Best Albums of 1981

Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
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Year:
1981 year summaryThe best artists of 1981 were Rush, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Electric Light Orchestra, The Human League, The Cure, Black Flag and This Heat.
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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
371
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • iTunes
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
365
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
358
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
341
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
326
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
325
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
321
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
317
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
313
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
306
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 8 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Country Albums %


United States 304 30%
United Kingdom 284 28%
Germany 58 6%
Mixed Nationality 40 4%
Australia 36 4%
France 30 3%
Japan 27 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 937 94%
Yes 63 6%
Live? Albums %
No 969 97%
Yes 31 3%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 990 99%
Yes 10 1%
Popular  Charts
1. 100 Best Albums - 2024 Edition by Apple Music (2024)
2. The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time by New Music Express (2013)
3. The Top 100 Albums by VH1 (2001)
4. The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time by Rolling Stone (2020)
5. 200 Greatest Albums of All Time by Uncut (2016)
6. Virgin All-Time Top 1000 Albums by Virgin (2000)
7. Top 100 Albums by ABC (2006)
8. The Definitive 200 by National Association of Recording Merchandisers (2007)
9. Die 100 Alben des Jahrhunderts by Spex (2000)
10. Mojo Readers: The 100 Greatest Albums Ever Made by Mojo (1996)
11. Greatest 100 Albums of All Time by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums with NME (2006)
12. Die 100 besten Platten des Jahrhunderts by Wiener (1999)
13. Die 20 besten Alben der Geschichte by Musikexpress.de (2011)
14. The 100 Greatest Albums Of All Time by Absolute Radio (2012)
15. 100 Greatest Albums Ever by Q (2006)
16. The 300 Greatest Albums of All Time (1-100) by Paste (2024)
17. Die 100 besten Alben der Musikgeschichte by radioeins (2019)
18. The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time by Consequence of Sound (2022)
19. Top 100 Greatest Music Albums by Melody Maker (2000)
20. The Greatest Rock Albums by uDiscoverMusic (2015)
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