Best Albums of 1981

Listed below are the best albums of 1981 as calculated from their overall rankings in over 56,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
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summaryThe best artists of 1981 were Rush, Kraftwerk, King Crimson, Siouxsie And The Banshees, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Electric Light Orchestra, The Cure, The Human League, Black Flag and This Heat.
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Buy album United States
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
362
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
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  • iTunes
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  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
350
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
345
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
325
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
316
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
311
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
309
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
300
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
296
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Buy album United States
  • Amazon
  • eBay
  • iTunes
  • Spotify
  • #Sponsored
Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
295
Rank in 1981:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 8 of 100

Best Albums of 1981 composition

Country Albums %


United States 316 32%
United Kingdom 276 28%
Germany 60 6%
Mixed Nationality 40 4%
Australia 35 4%
Japan 30 3%
France 29 3%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 937 94%
Yes 63 6%
Live? Albums %
No 970 97%
Yes 30 3%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 990 99%
Yes 10 1%
Best Albums of the 1970s
1. The Dark Side Of The Moon by Pink Floyd
2. Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd
3. The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars by David Bowie
4. Untitled (Led Zeppelin IV) by Led Zeppelin
5. London Calling by The Clash
6. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac
7. The Wall by Pink Floyd
8. Animals by Pink Floyd
9. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
10. Who's Next by The Who
11. Blood On The Tracks by Bob Dylan
12. Exile On Main St. by The Rolling Stones
13. Marquee Moon by Television
14. Hunky Dory by David Bowie
15. What's Going On by Marvin Gaye
16. Paranoid by Black Sabbath
17. Pink Moon by Nick Drake
18. Low by David Bowie
19. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones
20. Blue by Joni Mitchell
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