Best Albums of the 1980s
Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 58,000 greatest album charts. (Chart last updated: 2 hours ago).
"The best album of 1985 (the year sucked), and one of the best emo albums. The Rites' only studio record is one of the most visceral compilations of cerebral music there is, and probably one of the most influential albums on the decade. The general sound is very lo-fi but that doesn't mean it soun..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
481
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"One of the most underrated punk albums ever. This is pure fury, which ends up sounding a little silly at times (the vials on the first two tracks) but is unrelenting. Sex Bomb might be the greatest punk song ever - horns are something that are lacking in punk, which is weird considering how great..." [+] Reply
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babyBlueSedan | 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:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
481
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"A little more gentle on the ear than the fire and brimstone of Hex, Brix's influence can be heard throughout adding a melodic touch to the preceedings. Garden is a particular favourite here, lyrically it baffles and impresses in equal measure like all the great Fall tracks. 'His veiled sex seeps ..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
480
Rank in 1983:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"There's only so much you can do with two chords, but Scientist manages to make an otherwise dull 37 minutes quite interesting." Reply
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teague | 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.
"Another number one album and last at his peak, this has even more intricate use of keyboard overlaid sounds and contains great music." Reply
"Not quite as good as "Script of the Bridge" but nonetheless a truly great album" Reply
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Secondsoul | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 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:
475
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"I agree CDoor. This is an overlooked gem of an album that deserves wider recognition. As you imply, Tuxedomoon represented the more interesting and intellectual strand of the new-wave/post-punk bands to have emerged during the late 1970s and early 1980s (eg. Rip Rig and Panic, James White and the..." [+] Reply
"Steve Earle's best record. He must have been really trying hard to make it in the music business because the production suffers a bit, sometimes it works but often it can sound dated. The songs are solid though. Recommended. Track Pick: Someday" Reply
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
473
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This is more than a gorgeous collection of wonderful choruses, this is vaudeville in the post-punk era, this is The Residents in the world of alternative pop, cabaret songs for demential grotesque cartoons. These dynamic, crazy, irreverent music pills have nothing to envy to underground rock hero..." [+] Reply
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Kalos | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 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:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
472
Rank in 1986:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"Sounding organic and alive this is a thoroughly impressive debut. Conjuring recollections of the paisley-soaked '60s and the lush sounds of '70s soul, all distilled through the multicultural flowering of the late '80s. Much like Prince, he plays nearly every instrument on the record, making this ..." [+] Reply
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~SMiLE~ | 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:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
471
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 48 of 100
Best Albums of the 1980s composition
| Year | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 119 | 12% | |
| 1981 | 119 | 12% | |
| 1982 | 107 | 11% | |
| 1983 | 96 | 10% | |
| 1984 | 100 | 10% | |
| 1985 | 87 | 9% | |
| 1986 | 92 | 9% | |
| 1987 | 87 | 9% | |
| 1988 | 98 | 10% | |
| 1989 | 96 | 10% |
| Artist | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Cure | 10 | 1% | |
| Iron Maiden | 8 | 1% | |
| Depeche Mode | 8 | 1% | |
| The Smiths | 8 | 1% | |
| Rush | 8 | 1% | |
| U2 | 7 | 1% | |
| The Fall | 7 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
414 | 41% | |
 |
392 | 39% | |
 |
40 | 4% | |
 |
27 | 3% | |
 |
22 | 2% | |
 |
20 | 2% | |
 |
12 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
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We work very hard to ensure our site is as fast (and FREE!) as possible, and we respect your privacy.
