Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s
by 
buzzdainer 
These days, when people talk about "eighties music" as if it were a genre, mainly they're referring to Michael Jackson and Madonna and George Michael. Maybe some of the one-hit wonders like Frankie Goes to Hollywood and the Georgia Satellites. Or the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. Or hair metal, which ruled the musical culture of my hometown in Maine with bands such as AC/DC and the Scorpions. None of those things quite describes my own musical experience of the eighties. On the one hand, I definitely knew about the stuff that was popular; it was the water in which we all swam. On the other hand, as a teenager I actively sought out music that moved me differently--the things that felt a little edgier, a little riskier, a little more emotionally charged without being completely overwrought. Well, okay, and some of the overwrought stuff, too.
A representative moment I still remember well is from fall of my eighth grade year. My English teacher gave us an assignment to bring to class a cassette tape including a song we liked for its lyrics, and we had to distribute a transcription of the lyrics to our classmates and give them an interpretation of what we thought the lyrics meant. When you're a teenager, music is tied closely to identity, or at least it was for me, and I spent a lot of time thinking of what song I should bring. I eventually settled on Hüsker Dü's "Pink Turns to Blue," because I wanted something I figured nobody else had heard, something that felt more rebellious and badass than Def Leppard or Bon Jovi. My classmates, and my teacher, were visibly uncomfortable trying to listen to the opening lines, "Going out each day to score, she was no whore but for me / Celebrating every day the way she thought it should be." If my goal was to signal to my classmates that I wasn't to be messed with, mission accomplished. Which is funny to think about now, since I now think of music as a means for bringing people together, not alienating them. Nevertheless, and maybe paradoxically, I still love a lot of that same music I loved then--perhaps because it connects me to a past version of myself that I still have a certain affection for.
- Chart updated: 07/21/2024 13:15
- (Created: 02/16/2016 18:26).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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It's surprising to me that for an album that is relatively difficult listening in places, Doolittle has become an uncontroversial classic. The appeal, I think, is that behind Black Francis's maniacal screaming and Kim Deal's keening, there are great melodies, memorable (and often hilarious) production flourishes, and clever songwriting. As A.A. Dowd of the Onion's A.V. Club incomparably expressed it, "Doolittle marries psychotic gibberish to sunny surf-rock hooks." My favorites here are "Hey," "Here Comes Your Man," and of course, "Monkey Gone to Heaven."
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
30,013
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It's actually a little gratifying to see The Joshua Tree sitting as the #1 album for 1987 here on BEA. When I was in high school, U2 were an indisputably cool band that was not only loved by people from my generation, but also my parents' generation. That's a rare thing. But then, over the past few decades, there's been a fairly intense backlash against U2, focusing mainly on Bono's cult of personality. I've always felt that such criticism was pretty off base when you consider the far worse things other celebrities have done compared to Bono's penchant for short-term political causes and wearing sunglasses indoors because he has glaucoma. Cut the dude some slack, I say. And if you need reminding, play the opening minute and a half of "Where the Streets Have No Name" really loud, and try to remember what it was like hearing the building intensity of that great rock song for the very first time.
[First added to this chart: 05/11/2016]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,859
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I went through a period of loving Aussie rock so much back in the late eighties that I wound up spending my junior year of college in Perth. Of all those Australian bands that I loved back then, Midnight Oil was probably the best, and is the one that has had the most staying power for me. They made a number of good albums, but Diesel and Dust was their best. It brings together the guitar-driven, punk sensibilities of their earlier albums with the more meticulously produced, more obviously political, more mainstream later works. "Beds Are Burning" was the hit single from this album, but I think "The Dead Heart," also released as a single, is even better: a moving, beat-driven meditation on the theft of land from the continent's aboriginal people.
[First added to this chart: 02/26/2016]
Year of Release:
1987
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Rank Score:
1,844
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I'm still not sure whether or not, overall, I like Kate Bush. I've spent quite a lot of time listening to The Dreaming, and I don't hear much there that I love. But Hounds of Love is another story. It's one of those consistently great, inspired, timeless albums that transcends both its genre and the time period in which it was made. Since I moved to Montana, I've been especially taken with "The Big Sky," which captures through synths and airy, breathy vocals the vertigo feeling of standing under the biggest, most expansive sky on Earth.
[First added to this chart: 05/27/2016]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,776
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This may have been the last Talking Heads studio album that I discovered, and in this case last was definitely not least. The cross between funk, African rhythms, and early 1980s electronics works perfectly. And of course, this album includes Talking Heads' finest moment, the fascinating and beautiful and mysterious "Once in a Lifetime," which seems to be on every consequential movie soundtrack between 1980 and 1989.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1980
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Rank Score:
26,502
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When a band I love breaks up, most of the time I'm less enamored of the new bands, side projects, and solo endeavors that ensue afterward. There's often something special about the chemistry between band members that makes whatever they were doing unique and special, and it can be difficult for even the most talented musicians and songwriters to recapture the magic. I assumed that would be the case with Hüsker Dü, as Bob Mould and Grant Hart brought such different and complementary energies to that great punk/alternative rock band. But I think Workbook surpasses anything Hüsker Dü ever did. The use of acoustic guitar, paired with the searing distortion-heavy electric lead guitars for soloing, draws attention to Mould's talents as a lyricist in ways that Hüsker Dü's wall of noise tended to obscure. An unexpected and still much-underappreciated album, Workbook is an incredibly consistent collection of songs with many highlights, perhaps the most memorable of which is the scorching guitar work on "Wishing Well."
[First added to this chart: 05/15/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
438
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A watershed album in the history of pop music, and one I remember fondly from my high school days. A buddy of mine and I recorded a silly lip-sync video of "You Can Call Me Al" based on the music video featuring Paul Simon and Chevy Chase. I believe I played Chevy Chase playing Paul Simon. Not a very original concept, but that's no fault whatsoever of the album itself, which actually broke a lot of ground by bringing together Simon's clever, folksy, hyper-literate songwriting with African rhythms and instrumentation, including contributions from Nguni folk musicians Ladysmith Black Mambazo that integrate surprisingly well with Paul Simon's late-night Manhattan sensibilities. I've probably listened to this album a few too many times for it to feel genuinely fresh, but it still brings a smile to my face.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,403
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When I was in high school, loving The Cure was a way of declaring myself as somehow outside the mainstream, refusing to go along with the crowd that loved Bon Jovi and Def Leppard. That's funny to think about now, since The Cure has become synonymous with that vague genre we now call "eighties music." What's incredible is that these songs still sound just as urgent and immediate to me now as they did in 1989. "Fascination Street" is such a great song, so mysterious with its surging bass line and whirling guitars.
[First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
25,511
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Violent Femmes' self-titled debut album delivers some of the most cathartic teen angst ever put on record ("Blister in the Sun"), along with some genuinely cringeworthy moments ("Gimme the Car"). I'm willing to excuse some of the more juvenile turns of phrase because Gordon Gano and company really do seem to understand rejection and are able to translate what is really a very personal experience into something universal. And back in the eighties when I first loved Violent Femmes, I don't think I fully appreciated their musicianship. But check out bassist Brian Ritchie's work on nearly every song here: his bass playing gives the album its unique musical signature. It's so strange that the band changed direction so abruptly on their next album, Hallowed Ground, since they seemed to have found a winning formula here.
[First added to this chart: 05/19/2016]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,780
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I have not always loved Prince. But some years ago I had a friend who was obsessed with Prince: he had Lovesexy on vinyl, and he had the absurdly naked inside sleeve tacked to his wall. And this friend wasn't even gay. He just liked Prince that much. Purple Rain, however, is the gold standard of Prince's discography, with the wonderful and sexy "When Doves Cry" as the track I want to hear again and again.
