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	193,495	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,178	120,283	Moving Pictures (156th)by Rush
1982	2,141	147,951	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,154	135,235	Murmur (144th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,155	170,470	Purple Rain (80th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,168	144,126	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,286	169,627	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,495	162,042	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,574	151,480	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,608	197,474	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	22,897	1,592,184

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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901.

Ziggy Stardust The Motion Picture
Live soundtrack

David Bowie

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

216

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

901

Overall Rank:

6,052

Average Rating:

77 (132 votes)

Comments:

902.

Night Songs

Cinderella

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

50 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

902

Overall Rank:

6,061

Average Rating:

73 (75 votes)

Comments:

903.

Never Too Much

Luther Vandross

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

52 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

904.

Bring On The Night
Live

Sting

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

904

Overall Rank:

6,069

Average Rating:

72 (43 votes)

Comments:

905.

Metamatic

John Foxx

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

55 charts

Rank Score:

215

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

906.

The Age Of Plastic

The Buggles

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

62 charts

Rank Score:

214

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

907.

101
Live

Depeche Mode

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

69 charts

Rank Score:

213

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

907

Overall Rank:

6,116

Average Rating:

76 (125 votes)

Comments:

908.

Only Theatre Of Pain

Christian Death

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

39 charts

Rank Score:

213

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

908

Overall Rank:

6,117

Average Rating:

73 (51 votes)

Comments:

909.

World Shut Your Mouth

Julian Cope

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

212

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

909

Overall Rank:

6,126

Average Rating:

71 (46 votes)

Comments:

910.

Three Sides Live
Live

Genesis

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

42 charts

Rank Score:

212

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

910

Overall Rank:

6,141

Average Rating:

74 (79 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 91 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%
Rush	8	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	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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