Best Albums of the 1980s

Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 57,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
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Year:
1980s decade summaryThe 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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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
662
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
362.
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
660
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
659
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
364.
4 
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
655
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:
654
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:
652
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
652
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
651
Rank in 1984:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
650
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
648
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 37 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year Albums %


1980 119 12%
1981 120 12%
1982 106 11%
1983 97 10%
1984 102 10%
1985 83 8%
1986 94 9%
1987 87 9%
1988 98 10%
1989 94 9%
Artist Albums %


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


United Kingdom 417 42%
United States 388 39%
Australia 40 4%
Mixed Nationality 27 3%
Canada 23 2%
Germany 20 2%
Argentina 12 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 965 97%
Yes 35 4%
Live? Albums %
No 978 98%
Yes 22 2%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 988 99%
Yes 12 1%
Best Artists of the 2000s
1. Radiohead
2. Arcade Fire
3. The Strokes
4. Coldplay
5. Sufjan Stevens
6. Muse
7. Arctic Monkeys
8. Wilco
9. Animal Collective
10. The White Stripes
11. Kanye West
12. Phil Elverum
13. Interpol
14. Modest Mouse
15. Queens Of The Stone Age
16. Madvillain
17. LCD Soundsystem
18. Godspeed You! Black Emperor
19. The National
20. The Flaming Lips
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