Best Albums of the 1980s

Listed below are the best albums of the 1980s as calculated from their overall rankings in over 50,000 greatest album charts.

Best albums by year or decade
Decade:
Year:
1980s decade summary
YearAlbums 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.
19802,032199,756
19812,065123,139
19822,027149,794
19832,017137,657
Murmur (146th)by R.E.M.
19842,034174,975
19852,006145,662
19862,108175,419
19872,291167,088
19882,441157,313
19892,447204,886
Total21,4681,635,690

The best artists of the 1980s were The Smiths, Pixies, Prince, The Cure, Talking Heads, U2, Metallica, Kate Bush, R.E.M. and The Stone Roses.
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Year of Release:
1984
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,416
Rank in 1984:
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Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
14,548
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Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,824
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Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,550
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
13,223
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Year of Release:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
12,266
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Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,881
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Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
11,606
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Year of Release:
1983
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,929
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Year of Release:
1981
Appears in:
Rank Score:
10,823
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Total albums: 1,000. Page 2 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year Albums %


1980 112 11%
1981 121 12%
1982 110 11%
1983 95 10%
1984 102 10%
1985 83 8%
1986 98 10%
1987 87 9%
1988 93 9%
1989 99 10%
Artist Albums %


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


United Kingdom 414 41%
United States 395 40%
Australia 34 3%
Mixed Nationality 30 3%
Canada 24 2%
Germany 23 2%
Ireland 12 1%
Show all
Compilation? Albums %
No 965 97%
Yes 35 4%
Live? Albums %
No 978 98%
Yes 22 2%
Soundtrack? Albums %
No 988 99%
Yes 12 1%
Best Albums of 1979
1. London Calling by The Clash
2. The Wall by Pink Floyd
3. Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division
4. Fear Of Music by Talking Heads
5. Entertainment! by Gang Of Four
6. Off The Wall by Michael Jackson
7. Breakfast In America by Supertramp
8. Highway To Hell by AC/DC
9. Rust Never Sleeps by Neil Young & Crazy Horse
10. Tusk by Fleetwood Mac
11. Reggatta De Blanc by The Police
12. Damn The Torpedoes by Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
13. Metal Box by Public Image Ltd.
14. The B-52's by The B-52's
15. Specials by The Specials
16. Armed Forces by Elvis Costello And The Attractions
17. Singles Going Steady by Buzzcocks
18. 154 by Wire
19. Setting Sons by The Jam
20. Y by The Pop Group
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