Top 60 Music Albums of the 1980s
by 
Boltzmann 
The '80s saw the rise of dance-pop and hip hop which - needless to say - have had an everlasting impact on music. Meanwhile we saw rock split up: post-punk with their illusion of undergroundness, who realized shortly after the end of the '80s they were mainstream too all along; new wave who liked the sound of Joy Division a bit too much, and embraced their cheesiness very early on; hardcore punk and heavy metal that became almost indistinguishable after thrash was invented; and noise rock, which proved to be the only one that was actually interesting. The actual underground meanwhile was working on house and techno and everything that came from that. But that's another story for another decade.
First three are 10/10, 4-16 are 9/10, the rest 8/10, and the only ones of the decade that are.
- Chart updated: 07/02/2025 00:15
- (Created: 09/05/2018 23:05).
- Chart size: 60 albums.
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[First added to this chart: 09/05/2018]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,971
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/05/2018]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
6,931
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 12/27/2019]
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,534
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/05/2018]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,372
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 03/09/2020]
Buy album
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[First added to this chart: 07/21/2024]
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
1,483
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 09/05/2018]
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,026
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
This album was the proof that hip hop was more than just a genre. It didn't need even the very fundamentals of all music that existed before - melody and harmony. The exception being rhythm of course. And together with some rhymes you have enough for a full-fledged hip hop album.
[First added to this chart: 08/25/2021]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
420
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album
- #Sponsored
[First added to this chart: 07/21/2024]
Buy album
- #Sponsored
Like it or not, but after this, everything was thrash or not-thrash.
[First added to this chart: 11/18/2019]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,193
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 60. Page 1 of 6
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Top 60 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7 | 12% | |
| 1981 | 4 | 7% | |
| 1982 | 6 | 10% | |
| 1983 | 5 | 8% | |
| 1984 | 5 | 8% | |
| 1985 | 4 | 7% | |
| 1986 | 7 | 12% | |
| 1987 | 4 | 7% | |
| 1988 | 12 | 20% | |
| 1989 | 6 | 10% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Prince | 5 | 8% | |
| Madonna | 4 | 7% | |
| Metallica | 3 | 5% | |
| Kate Bush | 3 | 5% | |
| Run-D.M.C. | 3 | 5% | |
| Janet Jackson | 2 | 3% | |
| Eric B. & Rakim | 2 | 3% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 60 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest climbers |
|---|
| Up 14 from 36th to 22ndHounds Of Love by Kate Bush |
| Up 11 from 43rd to 32ndUprising by Bob Marley & The Wailers |
| Up 9 from 45th to 36thLike A Virgin by Madonna |
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 18 from 25th to 43rdSurfer Rosa by Pixies |
| Down 16 from 26th to 42ndDaydream Nation by Sonic Youth |
| Down 16 from 29th to 45thNothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction |
Top 60 Music Albums of the 1980s similar charts
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| Top 50 Greatest Music Albums | rockthe80s | Overall chart | 2010 | |
| Top 50 Music Albums of the 1980s | 0129114 | 1980s decade chart | 2021 | |
| Top 45 Music Albums of the 1980s |  9999 | 1980s decade chart | 2018 | |
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Other decade charts by Boltzmann
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 4 Music Albums of the 2020s | Boltzmann | 2020s decade chart | 2022 | |
| Top 68 Music Albums of the 2010s | Boltzmann | 2010s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Top 56 Music Albums of the 2000s | Boltzmann | 2000s decade chart | 2024 | |
Top 60 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 3 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 03/29/2022 15:54 |  Larcx13 | 1,138 | 86/100 |
| ! | 03/10/2020 01:06 | DJENNY | 4,340 | 100/100 |
| ! | 10/05/2019 17:01 |  Rhyner | 1,454 | 99/100 |
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