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: 3 hours ago).
"You WILL believe that three men, a guitar, a bass and a drum set can be loud enough to drown out an F-14." Reply
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40footwolf | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
482
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Rank in 1980s:
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Average Rating:
Comments:
"Van Halen expands its musical palette on "Women and Children First," maturing beyond the party anthems of "Van Halen" and "II," while retaining its lust for life. The dark undercurrents and tension evident throughout "Women and Children First" are unlike anything heard on Van Halen's two 1970s al..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
481
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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.
"Not as great as the first album but still very good. Great songs as always, but just a little short of that magic that made their first album so special." Reply
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
479
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Comments:
"I think this album have some good and some great songs but is a bit messy! I so appreciate Blondie's versatility and adventure in their sound but this album feels a bit forced for some reason. I think if the order of the track were a bit different,t with a better flow will sound more consistent. ..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
479
Rank in 1980:
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:
477
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Average Rating:
Comments:
"This superbly orchestrated album is full of imposing and intense arrangements that merge Slavic-style hymns, Gregorian liturgy, Celtic folk music, Tibetan chants and Renaissance Madrigals. The stately symphonic overtones evoke early King Crimson with a modern twist." Reply
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
477
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Comments:
"Another number one album and last at his peak, this has even more intricate use of keyboard overlaid sounds and contains great music." Reply
"It's a really great album. Synth-Pop at it's best. "Here Comes the Rain Again", "Right By Your Side", "Who's That Girl", "Cool Blue" - Heavy and light, cold and warm, such a diverse album." Reply
Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
473
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"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:
472
Rank in 1985:
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 | 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% | |
| Depeche Mode | 7 | 1% | |
| R.E.M. | 7 | 1% | |
| Talking Heads | 7 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
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412 | 41% | |
 |
392 | 39% | |
 |
40 | 4% | |
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29 | 3% | |
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22 | 2% | |
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19 | 2% | |
 |
12 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
