Best Albums of 1981

Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 54,000 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:
794
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:
741
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
733
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:
717
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:
707
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:
704
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:
701
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:
685
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:
673
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:
667
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Country Albums %


United States 313 31%
United Kingdom 279 28%
Germany 59 6%
Mixed Nationality 38 4%
Australia 36 4%
France 29 3%
Japan 28 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 939 94%
Yes 61 6%
Live? Albums %
No 969 97%
Yes 31 3%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 991 99%
Yes 9 1%
Best Artists of the 1990s
1. Radiohead
2. Nirvana
3. The Smashing Pumpkins
4. Neutral Milk Hotel
5. My Bloody Valentine
6. Oasis
7. Pearl Jam
8. R.E.M.
9. Weezer
10. Nick Cave
11. Björk
12. Richard David James
13. Pavement
14. Portishead
15. Blur
16. Jeff Buckley
17. Elliott Smith
18. Nas
19. Massive Attack
20. Red Hot Chili Peppers
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