1980s rank: 250th | 1981 rank: 21st  Overall chart history
Calculated from aggregate positions across 60,000 charts (2 million album rankings).Help Click to see how the rankings are calculated (Last updated: 2 hours ago)

Architecture & Morality collection

Architecture & Morality ratings

Average Rating: 
76/100 (from 236 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 3 ratings for this album.  | Show all 236 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
75/100
 !		09/27/2026 19:39 luukvdschepop  Ratings distribution  79475/100
 
75/100
 !		09/07/2026 20:23 AledJames  Ratings distribution  1,72069/100
 
80/100
 !		06/13/2026 22:16 serpico  Ratings distribution  91485/100

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 is rated in the top 4% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 76.5/100, a mean average of 75.9/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 76.7/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.2.


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Architecture & Morality favourites

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Architecture & Morality forum mentions

This album has been referenced 44 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From BestEverAlbums 10/01/2026 08:00 in Chart of the day (#5452): By LittleM1971
“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s by LittleM1971 () 1. by (1989) 2. by by (1984) 4. (1980) 6. by (1988) 7. by (1985) 8. by (1980) 9. by (1986) 10. by (1988) 11. by (1983) 12. (1985) 13. (1989) 14. (1984) 15. by (1980) 16. by (1980) 17. by by (1987) 20. (1982) 21. by (1984)…”
(3 mentions across Chart of the Day topics)
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From Liedzeit 06/24/2026 09:30 in What album are you listening to? (cont.)
“What album are you listening to? (cont.)”
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From MadhattanJack 11/09/2023 01:10 in What album are you listening to right now?
“by You've just got to get that ligature in there, is what I always say.”
View topic (29 mentions) →

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Architecture & Morality comments

Showing latest 5 comments | Show all 17 comments |
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Rating:  
95/100
From 05/25/2016 12:45 | #166819 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
Architecture and morality, OMD's second album, is by far their best. It's a stunning electro pop record that still sounds absolutely fantastic today. The beautiful, souvenir, and, Joan of arc, are the most famous and accessible tracks, but there is a lot more interesting and challenging music to be found here. Opener, the new stone age, is excellent, as is, she's leaving, a superb track. Sealand, is another strong cut, and the album comes to a close with, the beginning and the end. One of the best albums from the early eighties, and my favourite album of 1981.
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Rating:  
30/100
From 03/27/2014 17:20 | #107793 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
i listened to this three times yesterday. ok. it's not a tragedy - but most songs are bing-bing-synthy with a soporific beat and uninspired vocals. this doesn't stick to my memory. and i can't stand the meandering joan any longer (after 30 years).
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From 07/12/2014 17:28 | #116530 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
OMD in their prime. An excellent listen from start to finish.
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Rating:  
90/100
From 02/10/2017 18:13 | #185209 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
With a little influence of Kraftwerk, an artistically refined work... which achieve the amazing feat for a "synthpop progressive" album to be listened without being annoyed ! Best OMD's LP and best OMD's track (Joan of Arc).
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Rating:  
100/100
From 04/19/2012 09:30 | #40503 | TOP COMMENT Help Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.
OMD's greatest album albeit supported by Organisation and Crush, this was little more varied and contained the superb single Joan Of Arc.
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Best Albums of  1981
1. Moving Pictures by Rush
2. Computerwelt by Kraftwerk
3. Discipline by King Crimson
4. Juju by Siouxsie And The Banshees
5. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts by Brian Eno & David Byrne
6. Time by Electric Light Orchestra
7. Faith by The Cure
8. Damaged by Black Flag
9. Dare by The Human League
10. Fire Of Love by The Gun Club