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	2,115	193,955	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,154	120,182	Moving Pictures (153rd)by Rush
1982	2,129	148,453	Thriller (77th)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,126	135,519	Murmur (141st)by R.E.M.
1984	2,129	171,030	Purple Rain (81st)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,131	143,838	Hounds Of Love (57th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,252	171,031	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,454	162,681	The Joshua Tree (52nd)by U2
1988	2,544	152,034	Daydream Nation (69th)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,563	197,582	Doolittle (18th)by Pixies
Total	22,597	1,596,305

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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941.

Boomtown

David & David

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

18 charts

Rank Score:

201

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

941

Overall Rank:

6,440

Average Rating:

73 (23 votes)

Comments:

942.

Chris Isaak

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

200

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

942

Overall Rank:

6,446

Average Rating:

71 (65 votes)

Comments:

943.

Alles Ist Gut

D.A.F.

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

58 charts

Rank Score:

200

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

944.

Falco 3

Falco

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

200

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

944

Overall Rank:

6,456

Average Rating:

72 (50 votes)

Comments:

945.

Seasons End

Marillion

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

47 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

945

Overall Rank:

6,478

Average Rating:

76 (71 votes)

Comments:

946.

Nena

Year of Release:

1983

Appears in:

34 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1983:

Rank in 1980s:

946

Overall Rank:

6,481

Average Rating:

72 (36 votes)

Comments:

947.

Cabeça Dinossauro

Titãs

Year of Release:

1986

Appears in:

36 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1986:

Rank in 1980s:

947

Overall Rank:

6,489

Average Rating:

79 (51 votes)

Comments:

948.

Kite

Kirsty MacColl

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

44 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

948

Overall Rank:

6,494

Average Rating:

74 (32 votes)

Comments:

949.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

42 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

949

Overall Rank:

6,495

Average Rating:

71 (50 votes)

Comments:

950.

Group Sex

Circle Jerks

Year of Release:

1980

Appears in:

79 charts

Rank Score:

199

Rank in 1980:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 95 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	117	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	111	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	96	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%
The Smiths	7	1%
R.E.M.	7	1%
Show all

Country	Albums	%

	416	42%
	386	39%
	40	4%
	27	3%
	23	2%
	23	2%
	12	1%
Show all

Compilation?	Albums	%
No	966	97%
Yes	34	3%

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 the 1960s
1. Abbey Road by The Beatles
2. Revolver by The Beatles
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles
4. The Velvet Underground & Nico by The Velvet Underground & Nico
5. Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
6. The Beatles (The White Album) by The Beatles
7. In The Court Of The Crimson King (An Observation By King Crimson) by King Crimson
8. Highway 61 Revisited by Bob Dylan
9. Rubber Soul by The Beatles
10. The Doors by The Doors
11. Blonde On Blonde by Bob Dylan
12. Are You Experienced by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
13. Led Zeppelin II by Led Zeppelin
14. Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones
15. Electric Ladyland by The Jimi Hendrix Experience
16. Led Zeppelin by Led Zeppelin
17. Astral Weeks by Van Morrison
18. Forever Changes by Love
19. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
20. Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles