Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s by 
Tamthebam 
Not my most favourite decade but once I started compiling this chart I began to realise that it wasn't that bad! I went through some bad times during this time so that may have influenced my choices, I loved Linda Ronstadt's album "What's New" and this made me investigate the original torch singers who first sang the songs on this great albun of covers. RnB/Soul music was what I was listening to most at this time. I enjoy all types of music except heavy metal. I did not include any compilation albums that are already included in my year charts.
- Chart updated: 03/17/2024 10:45
- (Created: 08/24/2013 15:21).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There are 12 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s has an average rating of 91 out of 100 (from 17 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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Her 2nd album is as good as her debut. This album contains 4 of her greatest songs ever Lucky Guy, Living It Up, We Belong Together & the sprawling Traces of the Western Slopes. The title track is also a strong song the weakest track is The Returns. To me its the best album released in the 80's
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
6
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This was away ahead of its time it took me years to get into it ! The 2nd side is an amazing adventure in lyrical musicianship and I never related to it until I was older. Side 1 is not bad either !
[First added to this chart: 10/24/2013]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,329
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Average Rating:
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This is the best Streisand album out there. After making a whole bunch of pop albums in the 70's, she decided to revisit Broadway songs which was how her recording career began & Broadway songs were basically all she released up to 1968. The orchestration and her choice of songs is impeccable the album flows from one track to another until the climax ,the final track "Somewhere". A wonderful album and her voice is amazing.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
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Linda Ronstadt is a well known country/rock singer and released many successful albums during the 70's. This album was one of the first to feature songs from the 1920-50 era that so many singers these days seem to find a need to record and ruin. Linda Ronstadt's versions of these songs are amazing she has a very strong and moving voice and backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra brings the songs here to life again. A beautiful late night listen to relax with.
[First added to this chart: 10/24/2013]
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One of the best soul albums of all time. Anita Baker has an amazing voice jazzy and emotional. This is her best album every track is a winner the best being Sweet Love, Rapture, Same Old Love & U Bring Me Joy. Compositions is another great album of hers.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
528
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I've been a Prince fan since the early 80's and this is still my favourite Prince album. Maybe not his most prolific but it is quirky and holds together as a unit, I love the atmosphere created by the first 4 tracks and the tracks Kiss, Boys & Girls & Sometimes In Snows In April. Venus De Milo is a beautiful instrumental, altogether an album that hasn't dated.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,580
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Average Rating:
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After a 5 year break marriage and childbirth another great album by Rickie Lee Jones appeared. I used to love listening to this album on a Sunday night a beautiful flow of Jazz Soul and folk. The best tracks are Rodeo Girl, Ghost Train, Away From the Sky, The Horses & a cover of Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying. The title track and Atlas' Marker are also brilliant. Her voice sends shivers it is unique.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
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One of the best album of the 80's and in my opinion still their best album. Full of great songs Where the Streets...... being the best and the final track Mothers..... being the weakest.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,931
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Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
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My favourite Luther V. album contains 8 amazing songs Tracks 1-8 and a cover of Anyone Who Had A Heart which although good isn't up to the high standard of the rest of this great album.
[First added to this chart: 10/24/2013]
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Al Jarreau's most accessible album along with his previous album Breakin' Away which are not as rooted in Jazz as his previous work this has a more soul/RnB sound with a jazz leanings. Mornin' is an amazing opener and along with Trouble In Paradise, Black & Blues & Boogie Down lift this album above his more jazz sounding albums. Having said that the best track on the album is I Will Be Here for You, a jazz number.
