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).
"This album confuses me. Sometimes I feel like it is pretty good, but not quite great. Other times I feel like it is my favorite album of all time. Tracks 1-7 are some of my favorite U2 songs except for the instrumental 4th of July. After that there isn't too much going on. I like this album more ..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,599
Rank in 1984:
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Comments:
"Green is a funny little album. It marks the end of the IRS years, and the beginning of the more mainstream Warner Bros. period. It seems a lot of people have fond memories of Green as an album, and it is that sort of friendly album. Perhaps coupled by it's green tour, it has a real sort of commun..." [+] Reply
Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,559
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"Not quite good enough to be considered a great album in it's own right but certainly more than just a historical artefact. That the band that wrote Negative Creep became the biggest band in the world can't fail to make me smile." Reply
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,516
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Comments:
"I was just talking with my dad the other day about what a great album Lifes Rich Pageant is. We're of very different generations musically, and this is one of those rare points of total agreement. The song he singled out for particular praise was "The Flowers of Guatemala," and I couldn't agree m..." [+] Reply
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buzzdainer | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 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:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,480
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Comments:
"Pretty Hate Machine is Nine Inch Nail's first album, and it is awesome. Much dancier than any other NIN record, Pretty Hate Machine mixes synthpop with the industrial influences that would dominate the rest of his work. However, this album is not lacking in humanity, but incorporates it in the ly..." [+] Reply
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souplipton | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +10 votes (10 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:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,458
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"There's a brilliant hook in every track with the most famous one being the one in "Computer Love" thanks to Coldplay. Ironic how an album aiming for something very futuristic ends up sounding this nostalgic. A compliment, not a complaint!" Reply
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Mother Nature's Son | 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:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,420
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Comments:
"It took me a bit to get into this sound, but this really grew on me. Even though I didn't love it at first, this is undoubtedly one of the prettiest collection of songs I've ever heard." Reply
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HoldenM | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +7 votes (7 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:
3,414
Rank in 1982:
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Comments:
"One of the best fusions of rock and rap. This album is out of this world!" Reply
Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,315
Rank in 1986:
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Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"Blueprint for rap and hip-hop of the 90s, sadly it havent aged well and the lyrics feel less impactful now than in the 80s. But the good songs, are REALLY good." Reply
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Jbalbinolr | Helpful? (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 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:
3,287
Rank in 1988:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
"A top album. Not heard this album for over 30 years and just got it again. Sooooo many great tracks - Free Fallin is such an excellent track." Reply
Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
3,283
Rank in 1989:
Rank in 1980s:
Overall Rank:
Average Rating:
Comments:
Total albums: 1,000. Page 8 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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
| The Cure | 10 | 1% | |
| Iron Maiden | 8 | 1% | |
| The Smiths | 8 | 1% | |
| Rush | 8 | 1% | |
| Depeche Mode | 7 | 1% | |
| R.E.M. | 7 | 1% | |
| Talking Heads | 7 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Country | Albums | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|||
 |
412 | 41% | |
 |
393 | 39% | |
 |
40 | 4% | |
 |
29 | 3% | |
 |
22 | 2% | |
 |
19 | 2% | |
 |
11 | 1% | |
| Show all | |||
| Best Artists of 2025 | |
|---|---|
| 1. Geese | |
| 2. Clipse | |
| 3. Rosalía | |
| 4. FKA Twigs | |
| 5. Pulp | |
| 6. Bon Iver | |
| 7. Little Simz | |
| 8. Black Country, New Road | |
| 9. The Last Dinner Party | |
| 10. Ethel Cain |
