10 Best Albums of the 1980s, Ranked

There was a real variety of music that came out in the 1980s, which makes it difficult to even assess what the best of that decade even was, but there’s no harm in trying. Actually, there’s a little harm in trying. People might be a bit unhappy, but there’s some personal bias here. If you want to have a semi-biased and semi-objective stab at throwing out the names of 10 albums from the 1980s that are the best, go for it.

A few of the albums below are among the most popular of all time, and deservedly so, while others are a little more underrated, or perhaps classifiable as cult classics (if that term applies to the world of music). Also, yes, like, three of these albums had songs that were prominently used in Stranger Things. Stranger Things is not the reason those albums are here. But it’s being acknowledged right out of the gate, and no more, once the intro’s over. Which it is… right about… now.

10

’16 Lovers Lane’ (1988)

The Go-Betweens

Things for The Go-Betweens were not so good, in 1988, with tensions that often seem to come about from just being in a band for more than a few years, and also some romance-related drama, particularly because members of the band were – or had been – romantically linked. It wasn’t quite as infamously messy as Fleetwood Mac around the time of Rumours, but like that album, heavy feelings may have been put into music… specifically, the music heard throughout 16 Lovers Lane.

It was the final Go-Betweens album done as a full band, and is easily the best of the bunch. 16 Lovers Lane is incredible throughout, as far as the lyrics are concerned, and then musically, everything is catchy and immediate without being overly simplistic. It feels ahead of its time, as far as alternative (or almost even indie) rock goes, and maybe that’s why it wasn’t hugely successful upon release, and needed some time before people really started to recognize how borderline-perfect it was.

9

‘Master of Puppets’ (1986)

Metallica

Resist them if you want, because Metallica are kind of to metal what U2 are to rock… well, maybe. Both bands were at their peak in the 1980s, and both became so popular that being a detractor of either is now kind of cool, especially because members of both bands are sometimes outspoken and a bit much. But… the music. It comes back to the music. And also, sorry to U2. The Joshua Tree was right on the cusp of being here, like at #11 or #12. That’s the only reason there’s been a big old U2 tangent.

As for Master of Puppets, it’s the best Metallica album, and there’s even an argument to be made that it’s the best metal album of all time. It certainly feels as though it could be the most approachable, because you mightn’t even usually like this kind of metal or hard rock that much, but still find plenty to appreciate here. It rocks. It’s an album that rocks. What more do you want?

8

‘Soul Mining’ (1983)

The The

There is an almost uncomfortable amount of introspection, self-doubt, and anxiety throughout Soul Mining, which was the debut album of a band somewhat frustratingly called The The. The The is sort of just Matt Johnson, though, and Soul Mining remains the greatest collection of songs he put out. But the struggles explored do have to be emphasized, since even the album’s sunniest song, “This Is the Day,” is one of those songs that’s got an energetic and possibly hopeful sound, but the lyrics get more cynical – maybe even more sarcastic – the more you think about them.

“Uncertain Smile” is also a highlight, as the centerpiece of the album (quite literally, being the fourth of seven tracks), with the piano outro being especially memorable. Elsewhere, Johnson pulls from the Bruce Springsteen circa-Born to Run playbook of having a perfect opening track and then an ideal – and epic-length – closing track, to really make a strong first and final impression (with Soul Mining, it kicks off with “I’ve Been Waitin’ for Tomorrow (All of My Life),” and ends with the appropriately named “Giant,” which runs for almost 10 minutes).

7

‘The Queen Is Dead’ (1986)

The Smiths

There were only four proper studio albums released by The Smiths during their rather short time together as a band, and of those, the third, The Queen Is Dead, is the greatest. It’s boring to say that, but the consistency here is undeniable, as is the fact that it contains so many of the band’s greatest songs (including the title track, “I Know It’s Over,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” and “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out”).

You also know The Queen Is Dead is good because it endures, even though Morrissey (the vocalist and lyricist of The Smiths) seems increasingly keen to be as polarizing as possible in his post-Smiths endeavors. It helps that there’s more than just Morrissey to appreciate on an album by The Smiths, and his lyrics and voice (as they were, back in the 1980s) were undeniably compelling and unique.

6

‘Hats’ (1989)

The Blue Nile

One more potentially niche album to put here alongside 16 Lovers Lane and Soul Mining, but Hats really is something special, and the way it also sounds so distinctly 1980s makes it easy to put here. It’s synth-heavy, but also a good deal more mellow than much of the full-on synth-pop that was popular throughout the 1980s, using that sort of instrumentation in a low-key and atmospheric fashion.

