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: 03/26/2024 14:45
• (Created: 02/16/2016 18:26).
• Chart size: 100 albums.

There are 15 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 22 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.

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5. (=)

Hounds Of Love 

 Kate Bush

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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:

1,347 charts

Rank Score:

19,312

Rank in 1985:

1

Rank in 1980s:

7

Overall Rank:

57

Average Rating:

 85 (1,335 votes)

Comments:

98

8. (=)

Disintegration 

 The Cure

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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:

1,760 charts

Rank Score:

27,818

Rank in 1989:

2

Rank in 1980s:

4

Overall Rank:

32

Average Rating:

 86 (1,964 votes)

Comments:

150

13. (=)

Love 

 The Cult (UK)

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The Cult was one of my favorite rock bands of the eighties, with Ian Astbury's Jim Morrison-like persona and Billy Duffy's scorching work on the guitar leading the charge. The Cult managed to weave together New Wave eighties vocal stylings, the loudness and grittiness of metal, and the New Age mysticism of post-punk, producing on their second full-length album one of the most undeniably great albums of the eighties. The high point here is the mysterious and hard-rocking "She Sells Sanctuary," one of the best, if not also one of the most lyrically impenetrable, songs of its generation. Unfortunately, The Cult never came close to making another album anywhere near this great, and they've gradually settled back into obscurity. But for the brief time that they shined, they sure did shine brightly. [First added to this chart: 03/21/2016]

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

210 charts

Rank Score:

1,122

Rank in 1985:

19

Rank in 1980s:

239

Overall Rank:

1,545

Average Rating:

 77 (243 votes)

Comments:

16

15. (=)

Synchronicity 

 The Police

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When I was a teenager, I absolutely loved The Police. They were the quintessential cool three-piece band, and their instrumental virtuosity seemed only rivalled by their lyrical sophistication. Then Synchronicity arrived, and the band's popularity soared. With that increased popularity came increased scrutiny, and they came to be seen both as a little too milquetoast and a little too pretentious for a lot of people's tastes. Perhaps rightfully so. Upon revisiting this album recently for the first time in a while, I find myself still appreciating so many things about it: some delightfully ironic songwriting, brilliant instrumentation, and a lingering appreciation for the simple elements of rock music. It's neither as perfect as I once thought it was, nor as imperfect as a lot of people would have you believe. And "Every Breath You Take" remains a great song, not because it's an unambiguous great love song, but because it understands the desperate depths to which love can bring a person, even to the point of something like stalking. [First added to this chart: 03/28/2016]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

775 charts

Rank Score:

5,504

Rank in 1983:

5

Rank in 1980s:

43

Overall Rank:

328

Average Rating:

 79 (1,009 votes)

Comments:

77

16. (=)

Skylarking 

 XTC

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XTC had a run of excellent albums in the eighties, among which Skylarking was their best. The turmoil between technically brilliant singer/songwriter Andy Partridge and record label-appointed producer Todd Rundgren behind the scenes during the recording of this album is well documented, and perhaps explains the artistic tension that makes the album a masterpiece. For me the more interesting story is the way this album, and particularly the great pop song "Earn Enough for Us," has come to feel so much more relevant (at least to me) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it poignantly illustrates the tension between one's beautiful romantic aspirations and the realities of economic downturn: "I can take humiliation / And hurtful comments from the boss / I'm just praying by the weekend / I can earn enough for us." [First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

571 charts

Rank Score:

4,927

Rank in 1986:

5

Rank in 1980s:

48

Overall Rank:

366

Average Rating:

 80 (620 votes)

Comments:

38

26. (=)

Power, Corruption & Lies 

 New Order

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I didn't pay much attention to electronic dance rock pioneers New Order back in the eighties, but a friend put the song "Bizarre Love Triangle" on a mix CD (remember those?) some years ago, and I was drawn to the album as a whole to mine it for more songs I might like. Turns out the album as a whole is consistently great. I think what surprised me most is that a actually think New Order is an improvement over Joy Division, the band that spawned them when primary singer and songwriter Ian Curtis took his own life. I think that's also a reflection of my tastes: I prefer New Order's brighter, sunnier synths and crisper production to Joy Division's darker, gloomier moods. It's nice to hear that they've recently been nominated (together with Joy Division) for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. [First added to this chart: 10/01/2017]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

770 charts

Rank Score:

6,978

Rank in 1983:

3

Rank in 1980s:

31

Overall Rank:

250

Average Rating:

 81 (908 votes)

Comments:

51

29. (=)

