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: 5 hours ago).
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1980s decade summaryThe best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, The Cure, Pixies, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.
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Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
433
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
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Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
432
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Comments:
"The first cassette tape that I bought myself and still one of my favorites. It takes me back to carefree times of youth. I actually like many of the album tracks as much as the hits, which is what I guess makes a classic album."  Reply
- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
428
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"Its been 30 years, time to listen to the music and not the image. Boy George and Culture Club were ultimately a rather short lived phenomenon, but that 18 months or so that they ruled the airwaves was a strong one and this album represents them at the peak of their powers, before overexposure and..."  [+]  Reply
- nf0603 | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
426
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"Criminally underrated. At the time it was released it was bombarded with negative reviews because of it's string and horn parts. Listening to this now, I can't picture this album without them. It's gorgeous in it's execution and is probably The Church's masterpiece!"  Reply
- tonagamu | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
425
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Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
425
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Comments:
"Holding is a justifiable classic and is the song that got this band famous. But its on tracks such as Picture book that shows Hucknall's talent - the man can flat out sing."  Reply
- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
425
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Average Rating:
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Share your opinion and help others discover this album. The top-voted comments are showcased in our aggregate charts!
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
422
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Comments:
"Mix about two parts stadium-era Simple Minds with one part Big Chair-era Tears for Fears and you'll have a pretty good idea what to expect here. Singer and main songwriter Gustavo Cerati even sounds like the perfect cross between Jim Kerr and Roland Orzabal. It doesn't get much more '1986' than t..."  [+]  Reply
- BorderFreeAndrew | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
422
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"The skeletal beats on show here were a genre being birthed – not actually at the point of genesis, but becoming a style in its own right, and one to be contended with. And there’s no doubting the ground-breaking nature of this record, pioneering rap in popular culture. The only problem is that it..."  [+]  Reply
- IanFrance | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +2 votes (2 helpful | 0 unhelpful) Help 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:
420
Rank in 1985:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 53 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Best Albums of 1970
1. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
2. After The Gold Rush by Neil Young
3. All Things Must Pass by George Harrison
4. Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel
5. John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band by John Lennon
6. Bitches Brew by Miles Davis
7. Moondance by Van Morrison
8. Cosmo's Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. Led Zeppelin III by Led Zeppelin
10. Fun House by The Stooges
11. Let It Be by The Beatles
12. Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath
13. Loaded by The Velvet Underground
14. Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs by Derek & The Dominos
15. Déjà Vu by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
16. American Beauty by Grateful Dead
17. Abraxas by Santana
18. Deep Purple In Rock by Deep Purple
19. Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens
20. Morrison Hotel by The Doors