[First added to this chart: 08/26/2013]
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1980 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1981 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1982 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1983 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1984 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1985 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1986 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1987 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1988 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1989 | 11 | 11% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| The Smiths | 6 | 6% | |
| Linda Ronstadt | 5 | 5% | |
| Kate Bush | 4 | 4% | |
| Prince | 4 | 4% | |
| Eurythmics | 4 | 4% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| Rickie Lee Jones | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 9 from 76th to 67th Break Out by Pointer Sisters |
| Up 8 from 74th to 66th Poetic Champions Compose by Van Morrison |
| Up 2 from 55th to 53rd Rain Dogs by Tom Waits |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 14 from 62nd to 76th Breakin' Away by Al Jarreau |
| Down 1 from 51st to 52nd Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman |
| Down 1 from 53rd to 54th Trio by Dolly Parton / Linda Ronstadt / Emmylou Harris |
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Tamthebam (2024)Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings
91/100 (from 17 votes)
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).
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 17 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 90/100  | 06/28/2021 21:09 |  Larcx13 | | 86/100 |
| 100/100 | 12/19/2020 19:18 |  jnfbn | | 96/100 |
| 100/100 | 12/11/2020 02:44 | Lgk21 | | 95/100 |
| 95/100 | 12/10/2020 17:42 |  seb7 | | 91/100 |
| 90/100 | 12/10/2020 09:37 |  Purplepash | | 88/100 |
Rating metrics:
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 charts can have several thousand ratings)
This chart is rated in the top 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 90.5/100, a mean average of 93.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 7.5.
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s comments
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100/100
From jnfbn 12/19/2020 19:22
jnfbn 12/19/2020 19:22
Great chart! Don't agree with general dislike of the 80s, i think it's as good as the 90s, and this chart greatly shows one of the reasons why!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From Lgk21 12/11/2020 02:44
Love seeing Pirates at number 1. Such an unbelievable album.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From seb7 12/10/2020 17:42
seb7 12/10/2020 17:42
super cool 80s-aficionado list. Rapture is a very cool album
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From Purplepash 12/10/2020 09:42
Purplepash 12/10/2020 09:42
I have total respect for your very different taste in '80s music to mine, yet we still manage to share 19 albums in common atm - admittedly all from only 8 artists :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From WillyMac 06/12/2020 16:40
Very interesting chart. It exposes how few women and black artists I have on my 80s chart by comparison. I think I will start exploring with your Joan Armatrading album from 1980. I only know her from her hits in the 70s. Thanks.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
911Turbo 04/22/2020 01:01
911Turbo 04/22/2020 01:01
i love your chart: original ( i have never seen rickie lee rated so high),
honest (my observations indicate people listen to a top 20 album and it instantly is on their list),
unique ( leans towards female singers- nothing wrong with that. most lists are male oriented),
surprising ( i also love "rattle and hum" and think it is very unrated. nice to see you enjoy it).
definitely worth writing about- dynamite top 3 picks.
#1 rickie lee #2 linda ronstadt #3 anita baker ( who would have known?).
im not a prince fan like you are- im really shocked to see prince and the revolution in the 90s!
different from what i normally listen to, yet we have some similarities- graceland, rattle and hum, tunnel of love ( this is such an amazing album),REM, john lennon (incredible album). not a lot but some!!
one more thing: i wish you would have written a comment for every album. it gives the album a nice personal touch.
Because of this, im going to give Diana Ross, rickie lee and ronstadt a spin.
thankyou for sharing the list with us.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From pctrooper 02/27/2020 13:45
Also, thanks for introducing me to Rickie Lee Jones through your charts. Very good!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From pctrooper 02/27/2020 13:33
I don't really like 80's much but this chart is sweet. Just needs some Genesis albums :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From 
bobbyb5 02/04/2017 22:32
bobbyb5 02/04/2017 22:32
Shouting Stage and Living My Life. Nice move!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
95/100
From 
CharlieBarley 01/04/2017 20:25
CharlieBarley 01/04/2017 20:25
You have a lot of the big hitters from the 80s yet also enough of your own picks to make it a unique chart. 32 albums in common with mine. The 80s were a difficult time for me too. I went from childhood to adolescence then. The first half was largely bliss the 2nd half of the 80s was pants. I still can't listen to half of the music from the year 1987, save the Joshua Tree, Sign O' The Times and Whitney H. But I have to remember there were more good times than bad times. Overall a great chart. Good work Tam!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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