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.
19802,032199,824
19812,065123,190
19822,027149,909
19832,016137,740
Murmur (146th)by R.E.M.
19842,034175,004
19852,006145,582
19862,106175,544
19872,290167,148
19882,441157,289
19892,446204,950
Total21,4631,636,181

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:
1986
Appears in:
Rank Score:
41,212
Rank in 1986:
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Average Rating:
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Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
40,608
Rank in 1989:
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Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
32,211
Rank in 1980:
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Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
28,630
Rank in 1989:
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Year of Release:
1989
Appears in:
Rank Score:
27,517
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Year of Release:
1987
Appears in:
Rank Score:
21,174
Rank in 1987:
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Year of Release:
1985
Appears in:
Rank Score:
19,981
Rank in 1985:
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Year of Release:
1988
Appears in:
Rank Score:
18,755
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Year of Release:
1980
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,975
Rank in 1980:
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Year of Release:
1982
Appears in:
Rank Score:
17,761
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Total albums: 1,000. Page 1 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%
Rush (CA) 8 1%
Iron Maiden 8 1%
Depeche Mode 8 1%
Talking Heads 7 1%
U2 7 1%
The Fall 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 2004
1. Funeral by Arcade Fire
2. Madvillainy by Madvillain
3. American Idiot by Green Day
4. The College Dropout by Kanye West
5. Hot Fuss by The Killers (US)
6. Good News For People Who Love Bad News by Modest Mouse
7. Franz Ferdinand by Franz Ferdinand
8. Antics by Interpol
9. Mm.. Food by MF DOOM
10. Hopes And Fears by Keane
11. The Milk-Eyed Mender by Joanna Newsom
12. Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
13. Seven Swans by Sufjan Stevens
14. Brian Wilson Presents Smile by Brian Wilson
15. A Ghost Is Born by Wilco
16. Sung Tongs by Animal Collective
17. Our Endless Numbered Days by Iron & Wine
18. The Libertines by The Libertines
19. Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance
20. From A Basement On The Hill by Elliott Smith
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