Best Albums of the 1980s

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Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 53,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

1980s decade summary

Year	Albums The number of albums from each year featuring in the greatest album charts.	Score Total rank score for each year (made up of the total rank score from all albums in that year)	Top Ranked Album The top ranked album from each year and where it ranks in the overall chart.
1980	2,138	193,524	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,177	120,276	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,140	147,953	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,153	135,295	Murmur (144th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,157	170,523	Purple Rain (80th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,168	144,151	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,285	169,668	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,493	162,084	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,573	151,502	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,606	197,527	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	22,890	1,592,504

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Prince, Pixies, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.

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701.

On Land And In The Sea

Cardiacs

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

291

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

701

Overall Rank:

4,750

Average Rating:

73 (38 votes)

Comments:

702.

Make It Big

Wham!

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

92 charts

Rank Score:

290

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

702

Overall Rank:

4,751

Average Rating:

67 (112 votes)

Comments:

703.

Who's Afraid Of The Art Of Noise?

Art Of Noise

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

67 charts

Rank Score:

289

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

703

Overall Rank:

4,768

Average Rating:

75 (52 votes)

Comments:

704.

Gyrate

Pylon

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

58 charts

Rank Score:

289

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

704

Overall Rank:

4,775

Average Rating:

76 (46 votes)

Comments:

705.

Club Classics, Vol. 1

Soul II Soul

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

92 charts

Rank Score:

289

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

705

Overall Rank:

4,776

Average Rating:

73 (84 votes)

Comments:

706.

Penthouse And Pavement

Heaven 17

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

104 charts

Rank Score:

288

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

706

Overall Rank:

4,784

Average Rating:

71 (106 votes)

Comments:

707.

The Pearl

Harold Budd / Brian Eno / Daniel Lanois

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

71 charts

Rank Score:

288

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

707

Overall Rank:

4,788

Average Rating:

78 (71 votes)

Comments:

708.

The World Won't Listen
Compilation

The Smiths

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

59 charts

Rank Score:

288

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

708

Overall Rank:

4,789

Average Rating:

80 (180 votes)

Comments:

709.

Fugazi

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

64 charts

Rank Score:

287

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

709

Overall Rank:

4,793

Average Rating:

80 (81 votes)

Comments:

710.

The End Of The Innocence

Don Henley

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

83 charts

Rank Score:

287

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

710

Overall Rank:

4,797

Average Rating:

72 (113 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 71 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	81	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	92	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
The Fall	7	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	415	42%
	386	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	987	99%
Yes	13	1%

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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