[First added to this chart: 02/16/2016]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,300
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Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1981 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1982 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1983 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1984 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1985 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1986 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1987 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1988 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1989 | 17 | 17% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Talking Heads | 6 | 6% | |
| R.E.M. | 5 | 5% | |
| Hüsker Dü | 4 | 4% | |
| Elvis Costello | 4 | 4% | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 3% | |
| Greg Brown | 3 | 3% | |
| Pixies | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
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Other decade charts by buzzdainer
buzzdainer has shared 6 more decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | buzzdainer | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | buzzdainer | 2010s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | buzzdainer | 2000s decade chart | 2024 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings
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Showing latest 3 ratings for this chart. | Show all 23 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 05/14/2025 00:53 | BorderFreeAndrew | 118 | 82/100 |
| ! | 03/26/2024 13:14 |  Goliath | 352 | 86/100 |
| ! | 03/26/2024 09:06 | Moondance | 476 | 85/100 |
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This chart is rated in the top 2% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 91.0/100, a mean average of 93.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.3/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 5.6.
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Forum mentions
This chart has been referenced 3 times on the forums, Explore the wider forum discussion to see what members have said about it.
From 
BestEverAlbums 05/13/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4948): By buzzdainer
BestEverAlbums 05/13/2025 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4948): By buzzdainer“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s by buzzdainer () 1. Doolittle by Pixies (1989) 2. The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987) 3. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil (1987) 4. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush (1985) 5. Remain In Light by Talking Heads (1980) 6. Workbook by Bob Mould (1989) 7.…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 03/26/2024 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4536): By buzzdainer
BestEverAlbums 03/26/2024 08:00 in Chart of the day (#4536): By buzzdainer“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s by buzzdainer () 1. Doolittle by Pixies (1989) 2. Remain In Light by Talking Heads (1980) 3. The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987) 4. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil (1987) 5. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush (1985) 6. Workbook by Bob Mould (1989) 7.…”
View forum post →From BestEverAlbums 02/19/2023 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4135): By buzzdainer
BestEverAlbums 02/19/2023 09:00 in Chart of the day (#4135): By buzzdainer“Today's chart of the day Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s by buzzdainer () 1. Remain In Light by Talking Heads (1980) 2. Doolittle by Pixies (1989) 3. The Joshua Tree by U2 (1987) 4. Diesel And Dust by Midnight Oil (1987) 5. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush (1985) 6. Workbook by Bob Mould (1989) 7.…”
View forum post →Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s comments
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From
buzzdainer 03/26/2024 14:37 | #302691
buzzdainer 03/26/2024 14:37 | #302691
Thank you, Moondance, for those suggestions. I've heard a couple of those albums, but the others are new to me. I do like that Robbie Robertson album quite a bit, and of course Dire Straits was a staple of my eighties music listening. I probably could have added a few more Australian bands to this list, since there was so much great Aussie rock from that period. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Moondance 02/19/2023 21:50 | #294236
I always admire the thoughtful quality of charts & comments from buzzdainer and this is no exception. The inclusion of 6 Australian artists is quite excellent!
A couple of suggestions: ex The Band's Robbie Robertson - Robbie Robertson; Andy Pawlak - Shoebox Full of Secrets; Kauffamn & Caboor - Songs From Suicide Bridge; ex Talking Heads' Jerry Harrison's - Casual Gods; Dire Straits. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Johnnyo 02/19/2023 09:44 | #294204
Great chart and love the descriptions that accompany the entries (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
buzzdainer 04/24/2021 20:49 | #268936
buzzdainer 04/24/2021 20:49 | #268936
Larcx13, I don't think you're at all off base to say Talking Heads were a strange band. For me that's part of their appeal. I think as a teenager I gravitated to them because I identified with their weirdness, their decidedly outside-the-mainstream aesthetic, because like most teenagers, I didn't feel like I fit into the mainstream. Nowadays I care less about that, and I just appreciate Talking Heads for fusing together elements of new wave and funk to create really well-made pop music. Although I have Remain in Light rated my favorite Talking Heads album, I might recommend starting with Little Creatures, which is a bit more accessible, or Stop Making Sense, which captures their live sound in a way that might enable a new listener to "get" them a bit better than their albums from the seventies and early eighties.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From
Larcx13 12/05/2020 15:56 | #262060
Larcx13 12/05/2020 15:56 | #262060
I should give talking heads some time. What i heard up to now was quite strange.
Nice list. (Edited)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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