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Best Albums of the 1980s by User Score
Decade
1980s
All
2020s
2010s
2000s
1990s
1980s
1970s
1960s
1950s
Genre
All
All
Alternative Rock
Art Pop
Art Rock
Dance Pop
Dream Pop
Electronic
Experimental Rock
Gothic Rock
Hard Rock
Hardcore Punk
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Indie Pop
Industrial
Jangle Pop
Metal
New Wave
Noise Rock
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Progressive Rock
Punk
Punk Rock
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Synthpop
Thrash Metal
Min. Ratings
25
1
5
25
50
100
1980s
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1
.
Talking Heads - Remain in Light
October 8th, 1980
New Wave
USER SCORE
91
1249 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
2
.
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
September 16th, 1985
Art Pop
USER SCORE
91
1001 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
June 16th, 1986
Jangle Pop
USER SCORE
90
1231 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
The Cure - Disintegration
May 2nd, 1989
Gothic Rock
USER SCORE
90
842 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
June 25th, 1984
R&B
USER SCORE
90
659 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
Joy Division - Closer
July 18th, 1980
Post-Punk
USER SCORE
90
881 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
7
.
Prince - Sign "O" the Times
March 31st, 1987
Pop Rock
USER SCORE
89
362 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
8
.
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
September 1st, 1984
New Wave
USER SCORE
88
132 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
Pixies - Doolittle
April 18th, 1989
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
88
1037 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
October 1st, 1988
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
88
696 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
11
.
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
September 13th, 1982
Art Pop
USER SCORE
88
428 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
12
.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
November 30th, 1982
Pop
USER SCORE
88
940 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
13
.
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
July 27th, 1984
Thrash Metal
USER SCORE
88
662 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
14
.
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
March 13th, 1989
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
88
588 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
September 30th, 1985
Rock
USER SCORE
88
442 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
16
.
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
September 16th, 1988
Post-Rock
USER SCORE
87
396 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
17
.
Philip Glass - Glassworks
January 1st, 1982
Minimalism
USER SCORE
87
129 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
18
.
Metallica - Master of Puppets
March 3rd, 1986
Thrash Metal
USER SCORE
87
723 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
David Kauffman / Eric Caboor - Songs From Suicide Bridge
Folk
USER SCORE
87
26 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
20
.
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
May 2nd, 1983
New Wave
USER SCORE
87
618 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
21
.
Soda Stereo - Signos
November 10th, 1986
New Wave
USER SCORE
87
28 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
Prince - 1999
October 27th, 1982
Funk
USER SCORE
87
272 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
January 1st, 1983
Ambient
USER SCORE
87
179 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
24
.
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
July 25th, 1989
Hip Hop
USER SCORE
86
451 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
25
.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
April 14th, 1988
Hip Hop
USER SCORE
86
338 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
1
2
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4
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25
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