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	2,129	194,086	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,163	120,401	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,135	148,550	Thriller (75th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,131	135,630	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,144	171,164	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,144	143,786	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,276	170,298	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,474	162,417	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,562	151,653	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,586	197,363	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,744	1,595,348

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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271.

Welcome To The Pleasuredome

Frankie Goes To Hollywood

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

184 charts

Rank Score:

975

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

271

Overall Rank:

1,741

Average Rating:

75 (189 votes)

Comments:

272.

The Dream Of The Blue Turtles

Sting

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

200 charts

Rank Score:

974

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

272

Overall Rank:

1,742

Average Rating:

74 (240 votes)

Comments:

273.

Crocodiles

Echo & The Bunnymen

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

228 charts

Rank Score:

971

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

273

Overall Rank:

1,751

Average Rating:

77 (258 votes)

Comments:

274.

High Land, Hard Rain

Aztec Camera

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

180 charts

Rank Score:

966

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

274

Overall Rank:

1,760

Average Rating:

76 (172 votes)

Comments:

275.

Plastic Surgery Disasters

Dead Kennedys

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

181 charts

Rank Score:

965

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

275

Overall Rank:

1,766

Average Rating:

79 (236 votes)

Comments:

276.

No Jacket Required

Phil Collins

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

197 charts

Rank Score:

949

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

276

Overall Rank:

1,780

Average Rating:

69 (250 votes)

Comments:

277.

Escape

Journey

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

186 charts

Rank Score:

945

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

277

Overall Rank:

1,788

Average Rating:

71 (250 votes)

Comments:

278.

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

Midnight Oil

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

129 charts

Rank Score:

942

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

278

Overall Rank:

1,792

Average Rating:

76 (140 votes)

Comments:

279.

Suzanne Vega

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

170 charts

Rank Score:

938

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

279

Overall Rank:

1,800

Average Rating:

75 (194 votes)

Comments:

280.

Blackout

Scorpions

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

185 charts

Rank Score:

937

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

280

Overall Rank:

1,801

Average Rating:

76 (215 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 28 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	95	10%
1987	86	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	13	1%

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

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