Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s
by 
Jimmy Dread 
It was in April 2014 that I realised I hadn't edited this 80s chart for about 2 years. Sacrilege. Hence now with added dancehall vibes, tweerific tunage and some other bollocks for your delectation. One album per artist, repetition with Top 100 only where no other decent alternative (in my eyes) remains... blah blah blah. Probably the one decade chart I could safely say where every album featured is still on regular rotation... Jimmy, February 2021.
- Chart updated: 02/27/2024 16:15
- (Created: 01/16/2012 21:10).
- Chart size: 99 albums.
There are 7 comments for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s has an average rating of 88 out of 100 (from 19 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 1985. (Remove this filter)
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PICK - Pumpkin Belly. The best Jamaican album of the 80s was the first and last the late Clive Bright recorded. The riddims here are ace - Sleng Teng, Armagedion Time especially - and the good Tenor's delivery was as slick as any of his peers. You want to get into dancehall - best start here.
[First added to this chart: 01/16/2012]
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PICK - You Trip Me Up. Another product of my regular Saturday lunchtime jaunts to the long forgotten Soundbarrier CD Emporium. I later met a guy who I jammed with who was so obsessed with this LP that he wrote at least 3 songs that ripped off In A Hole. Suffice it to say I had tinnitus for a week afterwards. Feedback that sounds like distorted bagpipes will always find a home in my heart.
[First added to this chart: 01/16/2012]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
5,572
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
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[First added to this chart: 10/21/2017]
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PICK - Never Surrender. In which 3 girls with big hair from the land of Toblerone stamp their DMs all over Bananarama's mid-80s girl band aesthetic by playing the most ear-splitting thrash twee out of knackered Vox amps. Would have been the archetype for many a copycat outfit if anyone outside of Zurich had caught on.
[First added to this chart: 01/16/2012]
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[First added to this chart: 04/21/2014]
Total albums: 5. Page 1 of 1
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Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1981 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1982 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1983 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1984 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1985 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1986 | 6 | 6% | |
| 1987 | 3 | 3% | |
| 1988 | 10 | 10% | |
| 1989 | 10 | 10% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Sonic Youth | 1 | 1% | |
| Harald Grosskopf | 1 | 1% | |
| Shonen Knife | 1 | 1% | |
| De La Soul | 1 | 1% | |
| Kraftwerk | 1 | 1% | |
| Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine | 1 | 1% | |
| Ranking Dread | 1 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| |
38 | 38% | |
| |
31 | 31% | |
 |
16 | 16% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 55 from 100th to 45thThe Original Smiley Culture by Smiley Culture |
| Up 46 from 66th to 20thDaydream Nation by Sonic Youth |
| Up 35 from 60th to 25thScript Of The Bridge by The Chameleons |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 49 from 50th to 99thMusic For Parties by Silicon Teens |
| Down 45 from 32nd to 77thDancehall Showcase Vol. II by Sugar Minott |
| Down 45 from 44th to 89thDance by Earthling (JP) |
Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s similar charts
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  Hanshiro | 1980s decade chart | 2019 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  SuedeSwede | 1980s decade chart | 2015 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  MrFrogger | 1980s decade chart | 2015 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  Skinny | 1980s decade chart | 2015 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | badger | 1980s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s |  CellarDoor | 1980s decade chart | 2012 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  RichardSauce | 1980s decade chart | 2018 | |
| Pitchfork: The 100 Best Albums Of The 1980s (2002) | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Albums of the 1980s | Pitchfork | 1980s decade chart | 2002 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | sonicdiscourse | 1980s decade chart | 2016 | |
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Other decade charts by Jimmy Dread
Jimmy Dread has shared 6 more 1980s decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 80 Music Albums of the 2010s | Jimmy Dread | 2010s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Jimmy Dread | 2000s decade chart | 2015 | |
Top 99 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.
Showing latest 5 ratings for this chart. | Show all 19 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 04/07/2021 05:25 | TheSmiths82-87 | 1,831 | 83/100 |
| ! | 04/06/2021 22:59 |  Rhyner | 1,457 | 99/100 |
| ! | 04/06/2021 21:51 | RioBravo | 201 | 84/100 |
| ! | 11/02/2017 02:39 |  CharlieBarley | 477 | 94/100 |
| ! | 11/02/2017 00:34 |  NowhereMan | 292 | 82/100 |
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 10% of all charts on BestEverAlbums.com. This chart has a Bayesian average rating of 88.0/100, a mean average of 89.2/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 89.0/100. The standard deviation for this chart is 9.6.
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Top 99 Music Albums of the 1980s comments
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From CharlieBarley 11/02/2017 02:41 | #200438
CharlieBarley 11/02/2017 02:41 | #200438
Good 80s chart. 15 in common with mine. Like your notes esp on Stone Roses, Smiths and Pixies
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From NowhereMan 11/02/2017 00:34 | #200436
NowhereMan 11/02/2017 00:34 | #200436
I reckon I could match you on the Hatful of Hollow lyric challenge ;)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From LittleM1971 11/01/2017 16:37 | #200414
Love this chart!!!
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From platus 11/01/2017 15:48 | #200413
Nice chart
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
Graeme2 03/17/2017 21:32 | #187564
Graeme2 03/17/2017 21:32 | #187564
Good to see 101 damnations on a chart :)
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
From 
greatson 07/23/2014 11:27 | #117539
greatson 07/23/2014 11:27 | #117539
Pretty unique chart!
I`m not convinced of every pick.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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