The Stone Roses 

 The Stone Roses

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I started working in an independent record store during my freshman year of college. At the time I was one of only two employees, so I often worked at the store with my boss, who was obsessed with the burgeoning Madchester scene--a mixture of guitar rock, funk, sixties psychedelia, and house music--including such bands as Inspiral Carpets, Happy Mondays, The Charlatans, and Ned's Atomic Dustbin. Of all the Madchester bands, the one I truly loved, and still love, is The Stone Roses. Pompous and pretentious though they were, and although they really just had one good album (I'm not quite counting Second Coming), their self-titled debut is so terrific it deserves consideration for all-time great status. The opening track, "I Wanna Be Adored," is my favorite on the album, as the way it builds in volume and intensity sneaks up on you in ways that feel fresh, surprising, and ultimately rewarding. [First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

1,972 charts

Rank Score:

25,891

Rank in 1989:

3

Rank in 1980s:

5

Overall Rank:

34

Average Rating:

 86 (2,225 votes)

Comments:

202

38. (=)

Rum Sodomy & The Lash 

 The Pogues

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[First added to this chart: 02/26/2016]

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

403 charts

Rank Score:

2,994

Rank in 1985:

11

Rank in 1980s:

90

Overall Rank:

589

Average Rating:

 78 (392 votes)

Comments:

26

45. (=)

Get Happy!! 

 Elvis Costello And The Attractions

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[First added to this chart: 02/17/2016]

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

274 charts

Rank Score:

2,025

Rank in 1980:

18

Rank in 1980s:

136

Overall Rank:

886

Average Rating:

 77 (376 votes)

Comments:

17

46. (=)

Script Of The Bridge 

 The Chameleons

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[First added to this chart: 02/26/2016]

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

274 charts

Rank Score:

2,254

Rank in 1983:

12

Rank in 1980s:

120

Overall Rank:

794

Average Rating:

 80 (317 votes)

Comments:

20

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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%
Bruce Springsteen	3	3%
Pixies	3	3%
The Replacements	3	3%
U2	3	3%
Show all

Country	Albums	%
	65	65%
	20	20%
	6	6%
	4	4%
	3	3%
	2	2%

Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings

Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 22 ratings for this chart.

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Rating	Date updated	Member	Chart ratings	Avg. chart rating
90/100	03/26/2024 13:14	Goliath	348	86/100
90/100	03/26/2024 09:06	Moondance	454	84/100
85/100	02/19/2023 13:31	Tamthebam	550	85/100
95/100	02/19/2023 11:01	MadhattanJack	155	84/100
90/100	02/19/2023 09:43	Johnnyo	2,013	80/100

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 91.1/100, a mean average of 93.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 93.4/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 5.7.

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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s comments

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From buzzdainer 03/26/2024 14:37

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.

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Rating:  

90/100

From Moondance 02/19/2023 21:50

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.

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Rating:  

90/100

From Johnnyo 02/19/2023 09:44

Great chart and love the descriptions that accompany the entries

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From buzzdainer 04/24/2021 20:49

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.

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Rating:  

95/100

From Larcx13 12/05/2020 15:56

I should give talking heads some time. What i heard up to now was quite strange.

Nice list.

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Rating:  

100/100

From emptysquares 08/30/2020 11:01

Love your chart and there's a few entries I need to check out. Special respect for getting Billy Bragg in there - I didn't think our Bill travelled that far!

Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)

From buzzdainer 07/18/2016 15:57

Thanks for the nice comment, pa! Doolittle is definitely worth checking out, especially given your appreciation for the likes of Fugazi, Meat Puppets, Yo La Tengo, Hüsker Dü, and others. It's plenty challenging and weird in its own way, but also melodic and likeable. Happy listening, and thanks for visiting my chart!

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Rating:  

100/100

From pa 07/18/2016 15:47

Hey there :)
I really like your chart too and I love the inclusion of Zen Arcade and California by AMC.
Doolittle is still on my wishlist...I'll check it out soon!

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Rating:  

95/100

From stangetzaway 07/17/2016 22:36

Excellent mix of headliners and blue collar alternative acts. Quite a few I haven't heard so will have to check out.

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From buzzdainer 07/17/2016 21:15

Thanks, garycottier, for rating and commenting on this chart! Greg Brown is a bluesy, nostalgic singer-songwriter from Iowa who sings about the midwestern landscapes of his youth and a wide range of other topics. He's funny and irreverent, and a great guitar player. I'd recommend starting with some of his albums from the nineties, especially Further In, Dream Café, and The Poet Game. And yes, I love The Trinity Session--such a languid, dreamy, haunting listening experience. Margo Timmins is, in my opinion, one of the great vocalists of her generation.

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