Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s
by Jaymantheman 
This is the 80s!! The decade that I grew into music. I levelled up from listening to my parents records (Meatloaf, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, etc.) and started venturing out on my own. The only decade where I'd buy three different formats within four years. My first vinyl was Hall & Oates- H2O. First cassette was Def Leppard - Pyromania. First CD's were ones just replacing some of my fav cassettes such as Genesis, Crowded House and Melissa Etheridge just to hear that awesome, superior sound! Ha, yes...ok. That led to artists learning you can add more and more music to an album... which was not always a great thing.
Anyway, this list will go through the early eighties, where heavy metal was in for a twelve year old, and the middle of the decade which was more pop with hints of a deeper interest (Yes... what other 15 year old guy was into Kate Bush?). Kate was beautiful, both looks and voice, and I had a few posters (The Dreaming... anyone?).
By the decades' end, I was full on alternative mode. I listened to Alan Cross on CFNY in Toronto and loved the new tunes they played. The hour long shows on New Order, Depeche Mode, The Cure, The Pixies. Some of his shows I recorded and still have. Thanks to a few female friends that would give me copies of older Cure albums, get me listening to some older Bowie and Cocteau Twins. With my interest in female vocals, I would dive into Jane Siberry, Edie Brickell, and Indigo Girls.
From Rock to Pop to Alternative. Here are the 80s.
- Chart updated: 04/02/2026 07:15
- (Created: 04/09/2018 17:11).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
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This chart is currently filtered to only show albums from 1981. (Remove this filter)
[First added to this chart: 04/09/2018]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,290
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 04/09/2018]
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,746
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 2. Page 1 of 1
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4 | 4% | |
| 1981 | 2 | 2% | |
| 1982 | 5 | 5% | |
| 1983 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1984 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1985 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1986 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1987 | 19 | 19% | |
| 1988 | 15 | 15% | |
| 1989 | 19 | 19% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Genesis | 4 | 4% | |
| Phil Collins | 3 | 3% | |
| U2 | 3 | 3% | |
| Sade | 3 | 3% | |
| The Police | 3 | 3% | |
| The Cure | 3 | 3% | |
| Peter Gabriel | 3 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 24 from 74th to 50thHead Over Heels by Cocteau Twins |
| Up 8 from 38th to 30thSubstance by New Order |
| Up 7 from 54th to 47thFree by Concrete Blonde |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 13 from 40th to 53rdHysteria by Def Leppard |
| Down 3 from 35th to 38thMelissa Etheridge by Melissa Etheridge |
| Down 3 from 46th to 49thVictory Day by Tom Cochrane |
| Leavers |
|---|
| ...But Seriously by Phil Collins |
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| Top 37 Music Albums of the 2020s | Jaymantheman | 2020s decade chart | 2026 | |
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Showing all 1 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09/19/2018 18:03 |  nocturnaldelight | 4 | 83/100 |
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