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	2,161	193,828	Remain In Light (28th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,197	120,560	Moving Pictures (154th)by Rush
1982	2,157	148,421	Thriller (71st)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,175	135,363	Murmur (142nd)by R.E.M.
1984	2,167	170,527	Purple Rain (78th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,187	143,861	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,312	169,316	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,517	162,043	The Joshua Tree (53rd)by U2
1988	2,599	151,748	Daydream Nation (70th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,638	196,938	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,110	1,592,605

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:

368 charts

Rank Score:

2,433

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

111

Overall Rank:

732

Average Rating:

79 (343 votes)

Comments:

112.

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

340 charts

Rank Score:

2,429

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

112

Overall Rank:

734

Average Rating:

79 (366 votes)

Comments:

113.

The Final Cut

Pink Floyd

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

392 charts

Rank Score:

2,412

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

113

Overall Rank:

739

Average Rating:

71 (1,002 votes)

Comments:

114.

Safe Mode: On

Nothing's Shocking

Jane's Addiction

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

384 charts

Rank Score:

2,407

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

114

Overall Rank:

741

Average Rating:

77 (471 votes)

Comments:

115.

Heaven And Hell

Black Sabbath

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

329 charts

Rank Score:

2,351

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

115

Overall Rank:

764

Average Rating:

77 (547 votes)

Comments:

116.

Technique

New Order

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

356 charts

Rank Score:

2,316

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

116

Overall Rank:

774

Average Rating:

78 (488 votes)

Comments:

117.

Ace Of Spades

Motörhead

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

388 charts

Rank Score:

2,280

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

117

Overall Rank:

785

Average Rating:

78 (476 votes)

Comments:

118.

Script Of The Bridge

The Chameleons

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

278 charts

Rank Score:

2,267

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

118

Overall Rank:

787

Average Rating:

80 (319 votes)

Comments:

119.

Clics Modernos

Charly García

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

178 charts

Rank Score:

2,261

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

119

Overall Rank:

788

Average Rating:

81 (173 votes)

Comments:

120.

The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1

The Traveling Wilburys

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

307 charts

Rank Score:

2,252

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

120

Overall Rank:

790

Average Rating:

76 (379 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	123	12%
1982	110	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	93	9%
1987	87	9%
1988	92	9%
1989	98	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	417	42%
	387	39%
	41	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	968	97%
Yes	32	3%

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

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

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

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