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: 4 hours ago).
"To me this is brilliant but i love to listen to extended guitar solos and jamming. Satriani has an amazing command of the guitar he always sounds so in control like a jedi master with his craft. Special album from a special player. Possibly the greatest technical guitar player ever." Reply
Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
370
Rank in 1987:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"It's telling when one of Kraftwerk's worst albums is still really good. This one in particular may lack any revolutionary streak that "Autobahn" had or the sublime melodies found in "The Man-Machine", but by subtly enveloping the listener in a melancholic atmosphere, "Electric Cafe" manages to cr..." [+] Reply
"An essence of Punk runs through the veins of Life's A Riot, which may only be 15 minutes long, but manages to be one of the most well packaged and listenable EPs ever made. Simple at heart, but with excellent lyrics and the distinctive, echoey sound of Bragg's rough guitar, it's a perfect late ni..." [+] Reply
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DeusExMackia | 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.
"Annoyed it took me so long to finally give this one a listen. Can see why Metallica loved this" Reply
Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
369
Rank in 1980:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This is a really good album, almost sounds like a Beatles' tribute/pastiche at times especially on the wonderful Laura, a kind of John Lennon psychedelic ballad, and the drony, Scandinavian skies. The middle eight of surprises sounds just like George Harrison too. The first half of the album is p..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
369
Rank in 1982:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"By 1985 Heart had become a dinosaur 70s band and their previous two albums (1983's Passionworks and 1982's Private Audition) did not sell as well as their first five albums, all of which had hit the US Top 10 and were certified platinum. Heart had never been a singles band, but those previous two..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
367
Rank in 1985:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"This is my favorite "Crowded House" album. They sound darker compared to their other records but the album offers great songs like "Into Temptation" and "Better Be Home Soon" that sound llike a "Beatles"-impression from the 80s." Reply
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nocturnaldelight | 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:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
365
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"Few good songs here and there. And overall, not bad. Bit disappointing though due to the hype and ratings. Love the cover btw." Reply
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Hayden | 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.
"Original 8 tracks are awesome of course, but what I really love are bonus tracks(which consist of 1 EP and 2 Singles) They're peak of jangle guitar pop. Idk how simple pop songs could be this good. Melodious and beautiful yet touching and emotional. I was born in 90's but this album even makes me..." [+] Reply
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SingingPeasant96 | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 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.
"OMD with more than a nod towards Kraftwerk...quite different to Architecture & Morality, more industrial but a good listen. Difficult to rate tracks individually but as a whole I like it. The whole album rating more than just a sum of its parts. Oh, and Radio Waves most definitely should have bee..." [+] Reply
Total albums: 1,000. Page 59 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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
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|||
| 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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| Best Ever Artists | |
|---|---|
| 1. The Beatles | |
| 2. Radiohead | |
| 3. Pink Floyd | |
| 4. David Bowie | |
| 5. Bob Dylan | |
| 6. Led Zeppelin | |
| 7. The Rolling Stones | |
| 8. Arcade Fire | |
| 9. Neil Young | |
| 10. Nirvana | |
| 11. The Velvet Underground | |
| 12. Kendrick Lamar | |
| 13. Miles Davis | |
| 14. The Smiths | |
| 15. R.E.M. | |
| 16. The Beach Boys | |
| 17. Kanye West | |
| 18. Bruce Springsteen | |
| 19. The Cure | |
| 20. Pixies |
