100 Greatest Rock Albums Of The '80s

Criteria: - These Albums are ranked, giving equal consideration to impact, influence, immediate & lasting popularity, and acclaim from critics & musicians. (This list does not include or 'Compilation' albums.)

Newly added names are in Red

Edited By: Maria S.

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Last Updated 5-4-07

  1. Thriller (1982) - Michael Jackson
  2. It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988) - Public Enemy
  3. Purple Rain (1984) - Prince and the Revolution
  4. The Joshua Tree (1987) - U2
  5. Raising Hell (1986) - Run-D.M.C.
  6. Appetite For Destruction (1987) - Guns N' Roses
  7. Back In Black (1980) - AC/DC
  8. Licensed To Ill (1986) - Beastie Boys
  9. Born in the USA (1984) - Bruce Springsteen
10. Sign O' The Times (1987) - Prince
11. Straight Outta Compton (1988) - N.W.A.
12. Murmur (1983) - R.E.M.
13. Like A Virgin (1984) - Madonna
14. Synchronicity (1983) - The Police
15. Graceland (1986) - Paul Simon
16. The Queen Is Dead (1986) - The Smiths
17. 1999 (1982) - Prince
18. Remain In Light (1980) - Talking Heads
19. Whitesnake (1987) - Whitesnake
20. 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) - De La Soul
21. Doolittle (1989) - Pixies
22. Master of Puppets (1984) - Metallica
23. The Stone Roses (1989) - The Stone Roses
24. Paul's Boutique (1989) - Beastie Boys
25. Daydream Nation (1988) - Sonic Youth
26. Paid In Full (1987) - Eric B. & Rakim
27. Number Of The Beast (1982) - Iron Maiden
28. Run-D.M.C. (1984) - Run-D.M.C.
29. Like A Prayer (1989) - Madonna
30. Rhythm Nation 1814 (1989) - Janet Jackson
31. Hysteria (1987) - Def Leppard
32. Radio (1985) - LL Cool J
33. Brothers In Arms (1985) - Dire Straits
34. Tracy Chapman (1989) - Tracy Chapman
35. Closer (1980) - Joy Division
36. Bad (1987) - Michael Jackson
37. 1984 (1984) - Van Halen
38. So (1986) - Peter Gabriel
39. War (1983) - U2
40. Ace Of Spades (1980) - Motorhead
41. Pretenders (1980) - Pretenders
42. The River (1980) - Bruce Springsteen
43. The Unforgettable Fire (1984) - U2
44. Disintegration (1989) - The Cure
45. Dirty Mind (1980) - Prince
46. The Message (1982) - Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five
47. Rain Dogs (1985) - Tom Waits
48. Let It Be (1984) - The Replacements
49. Faith (1987) - George Michael
50. The Smiths (1984) - The Smiths
51. King Of Rock (1985) - Run-D.M.C.
52. Beauty And The Beat (1982) - The Go-Go's
53. Psychocandy (1984) - The Jesus and Mary Chain
54. She's So Unusual (1983) - Cindi Lauper
55. Ride The Lightning (1984) - Metallica
56. Dare! (1981) - The Human League
57. Private Dancer (1984) - Tina Turner
58. Nothing's Shocking (1988) - Jane's Addiction
59. Hounds Of Love (1985) - Kate Bush
60. Document (1987) - R.E.M.
61. Nebraska (1982) - Bruce Springsteen
62. Slippery When Wet (1986) - Bon Jovi
63. Nick of Time (1989) - Bonnie Raitt
64. Reign In Blood (1986) - Slayer
65. Zen Arcade (1984) - Husker Du
66. Hi Infidelity (1981) - REO Speedwagon
67. True Blue (1986) - Madonna
68. Can't Slow Down (1983) - Lionel Ritchie
69. Kick (1987) - INXS
70. No Jacket Required (1985) - Phil Collins
71. Break Out (1983) - Pointer Sisters
72. The Game (1980) - Queen
73. Avalon (1982) - Roxy Music
74. Criminal Minded (1987) - Boogie Down Productions
75. Rio (1982) - Duran Duran
76. The Nightfly (1982) - Donald Fagen
77. Swordfishtrombones (1983) - Tom Waits
78. Ghost In The Machine (1981) - The Police
79. Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980) - Dead Kennedys
80. Sister (1987) - Sonic Youth
81. Surfa Rosa (1988) - Pixies
82. The End Of Innocence (1989) - Don Henley
83. Whitney Houston (1986) - Whitney Houston
84. Blizzard Of Ozz (1980) - Ozzy Osbourne
85. Double Nickels On The Dime (1984) - Minutemen
86. Pyromania (1983) - Def Leppard
87. Rapture (1986) - Anita Baker
88. Steve McQueen/Two Wheels Good (1985) - Prefab Sprout
89. Moving Pictures (1981) - Rush
90. Technique (1989) - New Order
91. Strictly Business (1988) - EPMD
92. Live At The Harlem Square Club 1963 (1985) - Sam Cooke
93. Business As Usual (1982) - Men At Work
94. Imperial Bedroom (1982) - Elvis Costello and The Attractions
95. Whitney (1987) - Whitney Houston
96. Eliminator (1983) - ZZ Top
97. Tattoo You (1980) - The Rolling Stones
98. Violent Femmes (1983) - Violent Femmes
99. Control (1986) - Janet Jackson
100. Shoot Out The Lights (1982) - Richard and Linda Thompson

