Best Albums of the 1980s

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31.

Power, Corruption & Lies 

 New Order

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"I wear a shirt with this album cover on it and it's made me more than a few friends."
- PsychologistHD | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +11 votes (11 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

799 charts

Rank Score:

6,305

Rank in 1983:

3

Rank in 1980s:

31

Overall Rank:

253

Average Rating:

 81 (939 votes)

Comments:

51

32.

Meat Is Murder 

 The Smiths

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"The only Smiths album I find uneven. The U.S. version includes "How Soon Is Now", the quality of which dwarfs everything else and makes some songs sound particuarly mediocre. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is the only other highlight for me. "Barbarism Begins At Home" is quality but takes too lo...""The only Smiths album I find uneven. The U.S. version includes "How Soon Is Now", the quality of which dwarfs everything else and makes some songs sound particuarly mediocre. "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is the only other highlight for me. "Barbarism Begins At Home" is quality but takes too long making its exit, while the title track features some beautiful playing but is spoiled by some rare pontification by Morrissey. " [More]
- KGB | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

831 charts

Rank Score:

6,183

Rank in 1985:

4

Rank in 1980s:

32

Overall Rank:

261

Average Rating:

 82 (1,303 votes)

Comments:

68

33.

The Dreaming 

 Kate Bush

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"God, "Pull Out The Pin" has to be one of the best war songs I've ever listened to. The desperate "I LOVE LIFE" battle-cry to the backdrop of helicopter sounds sends chills down my spine."
- Beef-Wellington | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +6 votes (6 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

661 charts

Rank Score:

6,172

Rank in 1982:

2

Rank in 1980s:

33

Overall Rank:

264

Average Rating:

 81 (796 votes)

Comments:

58

34.

The Number Of The Beast 

 Iron Maiden

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"This is a huge album in the genre and it is easy to see why when you listen to it as there is so much to love on here. This is probably the groups most consistent work with every song having some quality on it. The peak of the album is the sensational title track and also the closer Hallowed Be T...""This is a huge album in the genre and it is easy to see why when you listen to it as there is so much to love on here. This is probably the groups most consistent work with every song having some quality on it. The peak of the album is the sensational title track and also the closer Hallowed Be Thy Name which finishes the record in style. The album just feels so cohesive with most songs going into the same sort of themes and all matching in style but being very different in terms of composition which eliminates the repetitive feel you can get on similar releases in this genre. The performances are outstanding with the drums and guitar being some of the best I have heard from the group. Even the weakest song on the album, which is Gangland, has great moments and a brilliant guitar section on there. Overall, this is a must listen album in the genre and is Iron Maiden's strongest musical display. " [More]
- Untitled | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +4 votes (4 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

740 charts

Rank Score:

6,077

Rank in 1982:

3

Rank in 1980s:

34

Overall Rank:

269

Average Rating:

 81 (1,039 votes)

Comments:

65

35.

Hatful Of Hollow 

 The Smiths

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"I like this album more than their debut, is it wrong for me to say that?"
- F1Aaron | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

635 charts

Rank Score:

6,058

Rank in 1984:

6

Rank in 1980s:

35

Overall Rank:

271

Average Rating:

 86 (1,050 votes)

Comments:

48

36.

Nebraska 

 Bruce Springsteen

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"Bruce Springsteen's record company probably didn't no whether to laugh or cry when he handed them his new album. Nebraska, wasn't exactly commercial material, it was an 11 track album, full of acoustic demo's, that Springsteen had failed to turn into an E street band record. Possibly, Springsteen...""Bruce Springsteen's record company probably didn't no whether to laugh or cry when he handed them his new album. Nebraska, wasn't exactly commercial material, it was an 11 track album, full of acoustic demo's, that Springsteen had failed to turn into an E street band record. Possibly, Springsteen promised Columbia, a more accessible album the next time round. Nebraska is a bleak, monochrome, postcard of an America full of serial killers, down on their luck gamblers, wayward brothers of small town cops, and, every day blue collar guys. It certainly isn't a barrel of laughs, and unlike later acoustic releases, the ghost of Tom Joad, and, devils' n' dust, it's a lot less slick, it's rawness is almost unsettling. The title track was inspired by a real life event, and also by Terence Malick's brilliant movie version, badlands. Atlantic city, is probably the best song on the album, with, Johnny 99, highway patrolman, and, reason to believe, also standouts. It certainly would be interesting to hear the attempted E street band versions, maybe that will be Springsteen's next box set release. Nebraska, is a challenging listen, and I would have thought it would only be enjoyed by boss fans, but i know people who aren't Springsteen fans, but like this album. It's definitely one of his most important records, and has been hugely influential on the lo-fi/alt.country scene. If Springsteen had given his assurances about his next release being more commercial, he certainly didn't let them down. Next for Bruce was, born in the USA, and superstardom. " [More]
- garycottier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +3 votes (3 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

734 charts

Rank Score:

5,750

Rank in 1982:

4

Rank in 1980s:

36

Overall Rank:

284

Average Rating:

 80 (1,007 votes)

Comments:

54

37.

