Best Albums of the 1980s
Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 59,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 2 hours ago).
"Saw Marillion on Real to Reel Tour in 1984 and only owned this album at the time, played (I believe) all the tracks off this. I am a fan of the Fish era 8 minute plus epics, can happily sit through the 20 odd minutes of Grendel so this is a favourite of mine. Preferred to Script, superceded by Mi..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1984
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Rank Score:
625
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"I originally had this album on tape and have recently bought it on brand new vinyl, the sound production is excellent. This album sits between synth pop and rock which I am sure confuses many listeners. Ultravox were one of the more clever synth based eighties bands using real drums or electric p..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1980
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Rank Score:
625
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"When Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He's been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far mo..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
622
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"Normally I prefer studio versions, but some of the songs here (e.g. Sultans of Swing and Telegraph Road) are so great that I never play the studio versions anymore. Mark Knopfler at his best!" Reply
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
620
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Comments:
"A roller coaster ride through sound. There are a few dark moments, but the journey is an uplifting one which will send shivers down your spine. Best thrills include the majestic opener Cascade, the intense and haunting Obsession and the jazzy straightjacket strut of Cocoon. This is the Banshees a..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
619
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"I bought this album in 1983. Consistently good, great guitars. Still sounds good today!" Reply
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Secondsoul | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
617
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Comments:
"I'm judging this based off of the Matador 2008 release, which is fucking amazing. Gets better as it goes. Great record." Reply
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HoldenM | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
614
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"For all you "smooth rock" fans out there, this is essentially the British equivalent of Yacht Rock. Whereas the 70s American yacht rock was breezy & upbeat, the New Romantics were somber & arty. Owes a sizable debt to Roxy Music. fave track: Backwaters" Reply
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
611
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"Phil tries to recreate the dark, sinister mood from face value's opening track with "i don't care anymore", and it mostly works as it's its own powerful tune, but there's a sort of mythos missing. Cover "you don't care anymore" was an interesting choice and played well by phil. "don't let him ste..." [+] Reply
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paladisiac | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
611
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Average Rating:
Comments:
"Logged as a compilation but how can a previously unreleased album of studio recordings be a compilation? Really good anyways. Possibly better than loaded but not the first 3." Reply
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Graeme2 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
611
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Total albums: 1,000. Page 39 of 100
Best Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 121 | 12% | |
| 1981 | 119 | 12% | |
| 1982 | 107 | 11% | |
| 1983 | 95 | 10% | |
| 1984 | 101 | 10% | |
| 1985 | 88 | 9% | |
| 1986 | 91 | 9% | |
| 1987 | 89 | 9% | |
| 1988 | 97 | 10% | |
| 1989 | 92 | 9% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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|||
| The Cure | 10 | 1% | |
| The Smiths | 8 | 1% | |
| Rush | 8 | 1% | |
| Iron Maiden | 8 | 1% | |
| R.E.M. | 7 | 1% | |
| Talking Heads | 7 | 1% | |
| U2 | 7 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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 |
412 | 41% | |
 |
392 | 39% | |
 |
40 | 4% | |
 |
29 | 3% | |
 |
22 | 2% | |
 |
19 | 2% | |
 |
12 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
