Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s
by 
Romanelli 
- Chart updated: 10/28/2025 21:15
- (Created: 12/04/2011 20:38).
- 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 84 out of 100 (from 29 votes). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from 1987. (Remove this filter)
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[First added to this chart: 12/08/2011]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,418
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
228
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Produced by Tony Brown & Lyle Lovett. His second album is still his best. What an enormous talent this guy is, and on Pontiac he let it all out. He's not quite country, and he's not quite folk, and he's really nowhere in between. Tracks like "If I Had A Boat", "L.A. County", and "She's Hot To Go" are beautiful, amazing pieces of work. This album has a lot of love in it, and it shows in every track. Underrated for sure, Lyle Lovett's gifts are all here on one album. Truly beautiful.
[First added to this chart: 12/04/2011]
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1987-GEFFEN
Produced By MIKE CLINK
1. Welcome To The Jungle
2. It's So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out Ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child O' Mine
10. You're Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen
The debut album from Guns N' Roses is important in many ways. It's one of the better American hard rock albums of all time, it marked the beginning of the end of hair metal (no one was able to even come close to this album, so it peaked early), and it introduced us to one of rock's most annoying personalities in Axl Rose. Guns N' Roses went on to be a non prolific soap opera with a blown out voice and a revolving personnel door, but for one album, they were at the top of the entire game.
Appetite is lead by the stunning sound of Slash's guitar and some great songs. Axl had yet to become the whiny caricature of the coming years...he was a scary, out of control monster of a frontman (despite the Davy Jones dance). From the opening notes of "Welcome To The Jungle", the 80's were changed. Great songs like "Paradise City", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "It's So Easy", and "Rocket Queen" make this a classic. By the next year, they were unplugged, had no new material, and a singer without a voice. But in 1987-88, this was the album to have, and the 80's were rocking as they were intended to do...at least for this one, great album. [First added to this chart: 05/25/2012]
Produced By MIKE CLINK
1. Welcome To The Jungle
2. It's So Easy
3. Nightrain
4. Out Ta Get Me
5. Mr. Brownstone
6. Paradise City
7. My Michelle
8. Think About You
9. Sweet Child O' Mine
10. You're Crazy
11. Anything Goes
12. Rocket Queen
The debut album from Guns N' Roses is important in many ways. It's one of the better American hard rock albums of all time, it marked the beginning of the end of hair metal (no one was able to even come close to this album, so it peaked early), and it introduced us to one of rock's most annoying personalities in Axl Rose. Guns N' Roses went on to be a non prolific soap opera with a blown out voice and a revolving personnel door, but for one album, they were at the top of the entire game.
Appetite is lead by the stunning sound of Slash's guitar and some great songs. Axl had yet to become the whiny caricature of the coming years...he was a scary, out of control monster of a frontman (despite the Davy Jones dance). From the opening notes of "Welcome To The Jungle", the 80's were changed. Great songs like "Paradise City", "Sweet Child O' Mine", "It's So Easy", and "Rocket Queen" make this a classic. By the next year, they were unplugged, had no new material, and a singer without a voice. But in 1987-88, this was the album to have, and the 80's were rocking as they were intended to do...at least for this one, great album. [First added to this chart: 05/25/2012]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,287
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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1987-ATLANTIC
Produced By CHRIS THOMAS
1. Guns In The Sky
2. New Sensation
3. Devil Inside
4. Need You Tonight
5. Mediate
6. The Loved One
7. Wild Life
8. Never Tear us Apart
9. Mystify
10. Kick
11. Calling All Nations
12. Tiny Daggers
1987 was the year of INXS, Michael Hutchence, Kick, and that video where the guy keeps flipping over the signs with the words on them. Everywhere you turned, there was another hit single from this album, and rightfully so. It was the perfect sound for 1987, and the tunes were catchy as hell. You could seriously make a case for playing every track here on the radio. This was pop rock at its height. And the songs really did keep coming. And coming.
INXS has, unfortunately, not aged very well. You can still hear the hits and why they were hits, but the music sounds more dated every year. But this is a great time capsule piece, and was really one of the better successful albums as a whole of its time. [First added to this chart: 12/12/2011]
Produced By CHRIS THOMAS
1. Guns In The Sky
2. New Sensation
3. Devil Inside
4. Need You Tonight
5. Mediate
6. The Loved One
7. Wild Life
8. Never Tear us Apart
9. Mystify
10. Kick
11. Calling All Nations
12. Tiny Daggers
1987 was the year of INXS, Michael Hutchence, Kick, and that video where the guy keeps flipping over the signs with the words on them. Everywhere you turned, there was another hit single from this album, and rightfully so. It was the perfect sound for 1987, and the tunes were catchy as hell. You could seriously make a case for playing every track here on the radio. This was pop rock at its height. And the songs really did keep coming. And coming.
