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Rolling Stone
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www.rollingstone.com
Highest Rated Rock Albums of the 1980s
Decade
1980s
All Time
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
Source
Rolling Stone
Genre
Rock
All
Alternative Rock
Art Pop
Country
Dance
East Coast Hip Hop
Folk
Hard Rock
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Jangle Pop
Metal
New Wave
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Psychedelia
Punk
Punk Rock
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Soul
Synthpop
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1
.
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
October 3, 1980
New Wave
,
Pop Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
2
.
Sonic Youth - Sister
June 1, 1987
Alternative Rock
,
Noise Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
3
.
R.E.M. - Document
September 1, 1987
Jangle Pop
,
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
4
.
Prince - Sign O' the Times
March 31, 1987
Contemporary R&B
,
Pop Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
5
.
The Cure - Staring at the Sea: The Singles
May 6, 1986
Post-Punk
,
Gothic Rock
,
New Wave
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Spotify
6
.
Paul Simon - Graceland
August 12, 1986
Pop Rock
,
Singer-Songwriter
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
7
.
Pink Floyd - The Final Cut
March 21, 1983
Art Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
8
.
The Clash - Sandinista!
December 12, 1980
Post-Punk
,
New Wave
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
9
.
Guns N' Roses - Appetite for Destruction
July 21, 1987
Hard Rock
,
Glam Metal
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
10
.
U2 - The Joshua Tree
March 9, 1987
Pop Rock
,
Heartland Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
11
.
The Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
May 23, 1980
New Wave
,
Ska
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
12
.
The Replacements - Let It Be
October 2, 1984
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
13
.
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
August 24, 1981
Rock
,
Blues Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
14
.
The Who - It's Hard
September 4, 1982
Pop Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
15
.
The Velvet Underground - VU
February 5, 1985
Art Rock
,
Garage Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
16
.
New Order - Substance
August 17, 1987
Post-Punk
,
New Wave
,
Synthpop
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
17
.
Lou Reed - The Blue Mask
February 23, 1982
Singer-Songwriter
,
Art Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
18
.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
October 8, 1980
New Wave
,
Post-Punk
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
19
.
The B-52's - Wild Planet
September 27, 1980
New Wave
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
20
.
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
October 9, 1987
Pop Rock
,
Singer-Songwriter
,
Heartland Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
21
.
Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
January 1, 1985
Post-Hardcore
,
Alternative Rock
,
Noise Pop
,
Indie Rock
,
Hardcore Punk
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
22
.
The J. Geils Band - Freeze Frame
October 26, 1981
Yacht Rock
,
New Wave
,
Pop Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
23
.
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
March 21, 1988
Indie Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
24
.
Pixies - Doolittle
April 18, 1989
Indie Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
25
.
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
September 30, 1985
Experimental Rock
,
Dark Cabaret
,
Singer-Songwriter
Score
100
Source →
Amazon
Music
Spotify
1
2
3
4
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Related
Recent Rock Albums
Users' Highest Rated Rock Albums of the 1980s
MORE GENRES:
Alternative Rock
Art Pop
Country
Dance
East Coast Hip Hop
Folk
Hard Rock
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Jangle Pop
Metal
New Wave
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Psychedelia
Punk
Punk Rock
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Soul
Synthpop
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