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 58,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade

Decade:

Year:

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

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19.

Murmur

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

1,147 charts

Rank Score:

9,917

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

137

Average Rating:

83 (1,425 votes)

Comments:

49.

Document

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

701 charts

Rank Score:

4,590

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

366

Average Rating:

80 (932 votes)

Comments:

72.

Lifes Rich Pageant

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

519 charts

Rank Score:

3,525

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

483

Average Rating:

80 (766 votes)

Comments:

73.

Green

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

522 charts

Rank Score:

3,515

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

484

Average Rating:

78 (753 votes)

Comments:

81.

Reckoning

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

496 charts

Rank Score:

3,224

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

536

Average Rating:

80 (706 votes)

Comments:

153.

Fables Of The Reconstruction

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

325 charts

Rank Score:

1,755

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

153

Overall Rank:

989

Average Rating:

76 (491 votes)

Comments:

358.

Chronic Town

R.E.M.

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

118 charts

Rank Score:

665

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

358

Overall Rank:

2,393

Average Rating:

78 (236 votes)

Comments:

Total albums: 7. Page 1 of 1

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	119	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	106	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	84	8%
1986	93	9%
1987	86	9%
1988	98	10%
1989	96	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	414	41%
	390	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	20	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	34	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	978	98%
Yes	22	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	988	99%
Yes	12	1%

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Best Albums of 1988
1. Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth
2. Surfer Rosa by Pixies
3. Spirit Of Eden by Talk Talk
4. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back by Public Enemy
5. ...And Justice For All by Metallica
6. Tracy Chapman by Tracy Chapman
7. Isn't Anything by My Bloody Valentine
8. Green by R.E.M.
9. Straight Outta Compton by N.W.A
10. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son by Iron Maiden
11. I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen
12. Nothing's Shocking by Jane's Addiction
13. Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1 by The Traveling Wilburys
14. Operation: Mindcrime by Queensrÿche
15. If I Should Fall From Grace With God by The Pogues
16. 16 Lovers Lane by The Go-Betweens
17. Viva Hate by Morrissey
18. Tender Prey by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
19. Starfish by The Church
20. Rattle And Hum by U2