Best Albums of the 1980s

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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	2,117	193,937	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,157	120,028	Moving Pictures (154th)by Rush
1982	2,130	148,160	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,128	135,452	Murmur (141st)by R.E.M.
1984	2,134	170,954	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,136	143,835	Hounds Of Love (58th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,262	170,371	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,463	162,571	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,561	152,061	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,572	197,243	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,660	1,594,612

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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22.

Ride The Lightning

Metallica

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

870 charts

Rank Score:

9,213

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

175

Average Rating:

84 (1,308 votes)

Comments:

23.

The Smiths

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

935 charts

Rank Score:

8,643

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

189

Average Rating:

83 (1,440 votes)

Comments:

24.

Born In The U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

883 charts

Rank Score:

8,267

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

199

Average Rating:

78 (1,292 votes)

Comments:

25.

Violent Femmes

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

875 charts

Rank Score:

8,194

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

201

Average Rating:

81 (971 votes)

Comments:

26.

Let It Be

The Replacements

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

803 charts

Rank Score:

7,891

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

213

Average Rating:

82 (909 votes)

Comments:

27.

Brothers In Arms

Dire Straits

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

832 charts

Rank Score:

7,805

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

216

Average Rating:

78 (1,141 votes)

Comments:

28.

Peter Gabriel

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

779 charts

Rank Score:

7,392

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

229

Average Rating:

80 (903 votes)

Comments:

29.

Paul's Boutique

Beastie Boys

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

838 charts

Rank Score:

7,246

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

238

Average Rating:

82 (1,010 votes)

Comments:

30.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

Public Enemy

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

819 charts

Rank Score:

7,070

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

246

Average Rating:

80 (971 votes)

Comments:

31.

Power, Corruption & Lies

New Order

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

770 charts

Rank Score:

6,971

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

250

Average Rating:

81 (909 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 988. Page 3 of 99

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	116	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	111	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	87	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	97	10%

Artist	Albums	%

The Cure	10	1%
Iron Maiden	8	1%
Depeche Mode	8	1%
Rush	8	1%
The Fall	7	1%
U2	7	1%
The Smiths	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	386	39%
	39	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	965	97%
Yes	35	4%

Live?	Albums	%
No	977	98%
Yes	23	2%

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

« View best albums of the 1970sView best albums of the 1990s »

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Best Albums of 1998
1. In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
2. Mezzanine by Massive Attack
3. Moon Safari by Air
4. Aquemini by OutKast
5. The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill
6. Music Has The Right To Children by Boards Of Canada
7. XO by Elliott Smith
8. Deserter's Songs by Mercury Rev
9. Electro-Shock Blues by Eels
10. Ray Of Light by Madonna
11. Without You I'm Nothing by Placebo
12. Car Wheels On A Gravel Road by Lucinda Williams
13. Adore by The Smashing Pumpkins
14. The Shape Of Punk To Come (A Chimerical Bombination In 12 Bursts) by Refused
15. The Boy With The Arab Strap by Belle And Sebastian
16. This Is Hardcore by Pulp
17. TNT by Tortoise
18. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star by Black Star
19. Yield by Pearl Jam
20. System Of A Down by System Of A Down