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 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	2,184	193,379	Remain In Light (27th)by Talking Heads
1981	2,225	120,622	Moving Pictures (154th)by Rush
1982	2,176	147,873	Thriller (72nd)by Michael Jackson
1983	2,227	135,479	Murmur (139th)by R.E.M.
1984	2,184	170,421	Purple Rain (78th)by Prince And The Revolution
1985	2,211	143,973	Hounds Of Love (56th)by Kate Bush
1986	2,327	169,301	The Queen Is Dead (17th)by The Smiths
1987	2,539	161,532	The Joshua Tree (54th)by U2
1988	2,631	152,313	Daydream Nation (71st)by Sonic Youth
1989	2,663	196,970	Doolittle (19th)by Pixies
Total	23,367	1,591,862

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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991.

In God We Trust, Inc

Dead Kennedys

Year of Release:

1981

Appears in:

49 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1981:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

992.

Complete Madness
Compilation

Madness

Year of Release:

1982

Appears in:

28 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1982:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

993.

It's Only Right And Natural

The Frogs

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

29 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

993

Overall Rank:

6,758

Average Rating:

67 (39 votes)

Comments:

994.

Theatre Of Pain

Mötley Crüe

Year of Release:

1985

Appears in:

56 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1985:

Rank in 1980s:

994

Overall Rank:

6,760

Average Rating:

64 (109 votes)

Comments:

995.

Hello Cruel World

Tall Dwarfs

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

21 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

995

Overall Rank:

6,761

Average Rating:

74 (19 votes)

Comments:

996.

Don't Tell A Soul

The Replacements

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

57 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

996

Overall Rank:

6,767

Average Rating:

71 (98 votes)

Comments:

997.

Man Of Colours

Icehouse

Year of Release:

1987

Appears in:

38 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1987:

Rank in 1980s:

997

Overall Rank:

6,770

Average Rating:

68 (56 votes)

Comments:

998.

Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe

Year of Release:

1989

Appears in:

43 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1989:

Rank in 1980s:

998

Overall Rank:

6,771

Average Rating:

71 (50 votes)

Comments:

999.

The New Order

Testament

Year of Release:

1988

Appears in:

60 charts

Rank Score:

190

Rank in 1988:

Rank in 1980s:

999

Overall Rank:

6,772

Average Rating:

77 (68 votes)

Comments:

1000.

Ammonia Avenue

The Alan Parsons Project

Year of Release:

1984

Appears in:

46 charts

Rank Score:

189

Rank in 1984:

Rank in 1980s:

Overall Rank:

Average Rating:

Comments:

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Total albums: 1,000. Page 100 of 100

Best Albums of the 1980s composition

Year	Albums	%

1980	118	12%
1981	120	12%
1982	108	11%
1983	97	10%
1984	102	10%
1985	80	8%
1986	94	9%
1987	89	9%
1988	93	9%
1989	99	10%

Artist	Albums	%

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

Country	Albums	%

	414	41%
	391	39%
	41	4%
	26	3%
	23	2%
	22	2%
	12	1%
Show all

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

Live?	Albums	%
No	980	98%
Yes	20	2%

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

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

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