101. Searching For Young Soul Rebels (1980) - Dexy's Midnight Runners
102. The Lexicon Of Love (1982) - ABC
103. Piece Of Mind (1983) - Iron Maiden
104. Rum, Sodomy & the Lash (1985) - The Pogues
105. Damaged (1981) - Black Flag
106. Speaking In Tongues(1983) - Talking Heads
107. Freedom (1989) - Neil Young
108. Pretty Hate Machine (1989) - Nine Inch Nails
109. Texas Flood (1983) - Stevie Ray Vaughan
110. Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987) - Public Enemy
111. Heart (1985) - Heart
112. Tim (1985) - The Replacements
113. Low-Life (1985) - New Order
114. Tunnel Of Love (1987) - Bruce Springsteen
115. New Day Rising (1985) - Husker Du
116. Rattlesnakes (1984) - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
117. Life's Rich Pageant (1986) - R.E.M.
118. Madonna (1983) - Madonna
119. Touch (1983) - Eurythmics
120. My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts (1981) - Brian Eno & David Byrne
121. Zenyatta Mondatta (1980) - The Police
122. Spirit Of Eden (1988) - Talk Talk
123. How Will The Wolf Survive? (1984) - Los Lobos
124. Green (1988) - R.E.M.
125. The Head On The Door (1985) - The Cure
126. Los Angeles (1980) - X
127. Let's Dance (1984) - David Bowie
128. Meat Is Murder (1985) - The Smiths
129. Skylarking (1986) - XTC
130. Combat Rock (1982) - The Clash
131. Scarecrow (1985) - John Cougar Mellencamp
132. Peter Gabriel (III) (1980) - Peter Gabriel
133. Toto IV (1982) - Toto
134. Sandinista! (1980) - The Clash
135. Parade (1986) - Prince
136. Midnight Love (1982) - Marvin Gaye
137. Boy (1980) - U2
138. Crazy Rhythms (1980) - The Feelies
139. Escape (1981) - Journey
140. ...And Justice For All (1988) - Metallica
141. Double Fantasy (1980) - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
142. Giving You The Best That I Got (1988) - Anita Baker
143. Full Moon Fever (1989) - Tom Petty
144. Scary Monsters (1980) - David Bowie
145. Songs From The Big Chair (1985) - Tears For Fears
146. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987) - The Cure
147. Different Light (1986) - The Bangles
148. Sound Affects (1980) - The Jam
149. Screaming For Vengeance (1982) - Judas Priest
150. An Innocent Man (1983) - Billy Joel
151. 4 (1981) - Foreigner
152. This Nation's Saving Grace (1985) - The Fall
153. Pump (1989) - Aerosmith
154. Private Eyes (1981) - Hall & Oates
155. Straight Out The Jungle (1988) - The Jungle Brothers
156. Club Classics Vol. 1/Keep On Movin' (1989) - Soul II Soul
157. Reckoning (1984) - R.E.M.
158. New York (1989) - Lou Reed
159. Stop Making Sense (1984) - Talking Heads
160. Diesel & Dust (1987) - Midnight Oil
161. Wild Gift (1981) - X
162. Pornography (1982) - The Cure
162. Ocean Rain (1984) - Echo and the Bunnymen
163. Lucinda Williams (1988) - Lucinda Williams
164. Face Value (1981) - Phil Collins
165. Kill Em All (1983) - Metallica
166. The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985) - Sting
167. Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) - The Smiths
168. Learning To Crawl (1984) - Pretenders
169. American Fool (1982) - John Cougar
170. Bad Brains (1982) - Bad Brains
171. Little Creatures (1985) - Talking Heads
172. Bella Donna (1981) - Stevie Nicks
173. Operation: Mindcrime (1988) - Queensryche
174. Reckless (1984) - Bryan Adams
175. Bring The Family (1987) - John Hiatt
176. Colour By Numbers (1983) - Culture Club
177. Introducing the Hardline According To Terence Trent D' Arby (1987) - Terence Trent D'Arby
178. The Wanderer (1980) - Donna Summer
179. Strong Persuader (1986) - Robert Cray Band
180. Get Happy!! (1980) - Elvis Costello and The Attractions
181. Make It Big (1984) - Wham!
182. Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981) - Soft Cell
183. Dr. Feelgood (1989) - Motley Crue
184. No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith (1981) - Motorhead
185. Heartbeat City (1984) - Cars
186. Hunting High & Low (1985) - A-Ha
187. Street Songs (1981) - Rick James
188. Forever Your Girl (1988) - Paula Abdul
190. Back In the High Life (1986) - Steve Winwood
191. Don't Be Cruel (1988) - Bobby Brown
192. I'm Your Man (1988) - Leonard Cohen
193. You're Living All Over Me (1987) - Dinosaur Jr.
194. Isn't Anything (1988) - My Bloody Valentine
195. Rattle and Hum (1988) - U2
196. 16 Lovers Lane (1988) - The Go-Betweens
197. Frontiers (1983) - Journey
198. New Jersey (1988) - Bon Jovi
199. The Real Thing (1989) - Faith No More
200. The Raw & The Cooked (1989) - Fine Young Cannibals

Songs of the '80s

Artists of the '80s

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Disclaimer: There is nothing 'Official' about these lists. They are compiled by the 'editor' using the
stated criteria, and revised considering the competent suggestions of visitors to this website only.

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