INXS has, unfortunately, not aged very well. You can still hear the hits and why they were hits, but the music sounds more dated every year. But this is a great time capsule piece, and was really one of the better successful albums as a whole of its time. [First added to this chart: 12/12/2011]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,796
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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1987 – SIRE
Produced By JIM DICKINSON
1. I.O.U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don’t Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can’t Hardly Wait
The Replacements had a stunning three album run in the mid eighties that is pretty tough to beat. Let It Be (from 1984) and 1985’s Tim were downright amazing. The third in that trio was Pleased To Meet Me from 1987. And while it’s not quite on a par with the pair of records that came before it, this is still a terrific release. It was recorded as a trio…guitarist Bob Stinson had left the band and didn’t play here (although he did play on some of the demos), and his replacement, (heh), Slim Dunlap, was not there yet. The album is less punk than their previous works, but it still rocks. And Pleased To Meet Me has some really memorable moments. It’s also helped out by the production of Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, who was able to bring in The Memphis Horns and his son Luther to help out.
And, of course, Alex Chilton. Not only is that the title of the best track on the album, they were also able to get Chilton himself to contribute some guitar on “Can’t Hardly Wait”. “The Ledge” brought controversy, due to its lyrical depiction of suicide. The rest works just fine, as the band shows that, at least for now, they still had it. But after a pair of lesser albums, The Replacements were done by 1990…it just seems fitting that this band didn’t go on after their decade of the eighties. Yeah, there was a brief reunion in the 2010’s, but no albums came from that. The Replacements were a band of the eighties for sure, and the best way to get them at their best is that three album run from ’84 to ’87. (Also, drummer Chris Mars was a member of the Minneapolis supergroup, Golden Smog.) [First added to this chart: 07/26/2024]
Produced By JIM DICKINSON
1. I.O.U.
2. Alex Chilton
3. I Don’t Know
4. Nightclub Jitters
5. The Ledge
6. Never Mind
7. Valentine
8. Shooting Dirty Pool
9. Red Red Wine
10. Skyway
11. Can’t Hardly Wait
The Replacements had a stunning three album run in the mid eighties that is pretty tough to beat. Let It Be (from 1984) and 1985’s Tim were downright amazing. The third in that trio was Pleased To Meet Me from 1987. And while it’s not quite on a par with the pair of records that came before it, this is still a terrific release. It was recorded as a trio…guitarist Bob Stinson had left the band and didn’t play here (although he did play on some of the demos), and his replacement, (heh), Slim Dunlap, was not there yet. The album is less punk than their previous works, but it still rocks. And Pleased To Meet Me has some really memorable moments. It’s also helped out by the production of Memphis legend Jim Dickinson, who was able to bring in The Memphis Horns and his son Luther to help out.
And, of course, Alex Chilton. Not only is that the title of the best track on the album, they were also able to get Chilton himself to contribute some guitar on “Can’t Hardly Wait”. “The Ledge” brought controversy, due to its lyrical depiction of suicide. The rest works just fine, as the band shows that, at least for now, they still had it. But after a pair of lesser albums, The Replacements were done by 1990…it just seems fitting that this band didn’t go on after their decade of the eighties. Yeah, there was a brief reunion in the 2010’s, but no albums came from that. The Replacements were a band of the eighties for sure, and the best way to get them at their best is that three album run from ’84 to ’87. (Also, drummer Chris Mars was a member of the Minneapolis supergroup, Golden Smog.) [First added to this chart: 07/26/2024]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,416
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 08/06/2012]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
967
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 09/19/2021]
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/08/2011]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,626
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 12/06/2011]
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1987 – BLANCO Y NEGRO
Produced By WILLIAM REID, BILL PRICE & JOHN LODER
1. Darklands
2. Deep One Perfect Morning
3. Happy When It Rains
4. Down On Me
5. Nine Million Rainy Days
6. April Skies
7. Fall
8. Cherry Came Too
9. On The Wall
10. About You
In 1985, The Jesus And Mary Chain changed the course of British music with their stunning debut album, Psychocandy. It was a dark, loud and sonically mesmerizing album, and it stood out amazingly in the midst of the eighties. The band had always (and always have had) problems keeping the drummer spot filled (they have had twelve different drummers to date) , so when they went into the studio to record the follow up to Psychocandy, they decided to just use a drum machine and make a more intimate acoustic album. The resulting album, Darklands, is a thing of beauty, and set the course they would follow for the rest of their careers. Darklands is just that…it’s dark. But it’s also got a certain warmth to it, which makes it a lot more relatable than their debut album.
