Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s
by Hyggevinyl 
So many Japanese albums here! That's not true for my other decade lists, but something happened in the 80s from the Yellow Magic Orchestra boys to the minimalist ambient scene to amazing women like Akiko Yano. The list has a bunch of mainstream picks as well, though, with Kate Bush topping the list with one of the biggest classics in pop ever.
- Chart updated: 01/24/2026 19:15
- (Created: 08/04/2022 13:41).
- Chart size: 100 albums.
There is 1 comment for this chart from BestEverAlbums.com members and Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s has an average rating of 86 out of 100 (from 1 vote). Please log in or register to leave a comment or assign a rating.
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[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,029
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 10/02/2022]
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,772
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,999
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
[First added to this chart: 08/05/2024]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
31,269
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2022]
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
4,999
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
[First added to this chart: 08/04/2024]
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,977
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 100. Page 1 of 10
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Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1981 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1982 | 13 | 13% | |
| 1983 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1984 | 12 | 12% | |
| 1985 | 8 | 8% | |
| 1986 | 11 | 11% | |
| 1987 | 7 | 7% | |
| 1988 | 9 | 9% | |
| 1989 | 9 | 9% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| Kate Bush | 3 | 3% | |
| Talking Heads | 3 | 3% | |
| David Bowie | 2 | 2% | |
| The Cure | 2 | 2% | |
| After Dinner | 2 | 2% | |
| YMO | 2 | 2% | |
| Beastie Boys | 2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
38 | 38% | |
 |
22 | 22% | |
 |
21 | 21% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
 |
3 | 3% | |
| |
3 | 3% | |
 |
2 | 2% | |
| Show all | |||
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s chart changes
| Biggest fallers |
|---|
| Down 1 from 35th to 36thScary Monsters by David Bowie |
| Down 1 from 36th to 37thGlass Tube by After Dinner |
| Down 1 from 37th to 38thBrothers In Arms by Dire Straits |
| New entries |
|---|
| Tutu by Miles Davis |
| Leavers |
|---|
| Dimensions & Extensions by Sam Rivers |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s similar charts
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  StefanR10 | 1980s decade chart | 2020 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  JR | 1980s decade chart | 2024 | |
| Best Albums of the 1980s | Slant Magazine | 1980s decade chart | 2012 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | PapaShiz86 | 1980s decade chart | 2024 |  |
| Pitchfork: The 200 Best Albums Of The 1980s (1-100) [2018] | WayneMC | Custom chart | 2020 | |
| The 200 Best Albums of the 1980s | Pitchfork | 1980s decade chart | 2018 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  djnizzi | 1980s decade chart | 2021 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s |  eclab | 1980s decade chart | 2025 |  |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s | dwils0891 | 1980s decade chart | 2012 | |
| Top 85 Music Albums of the 1980s |  Stanleykurosawa | 1980s decade chart | 2023 | |
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Other decade charts by Hyggevinyl
Hyggevinyl has shared 6 more 1980s decade charts with the community. Browse them all here.
| Title | Source | Type | Published | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2020s | Hyggevinyl | 2020s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2010s | Hyggevinyl | 2010s decade chart | 2025 | |
| Top 100 Music Albums of the 2000s | Hyggevinyl | 2000s decade chart | 2025 | |
Top 100 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 1 ratings for this chart.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Chart ratings | Avg. chart rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/19/2022 17:34 |  Larcx13 | 1,138 | 86/100 |
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s favourites
Top 100 Music Albums of the 1980s comments
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From Larcx13 12/19/2022 17:35 | #292060
Larcx13 12/19/2022 17:35 | #292060
To be fair, the 80s is a difficult decade in music for me. We differ a lot here. I guess we can learn from each others lists. I've only begun to appreciate this decade.
Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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