Best Albums of the 1980s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1980s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1980	2,131	193,940	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,175	120,616	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,139	148,384	Thriller (76th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,149	135,638	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,152	170,973	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,166	143,916	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,279	170,050	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,479	162,447	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,567	151,743	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,590	197,377	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,827	1,595,083

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, Pixies, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.

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121.

The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

The Traveling Wilburys

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

306 charts

Rank Score:

2,221

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

121

Overall Rank:

802

Average Rating:

76 (377 votes)

Comments:

122.

Faith

The Cure

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

379 charts

Rank Score:

2,221

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

122

Overall Rank:

803

Average Rating:

78 (572 votes)

Comments:

123.

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello And The Attractions

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

291 charts

Rank Score:

2,219

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

123

Overall Rank:

805

Average Rating:

78 (378 votes)

Comments:

124.

Dare

The Human League

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

392 charts

Rank Score:

2,211

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

124

Overall Rank:

807

Average Rating:

75 (447 votes)

Comments:

125.

Operation: Mindcrime

Queensrÿche

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

273 charts

Rank Score:

2,210

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

125

Overall Rank:

808

Average Rating:

78 (355 votes)

Comments:

126.

Boy

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

411 charts

Rank Score:

2,200

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

126

Overall Rank:

811

Average Rating:

75 (743 votes)

Comments:

127.

New Gold Dream (81-82-83-84)

Simple Minds

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

287 charts

Rank Score:

2,159

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

127

Overall Rank:

825

Average Rating:

77 (315 votes)

Comments:

128.

Darklands

The Jesus And Mary Chain

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

328 charts

Rank Score:

2,151

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

128

Overall Rank:

828

Average Rating:

79 (373 votes)

Comments:

129.

The Real Thing

Faith No More

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

316 charts

Rank Score:

2,147

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

129

Overall Rank:

831

Average Rating:

78 (472 votes)

Comments:

130.

1984

Van Halen

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

413 charts

Rank Score:

2,110

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

130

Overall Rank:

845

Average Rating:

76 (632 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 13 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Talking Heads	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	415	41%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	13	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	34	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	22	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	12	1%

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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Best Albums of 1985
1. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
2. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
3. Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
4. Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
5. Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain
6. Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
7. The Head On The Door by The Cure
8. Tim by The Replacements
9. Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
10. Rum Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues
11. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
12. Low-Life by New Order
13. This Is The Sea by The Waterboys
14. New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü
15. This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall
16. Fables Of The Reconstruction by R.E.M.
17. Little Creatures by Talking Heads
18. Around The World In A Day by Prince And The Revolution
19. Love by The Cult
20. The Dream Of The Blue Turtles by Sting