The Chain is led by the Reid brothers, William and Jim. In the synth laden atmosphere of the late eighties, this album is all guitar, and it’s beautiful. The title track is a stunning introduction to the new sound of the band. “April Skies” is wonderful, and “Happy When It Rains” is one of their very best songs. They have never matched the quality of their first two albums, so the ones to own from this band are definitely Psychocandy and Darklands (although 1994’s Stoned And Dethroned comes close). It’s rare when such downward gazing music like this sounds so melodic and grooves like this, which is what makes this album more special. Maybe someday they will duplicate this sound…if they are able to, we will all be in for quite a treat. [First added to this chart: 09/18/2024]
Produced By WILLIAM REID, BILL PRICE & JOHN LODER
1. Darklands
2. Deep One Perfect Morning
3. Happy When It Rains
4. Down On Me
5. Nine Million Rainy Days
6. April Skies
7. Fall
8. Cherry Came Too
9. On The Wall
10. About You
In 1985, The Jesus And Mary Chain changed the course of British music with their stunning debut album, Psychocandy. It was a dark, loud and sonically mesmerizing album, and it stood out amazingly in the midst of the eighties. The band had always (and always have had) problems keeping the drummer spot filled (they have had twelve different drummers to date) , so when they went into the studio to record the follow up to Psychocandy, they decided to just use a drum machine and make a more intimate acoustic album. The resulting album, Darklands, is a thing of beauty, and set the course they would follow for the rest of their careers. Darklands is just that…it’s dark. But it’s also got a certain warmth to it, which makes it a lot more relatable than their debut album.
The Chain is led by the Reid brothers, William and Jim. In the synth laden atmosphere of the late eighties, this album is all guitar, and it’s beautiful. The title track is a stunning introduction to the new sound of the band. “April Skies” is wonderful, and “Happy When It Rains” is one of their very best songs. They have never matched the quality of their first two albums, so the ones to own from this band are definitely Psychocandy and Darklands (although 1994’s Stoned And Dethroned comes close). It’s rare when such downward gazing music like this sounds so melodic and grooves like this, which is what makes this album more special. Maybe someday they will duplicate this sound…if they are able to, we will all be in for quite a treat. [First added to this chart: 09/18/2024]
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
2,101
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 11. Page 1 of 2
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
|
|
| 1980 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1981 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1982 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1983 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1984 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1985 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1986 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1987 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1988 | 14 | 14% | |
| 1989 | 13 | 13% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
 |
|
|
| Talking Heads | 3 | 3% | |
| Bruce Springsteen | 3 | 3% | |
| R.E.M. | 3 | 3% | |
| X (US) | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| AC/DC | 2 | 2% | |
| Hüsker Dü | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 2 from 33rd to 31st Pleased To Meet Me by The Replacements |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 31st to 32nd This Is The Voice by Agent Orange |
| Down 1 from 32nd to 33rd Surfer Rosa by Pixies |
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s ratings
84/100 (from 29 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).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 29 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 80/100  | 02/06/2025 15:30 | BorderFreeAndrew | | 81/100 |
| 85/100 | 01/31/2025 14:12 |  SomethingSpecial | | 85/100 |
| 70/100 | 01/23/2022 16:11 |  IlMala | | 95/100 |
| 80/100 | 10/22/2020 01:13 | leniad | | 85/100 |
| 85/100 | 09/05/2020 14:13 | MasterOfPuppets | | 91/100 |
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 has a Bayesian average rating of 83.9/100, a mean average of 81.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 83.2/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 13.4.
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80/100
From BorderFreeAndrew 02/06/2025 15:33
Nice to see Adam Ant's "Friend or Foe" so high (a seriously underrated album), along with several other forgotten classics that tend to be ignored when most people make an 80's chart.
#307441 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From leniad 10/22/2020 01:13
Respect
#259555 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
70/100
From 0129114 06/24/2020 03:52
some solid picks m8.
#254351 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
80/100
From 
Liedzeit 11/24/2018 10:49
Liedzeit 11/24/2018 10:49
It is nice to see an 80s chart as chart of the day for a change. And what a pathetic decade it was if even someone like you who obviously knows a lot of stuff cannot come up with better records than these. TW are okay but as no. 1? The first decent LP enters at place 23, in my opinion.
#225586 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
90/100
From 
ForegroundNoise 11/24/2018 09:24
ForegroundNoise 11/24/2018 09:24
Really like your notes!!
#225581 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
100/100
From 
buzzdainer 07/16/2016 15:13
buzzdainer 07/16/2016 15:13
I love your take on the eighties! I really appreciate your #1 pick, as supergroups tend to be written off as inferior to the works of their individual members--an assumption that the Traveling Wilburys blew out of the water. Full Moon Fever, Disintegration, Doolittle, and The River are all great albums, too. Also really nice to see Blue Earth in your top ten, as I've been a huge fan of the Jayhawks for many years and love that album. Excellent work overall, especially on your notes!
#171403 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From BraddlesHendo 12/01/2014 14:31
Great albums I guess some I wouldn't play so much. We have quite a few similar choices
#128418 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
75/100
From 
tgarritsen 01/13/2014 15:59
tgarritsen 01/13/2014 15:59
Interesting number one pick.
#100555 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
85/100
From guigs13 01/10/2013 01:33
Nice chart!
#60879 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From davidhuret 12/11/2012 09:04
Good choice at #1.
#57461 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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