The Blue Nile did this, to some extent, on several other albums, but never quite as memorably as was done on Hats. Without visuals, you do feel like you’ve sat through some kind of movie through the music alone, and an album being able to create that sensation is remarkably impressive. It’s an undeniably beautiful album, and further, one that’s beautiful in a singular way, so it’s certainly worth celebrating.

5

‘Thriller’ (1982)

Michael Jackson

There is a song on Thriller called “The Girl Is Mine,” a duet with Paul McCartney, that might well be the worst song to appear on an otherwise fantastic album. It is agonizingly corny. And, sure, there are other songs on Thriller that get a bit hammy and more than a little over-the-top, but not to such an eye-rolling extent. If it wasn’t on the album, then this album would be placed even higher.

Maybe it speaks to the quality of everything else that Thriller is still right up there, and very much a classic of its decade (and of all time, really) regardless. Of its nine songs, seven were released as singles, and many of those singles are among the most recognizable songs of the 1980s, with the music videos for a bunch of them certainly helping. One of the non-single songs, though, shouldn’t be overlooked: “Baby Be Mine,” the second track on the album, which is honestly kind of a banger.

4

‘Remain in Light’ (1980)

Talking Heads

Talking Heads released their first albums in the 1970s, and they were pretty great, but the band’s best single album, Remain in Light, came out right at the start of the 1980s. For what it’s worth, the band’s most popular album, Speaking in Tongues, came out a few years later (and it does have “This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)” on it, which could be the band’s very best song), but Remain in Light is still the strongest.

It’s one of those middle-ground albums you can look back on and appreciate in hindsight, being a marriage of the slightly weirder stuff Talking Heads were doing in the late 1970s with the (slightly) increased emphasis on pop/rock later in the 1980s. You’ve got a balance here, yet even then, Remain in Light doesn’t sound quite like any other Talking Heads album, which might make it more worthy of being described as a “lightning in a bottle” kind of album.

3

‘Disintegration’ (1989)

The Cure

There are earlier albums by The Cure that could be called “rock,” but Disintegration feels like the band drifting away from that genre to a greater extent than they had previously, and for the better. Not that there aren’t some more energetic songs on Disintegration, but many of them are more patiently-paced and drawn-out, which can be seen when you look at the album’s length of 72 minutes, and the fact that it houses 12 tracks… so, the average track length is about six minutes.

You really don’t mind, though, because of what is done across the length of some of these longer songs. “Pictures of You,” the second song on the album, is particularly impressive, and probably demonstrates, strongest of all, what the band’s going for with many of the songs here. It’s also an atmospherically unique and distinctly moving album, the latter so in ways that are admittedly a little difficult to put into words.

2

‘Hounds of Love’ (1985)

Kate Bush

Yes, it’s the album with “Running Up That Hill” on it, and sure, it’s probably the best song on the album, and it comes first, so you might be worried about the rest of Hounds of Love. Well, the pace and quality are maintained. The remaining 11 tracks on Kate Bush’s greatest overall album are also phenomenal, with special mention to “Cloudbusting,” since it truly deserves to be regarded and praised alongside “Running Up That Hill” and “Wuthering Heights.”

There is much more to Kate Bush than Hounds of Love, and if you like her music being a little quirkier or experimental, maybe you’d prefer something that sounds a bit less immediate and punchy. Then again, Hounds of Love has the art pop dominate the first half of the album, and then the second half does go into more experimental and out-there territory, making Hounds of Love feel a bit like listening to two amazing (albeit quite short) albums back to back.

1

‘Purple Rain’ (1984)

Prince and the Revolution

The placement of Prince over Michael Jackson on a ranking like this might lose you, but if it has, then it’s better you’ve been lost right near the end of the ranking than closer to the start. Silver lining to everything. But also, come on. It’s Purple Rain. It’s nine absolutely perfect songs that could’ve all been singles on their own (hell, a pretty impressive five of them were), and there are no weak tracks here; no corny duet with a former Beatle or anything of the sort.

And yes, Purple Rain is technically a soundtrack album, but in that case, it’s probably the best soundtrack ever. Purple Rain the movie is fine, and made a little finer because you hear the songs from Purple Rain (the album) throughout it, but the album is absolutely where it’s at. The album is Purple Rain. And Purple Rain is untouchable. It does also have to be noted that Prince was on fire throughout the whole of the 1980s, and albums like 1999 (1982) and Sign o’ the Times (1987) also deserve to be considered among the greatest of the decade. Still, nothing is as perfect as Purple Rain. In just under three-quarters of an hour, it lays out everything great about Prince, thoroughly laying bare why he was considered such a legend.

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Purple Rain

Release Date

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July 27, 1984

Runtime

111 minutes

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Director

Albert Magnoli

Writers

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Albert Magnoli, William Blinn

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  Apollonia Kotero

  Apollonia

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