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AOTY
2023
List Aggregate
Year End Lists
Critic Ratings
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Best Albums
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The Highest Rated Albums of the 1980s
Decade
1980s
All Time
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
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1960s
1950s
Source
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All
AllMusic
Entertainment Weekly
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Genre
All
All
AOR
Art Pop
Country
Electronic
Folk
Hard Rock
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Jangle Pop
Jazz
Metal
New Wave
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Punk
R&B
Reggae
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Soul
Synthpop
Thrash Metal
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1
.
Prince - Sign O' the Times
March 31, 1987
Pop Rock
,
Funk Rock
,
Contemporary R&B
,
Synth Funk
Critic Score
100
7
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
2
.
Pixies - Doolittle
April 18, 1989
Indie Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Critic Score
100
7
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
Paul Simon - Graceland
August 12, 1986
Pop Rock
,
Singer-Songwriter
Critic Score
100
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
U2 - The Joshua Tree
March 9, 1987
Pop Rock
,
Heartland Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Critic Score
100
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
The Replacements - Let It Be
October 2, 1984
Alternative Rock
Critic Score
100
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
Metallica - Master of Puppets
March 3, 1986
Thrash Metal
Critic Score
100
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
7
.
EPMD - Strictly Business
August 30, 1988
Hip Hop
,
Boom Bap
,
Hardcore Hip Hop
,
East Coast Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
8
.
Hüsker Dü - New Day Rising
January 1, 1985
Post-Hardcore
,
Alternative Rock
,
Noise Pop
,
Indie Rock
,
Hardcore Punk
Critic Score
100
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
June 16, 1986
Jangle Pop
,
Indie Pop
Critic Score
100
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
David Murray Octet - Murray's Steps
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
11
.
David Murray Octet - Ming
June 15, 1980
Avant-Garde Jazz
,
Free Jazz
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
12
.
Barbra Streisand - The Broadway Album
November 5, 1985
Traditional Pop
,
Standards
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
13
.
Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
August 12, 1981
Smooth Soul
,
Boogie
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
14
.
The Beat - I Just Can't Stop It
May 1, 1980
New Wave
,
Ska
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta
October 3, 1980
New Wave
,
Pop Rock
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
16
.
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
March 3, 1987
Boom Bap
,
East Coast Hip Hop
,
Conscious Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
17
.
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
July 7, 1987
Boom Bap
,
East Coast Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
18
.
Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell
May 15, 1986
Hardcore Hip Hop
,
East Coast Hip Hop
,
Rap Rock
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
Pixies - Surfer Rosa
March 21, 1988
Indie Rock
,
Alternative Rock
Critic Score
99
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
20
.
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
September 30, 1985
Dark Cabaret
,
Experimental Rock
,
Singer-Songwriter
Critic Score
99
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
21
.
Prince - Dirty Mind
October 8, 1980
Pop Rock
,
Synth Funk
Critic Score
99
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
April 14, 1988
Hardcore Hip Hop
,
Conscious Hip Hop
,
East Coast Hip Hop
Critic Score
99
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
Coil - Horse Rotorvator
Industrial
Critic Score
98
2 reviews
Amazon
24
.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
October 8, 1980
New Wave
,
Post-Punk
Critic Score
97
7
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
25
.
Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.
June 4, 1984
Heartland Rock
Critic Score
97
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
1
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