Best Albums of the 1980s

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

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	2,127	194,254	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,159	120,411	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,134	148,407	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,130	135,748	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,142	171,215	Purple Rain (82nd)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,141	143,785	Hounds Of Love (59th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,268	170,246	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,472	162,385	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,725	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,583	197,466	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,718	1,595,642

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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171.

The Sensual World

Kate Bush

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

322 charts

Rank Score:

1,620

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

171

Overall Rank:

1,090

Average Rating:

78 (425 votes)

Comments:

172.

The Game

Queen

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

300 charts

Rank Score:

1,615

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

172

Overall Rank:

1,093

Average Rating:

75 (485 votes)

Comments:

173.

Eliminator

ZZ Top

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

323 charts

Rank Score:

1,610

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

173

Overall Rank:

1,096

Average Rating:

76 (359 votes)

Comments:

174.

Parade
Soundtrack

Prince And The Revolution

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

292 charts

Rank Score:

1,603

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

174

Overall Rank:

1,100

Average Rating:

77 (383 votes)

Comments:

175.

Blizzard Of Ozz

Ozzy Osbourne

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

314 charts

Rank Score:

1,599

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

175

Overall Rank:

1,104

Average Rating:

78 (407 votes)

Comments:

176.

Texas Flood

Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

291 charts

Rank Score:

1,596

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

176

Overall Rank:

1,107

Average Rating:

79 (341 votes)

Comments:

177.

Viva Hate

Morrissey

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

262 charts

Rank Score:

1,590

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

177

Overall Rank:

1,111

Average Rating:

77 (321 votes)

Comments:

178.

Fables Of The Reconstruction

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

307 charts

Rank Score:

1,590

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

178

Overall Rank:

1,112

Average Rating:

76 (449 votes)

Comments:

179.

Tender Prey

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

292 charts

Rank Score:

1,588

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

179

Overall Rank:

1,114

Average Rating:

80 (324 votes)

Comments:

180.

Safe Mode: On

In The Flat Field

Bauhaus

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

242 charts

Rank Score:

1,563

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

180

Overall Rank:

1,129

Average Rating:

78 (272 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 18 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	80	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	415	42%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%

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

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