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 54,000 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	2,197	193,930	Remain In Light (26th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,230	120,861	Moving Pictures (155th)by Rush
1982	2,184	147,905	Thriller (72nd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,230	135,282	Murmur (139th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,195	169,981	Purple Rain (79th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,221	143,999	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,339	169,309	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,548	161,194	The Joshua Tree (53rd)by U2
1988	2,643	152,017	Daydream Nation (71st)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,677	197,084	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,464	1,591,562

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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111.

Diamond Life

Sade

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

374 charts

Rank Score:

2,432

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

111

Overall Rank:

734

Average Rating:

79 (344 votes)

Comments:

112.

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

345 charts

Rank Score:

2,420

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

112

Overall Rank:

740

Average Rating:

79 (368 votes)

Comments:

113.

The Final Cut

Pink Floyd

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

395 charts

Rank Score:

2,376

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

113

Overall Rank:

753

Average Rating:

71 (1,002 votes)

Comments:

114.

Script Of The Bridge

The Chameleons

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

284 charts

Rank Score:

2,359

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

114

Overall Rank:

759

Average Rating:

80 (321 votes)

Comments:

115.

Safe Mode: On

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

388 charts

Rank Score:

2,332

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

115

Overall Rank:

770

Average Rating:

77 (473 votes)

Comments:

116.

Technique

New Order

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

365 charts

Rank Score:

2,325

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

116

Overall Rank:

771

Average Rating:

78 (492 votes)

Comments:

117.

Heaven And Hell

Black Sabbath

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

332 charts

Rank Score:

2,318

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

117

Overall Rank:

772

Average Rating:

77 (553 votes)

Comments:

118.

Clics Modernos

Charly García

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

182 charts

Rank Score:

2,281

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

118

Overall Rank:

786

Average Rating:

81 (174 votes)

Comments:

119.

Combat Rock

The Clash

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

448 charts

Rank Score:

2,261

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

119

Overall Rank:

790

Average Rating:

76 (702 votes)

Comments:

120.

Boy

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

418 charts

Rank Score:

2,238

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

120

Overall Rank:

797

Average Rating:

75 (749 votes)

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 12 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	121	12%
1982	108	11%
1983	98	10%
1984	101	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	95	10%
1987	89	9%
1988	94	9%
1989	96	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	390	39%
	41	4%
	26	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	967	97%
Yes	33	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	979	98%
Yes	21	2%

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

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

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