Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s
by 
AAL2014 
The 1980’s, for me, aren’t nearly as remarkable in their highs nor deeply consistent as either of the decades surrounding it.
Don’t get me wrong, 80’s music is excellent and so much of it is simply so much fun. Maybe also the first period in which music and culture were one and same, at least more so than ever with the advancements in technology, distribution, and uh… oh yeah, music videos.
On the other hand, those same elements had their not so favorable affects. On the technological front, many studios and producers switched their boards and gear entirely at the beginning of the decade and as a result albums don’t sound anywhere as good to me as they did just a couple years prior. Music sales began moving toward CD (ultimately still my preferred method of listening), but early runs of copies failed to deliver the highest rate of fidelity. Music videos, as well the introduction of MTV, is an essay unto itself.
Regardless of outside factors, I LOVE and have a deep respect for so many of the records you’ll find here and the top quarter or so of this list are some of my favorite pieces of music. However, I would probably be able to say that for the top 50 of the 1990’s and nearly the top 75 of the 1970’s.
But focusing on the positives overall, there is a lot of great music here and almost easily the best decade for heavy metal. I apologize not for having every Iron Maiden release here. They’re probably my band of the decade.
Enjoy.
- Chart updated: 04/01/2026 03:45
- (Created: 06/09/2016 05:36).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,423
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
15,772
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,921
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
8,807
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,919
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,118
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 05/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
26,071
Rank in 1989:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 05/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,029
Rank in 1985:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 07/10/2022]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,660
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 01/30/2021]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,396
Rank in 1987:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1981 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1982 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1983 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1984 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1985 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1986 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1987 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1988 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1989 | 7 | 7% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Iron Maiden | 8 | 8% | |
| Metallica | 4 | 4% | |
| Rush | 4 | 4% | |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 2 | 2% | |
| Hüsker Dü | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
49 | 49% | |
 |
37 | 37% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 1 from 53rd to 52ndSpeaking In Tongues by Talking Heads |
| Up 1 from 52nd to 51stMeat Puppets II by Meat Puppets |
| Up 1 from 51st to 50thFilth by Swans |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 5 from 49th to 54thScream Bloody Gore by Death (Metal) |
| Down 2 from 55th to 57thWar by U2 |
| Down 1 from 54th to 55thKillers by Iron Maiden |
| New entries |
|---|
| Victorialand by Cocteau Twins |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Milo Goes To College by The Descendents |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s similar charts
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| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | saltysurprise | 1980s decade chart | 2020 | |
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Other decade charts by AAL2014
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | AAL2014 | 2020s decade chart | 2026 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | AAL2014 | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | AAL2014 | 2000s decade chart | 2026 | |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
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.
N.B. The average rating for this chart will not be reliable as it has been rated very few times.
Showing all 2 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/14/2024 09:32 |  Purplepash | 1,734 | 88/100 | |
| 09/19/2020 10:50 | MasterOfPuppets | 174 | 91/100 |
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