Best Albums of 1981

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Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 56,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

summaryThe best artists of 1981 were Rush, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Electric Light Orchestra, The Cure, The Human League, Black Flag and This Heat.

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Moving Pictures

Rush

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

1,010 charts

Rank Score:

9,407

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

162

Average Rating:

82 (1,290 votes)

Comments:

Computerwelt

Kraftwerk

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

481 charts

Rank Score:

3,546

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

444 charts

Rank Score:

3,098

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

566

Average Rating:

80 (613 votes)

Comments:

Juju

Siouxsie And The Banshees

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

406 charts

Rank Score:

2,951

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

591

Average Rating:

80 (443 votes)

Comments:

My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts

Brian Eno & David Byrne

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

385 charts

Rank Score:

2,782

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

628

Average Rating:

77 (433 votes)

Comments:

Time

Electric Light Orchestra

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

284 charts

Rank Score:

2,494

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

109

Overall Rank:

710

Average Rating:

76 (387 votes)

Comments:

Faith

The Cure

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

389 charts

Rank Score:

2,156

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

125

Overall Rank:

810

Average Rating:

78 (592 votes)

Comments:

Dare

The Human League

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

409 charts

Rank Score:

2,132

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

127

Overall Rank:

825

Average Rating:

75 (466 votes)

Comments:

Damaged

Black Flag

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

392 charts

Rank Score:

2,021

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

132

Overall Rank:

868

Average Rating:

76 (501 votes)

Comments:

10.

Deceit

This Heat

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

256 charts

Rank Score:

1,912

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

142

Overall Rank:

913

Average Rating:

78 (260 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Artist	Albums	%

Various Artists	17	2%
Frank Zappa	5	1%
Herbert von Karajan / Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra	3	0%
Scientist	3	0%
Tangerine Dream	3	0%
David Bowie	3	0%
喜多郎 [Kitarō]	3	0%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	315	32%
	278	28%
	60	6%
	40	4%
	36	4%
	30	3%
	29	3%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	937	94%
Yes	63	6%

Live?	Albums	%
No	970	97%
Yes	30	3%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	990	99%
Yes	10	1%

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