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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
Experimental Rock
Gothic Rock
Hard Rock
Hardcore Punk
Heavy Metal
Hip Hop
Industrial
Jangle Pop
Metal
New Wave
No Wave
Noise Rock
Pop
Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Progressive Rock
Punk
Punk Rock
R&B
Rock
Singer-Songwriter
Sophisti-Pop
Synthpop
Thrash Metal
Min. Ratings
50
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
1445 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
2
.
Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
September 16th, 1985
Art Pop
USER SCORE
91
1167 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
The Cure - Disintegration
May 2nd, 1989
Gothic Rock
USER SCORE
90
953 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
Joy Division - Closer
July 18th, 1980
Post-Punk
USER SCORE
90
973 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain
June 25th, 1984
R&B
USER SCORE
89
768 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
June 16th, 1986
Jangle Pop
USER SCORE
89
1403 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
7
.
Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense
September 1st, 1984
New Wave
USER SCORE
89
153 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
8
.
Prince - Sign "O" the Times
March 31st, 1987
Pop Rock
USER SCORE
88
424 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
Michael Jackson - Thriller
November 30th, 1982
R&B
USER SCORE
88
1071 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
September 13th, 1982
Art Pop
USER SCORE
88
501 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
11
.
Pixies - Doolittle
April 18th, 1989
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
88
1161 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
12
.
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
July 27th, 1984
Thrash Metal
USER SCORE
88
741 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
13
.
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
October 1st, 1988
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
88
762 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
14
.
The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses
May 2nd, 1989
Alternative Rock
USER SCORE
87
626 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
Metallica - Master of Puppets
March 3rd, 1986
Thrash Metal
USER SCORE
87
815 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
16
.
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
September 30th, 1985
Rock
USER SCORE
87
492 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
17
.
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
September 16th, 1988
Post-Rock
USER SCORE
87
452 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
18
.
Dead Kennedys - Plastic Surgery Disasters
November 1st, 1982
Hardcore Punk
USER SCORE
87
182 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
April 14th, 1988
Hip Hop
USER SCORE
87
382 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
20
.
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
May 2nd, 1983
New Wave
USER SCORE
87
711 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
21
.
Prince - 1999
October 27th, 1982
Synth Funk
USER SCORE
86
319 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
July 25th, 1989
Hip Hop
USER SCORE
86
505 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
Philip Glass - Glassworks
January 1st, 1982
Minimalism
USER SCORE
86
141 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
24
.
Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade
July 1st, 1984
Hardcore Punk
USER SCORE
86
196 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
25
.
Brian Eno - Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks
January 1st, 1983
Space Ambient
USER SCORE
86
205 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
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