Pornography 

 The Cure

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"I can't disagree more with the review that says this seems dated based on the fact that it sounds hollow and shallow. That was the ENTIRE point. The album has a hollow, dead flat sound throughout. That was the goal. It's symbolic of the emptiness of everything. The drums provide a pattern but no ...""I can't disagree more with the review that says this seems dated based on the fact that it sounds hollow and shallow. That was the ENTIRE point. The album has a hollow, dead flat sound throughout. That was the goal. It's symbolic of the emptiness of everything. The drums provide a pattern but no beat for you to dance to or to give life to the album. That is by design. That's the genius of it... it sound alike what it says. Also find it strange that people are overlooking A Strange Day, which is the best song." [More]
- vesander | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

719 charts

Rank Score:

5,733

Rank in 1982:

5

Rank in 1980s:

37

Overall Rank:

286

Average Rating:

 80 (1,003 votes)

Comments:

57

38.

Strangeways, Here We Come 

 The Smiths

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"Strangwayss is a real mix. While it's sound is complicated, experimental and lacking a bit of structure, it is also exceptional in terms of its quality. This is by far and away the best produced Smiths album, a far cry from the rougher sound created at Strawberry Studios on their debut. But in mu...""Strangwayss is a real mix. While it's sound is complicated, experimental and lacking a bit of structure, it is also exceptional in terms of its quality. This is by far and away the best produced Smiths album, a far cry from the rougher sound created at Strawberry Studios on their debut. But in much the same way that Meat is Murder was a transitional album, this is too. Lots of new instruments were employed here, including lots of piano, saxophones, stings and even sound effects. Marr was really on to something with the dirtier, overdrive guitar found on "I Started Something" and "Stop Me", while Morrissey adjusted his mopey tone that defines The Smiths for a more pessimistic and disgruntled feel. This is transitional without a doubt. But while that is all well and good, there are signs of issues here; Joyce and Rourke get very little time in the limelight, and it seems that Morrissey was perhaps taking over the band. You can hear the imminent demise of this band in this record, despite how little the lyrics refer to this. And it begs the question, what would have come after Strangeways? Considering the quality of the production and the new sounds being tried out here, I reckon it would have been their absolute best. But that will never occur now sadly. Yet perhaps ending the band in almost unfinished state with a transitional album is a blessing in disguise. It only adds to the romanticised mythos of The Smiths, and it leaves a brilliant legacy. Even when they weren't absolutely decided on they were going for with an album, The Smiths were still fucking brilliant. And let's not forget that some of their best moments can be found here. "Girlfriend In A Coma" is borderline timeless in its comedic, totally inappropriate tone that is so brilliantly matched with its Bubbly, jangly melody; "Stop Me" is the song I recommended that anyone wanting to get into The Smiths starts off with, as it has a good mix of classic Morrissey lyrics and an easy-going sound; "Paint a Vulgar Picture", however ironic, is a sure-footed statement of what the band stood for, not being the typical Top Of The Pops act that was controlled by their label. There's very little to say about Strangeways that is negative, even if it is rough in some patches. As far as final albums go, this for me does the job. An end to the band that creates the strongest of opinions as to whether they're bloody awful or whether they're the best band of the last 50 years. The band that has one of the most instantly recognisable sounds, and some of the best lyrics ever written. A band that had influenced all aspects of modern Alt Rock and defined British music in the 1980s. That's a hard thing to bring to an end, and yet they did it without leaving on a bad note, instead finishing with the prospect of what have might been. " [More]
- DeusExMackia | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (6 helpful | 1 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

749 charts

Rank Score:

5,672

Rank in 1987:

4

Rank in 1980s:

38

Overall Rank:

287

Average Rating:

 81 (1,135 votes)

Comments:

64

39.

Psychocandy 

 The Jesus And Mary Chain

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"I feel like I'm listening to decent power pop through someone else's earphones on a bus."
- | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +9 votes (9 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

772 charts

Rank Score:

5,558

Rank in 1985:

5

Rank in 1980s:

39

Overall Rank:

294

Average Rating:

 79 (928 votes)

Comments:

68

40.

Scary Monsters 

 David Bowie

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"A slightly underrated record. 'It's No game (no. 1)' sticks out to me because of how completely unhinged and deranged it is."
- cmoshier | Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +5 votes (5 helpful | 0 unhelpful) A maximum of 5 top-voted qualifying comments are selected for each album. To provide the best experience for visitors, comments are excluded if they refer to data corrections, contain excessive profanity, are written in all caps, are non-English, are too short, consist of conversations between users, or contain lists of best tracks etc.

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

775 charts

Rank Score:

5,534

Rank in 1980:

4

Rank in 1980s:

40

Overall Rank:

301

Average Rating:

 81 (1,132 votes)

Comments:

62

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 4 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Top 1,000 Top 500 Top 250 Top 100

Year	Albums	%
1980	119	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	107	11%
1983	96	10%
1984	100	10%
1985	86	9%
1986	92	9%
1987	87	9%
1988	98	10%
1989	96	10%

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

Country	Albums	%
	415	41%
	392	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	22	2%
	20	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	35	3%

Live?	Albums	%
No	980	98%
Yes	21	2%

Soundtrack?	Albums	%
No	989	99%
Yes	12	1%