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: 06/23/2025 04:45
- (Created: 06/09/2016 05:36).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from 1986. (Remove this filter)
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[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,551
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
7,027
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
34,116
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 04/20/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,748
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,581
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 02/28/2021]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,106
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 05/09/2020]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,424
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2024]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
937
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 11/02/2021]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,030
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 9. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1981 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1982 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1983 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1984 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1985 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1986 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1987 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1988 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1989 | 8 | 8% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Iron Maiden | 8 | 8% | |
| Metallica | 4 | 4% | |
| Rush | 4 | 4% | |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 2 | 2% | |
| Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
50 | 50% | |
 |
36 | 36% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
4 | 4% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
 |
1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 37th to 38th Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers by Bob Marley & The Wailers |
| Down 1 from 38th to 39th Holy Diver by Dio |
| Down 1 from 39th to 40th Peter Gabriel (1982) by Peter Gabriel |
| New entries |
|---|
| Mambo Nassau by Lizzy Mercier Descloux |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty |
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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 | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | AAL2014 | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | AAL2014 | 2000s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1990s | AAL2014 | 1990s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | AAL2014 | 1980s decade chart | 2025 | |
AAL2014 has created 4 other 1980s decade charts - click here to explore them all.
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings
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Showing all 2 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/14/2024 09:32 |  Purplepash | 1,684 | 88/100 |
| ! | 09/19/2020 10:50 | MasterOfPuppets | 174 | 91/100 |
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