Pitchfork: Best Albums of the 1980s

Purple Rain

Prince & The Revolution (1984)

Thriller

Michael Jackson (1982)

Straight Outta Compton

N.W.A (1988)

Hounds of Love

Kate Bush (1985)

Remain In Light

Talking Heads (1980)

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

Public Enemy (1988)

Daydream Nation (2012 Remastered Version)

Sonic Youth (1988)

Control

Janet Jackson (1986)

Disintegration (2010 Remaster)

The Cure (1989)

Diamond Life

Sade (1984)

Paid In Full

Eric B. & Rakim (1987)

Closer (Collector's Edition)

Joy Division (1980)

The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths (1986)

Doolittle

Pixies (1989)

Paul’s Boutique

Beastie Boys (1989)

Madonna

Madonna (1983)

Sign O' The Times

Prince (1987)

Computer World (Remastered)

Kraftwerk (1981)

Power, Corruption & Lies

New Order (1983)

Criminal Minded

Boogie Down Productions (1987)

3 Feet High and Rising

De La Soul (1989)

Big Science

Laurie Anderson (1982)

Complete Discography

Minor Threat (1990)

Spirit of Eden

Talk Talk (1988)

World of Echo

Arthur Russell (1985)

1999 (2019 Remaster)

Prince (1982)

Treasure

Cocteau Twins (1984)

Nebraska

Bruce Springsteen (1982)

Follow the Leader

Eric B. & Rakim (1988)

Rhythm Nation 1814

Janet Jackson (1989)

Reign In Blood

Slayer (1986)

Surfer Rosa (2007 Remaster)

Pixies (1988)

Dirty Mind

Prince (1980)

I'm Your Man

Leonard Cohen (1987)

Let It Be

The Replacements (1984)

Damaged

Black Flag (1981)

Stronger Than Pride

Sade (1988)

Raising Hell

Run‐D.M.C. (1986)

Murmur

R.E.M. (1983)

Psychocandy

The Jesus and Mary Chain (1985)

Bad Brains

Bad Brains (1982)

Rain Dogs

Tom Waits (1985)

Hatful of Hollow

The Smiths (1984)

The Lion and the Cobra

Sinéad O’Connor (1987)

Fugazi (Live at Wilson Center, Washington DC, USA, 09/03/1987) FLS0001

Fugazi (1987)

You're Living All Over Me (Bonus Track Version)

Dinosaur Jr. (1987)

The Joshua Tree

U2 (1987)

The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick

Slick Rick (1988)

Graceland

Paul Simon (1986)

Come Away with ESG

ESG (1982)

Evol

Sonic Youth (1986)

Double Nickels on the Dime

Minutemen (1984)

Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) [2017 Remaster]

David Bowie (1981)

Tim (Let It Bleed Edition)

The Replacements (1985)

Master of Puppets

Metallica (1986)

Born In the U.S.A.

Bruce Springsteen (1984)

On Fire

Galaxie 500 (1989)

Isn’t Anything

my bloody valentine (1988)

The Sensual World (2018 Remaster)

Kate Bush (1989)

Strictly Business

EPMD (1988)

Stop Making Sense (Deluxe Edition) [Live]

Talking Heads (1984)

The Ascension

Glenn Branca (1981)

From Her to Eternity (2009 - Remaster)

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds (1984)

Nightclubbing

Grace Jones (1981)

Violent Femmes

Violent Femmes (1982)

Blade Runner (Original Score from the Motion Picture)

Vangelis (1994)

Floating Into the Night

Julee Cruise (1989)

Zen Arcade

Hüsker Dü (1984)

Ride the Lightning (Remastered) [2016 Remastered Version]

Metallica (1984)

Critical Beatdown

Ultramagnetic MC’s (2004)

Ace of Spades

Motörhead (2020)

Bad

Michael Jackson (1987)

Deceit

This Heat (1981)

Uprising

Bob Marley & The Wailers (1980)

Juju

Siouxsie and the Banshees (1992)

Pretty Hate Machine

Nine Inch Nails (1989)

Music for the Masses

Depeche Mode (1987)

Like a Prayer

Madonna (1989)

This Nation's Saving Grace

The Fall (1985)

E2-E4 (Mixed Tracks)

Manuel Göttsching (1980)

My Life In the Bush of Ghosts

Brian Eno & David Byrne (1981)

The Number of the Beast (2015 Remaster)

Iron Maiden (1982)

Straight Out the Jungle

Jungle Brothers (1988)

Lucinda Williams (Deluxe Edition)

Lucinda Williams (1987)

Hats

The Blue Nile (1989)

Appetite for Destruction

Guns N’ Roses (1987)

Songs from the Big Chair

Tears for Fears (1985)

The Stone Roses (Remastered 2009)

The Stone Roses (2009)

Blue Bell Knoll (Remastered) [Remastered]

Cocteau Twins (1988)

Reckoning

R.E.M. (2008)

Faith (2010 Remastered)

George Michael (1987)

Tango in the Night (2017 Remaster) [Deluxe Edition]

Fleetwood Mac (1987)

Reich: Different Trains, Piano Counterpoint, Triple Quartet (2022 Remastered Version)

London Steve Reich Ensemble, Vincent Corver & Kevin Griffiths (2022)

Altars of Madness

Morbid Angel (1989)

Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks

Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois & Roger Eno (1983)

Coffin for Head of State (Edit)

Fela Kuti (1980)

Odyshape

The Raincoats (1980)

Bleach (Deluxe Edition)

Nirvana (1989)

Road to the Riches

Kool G Rap & DJ Polo (1989)

She’s So Unusual

Cyndi Lauper (1990)

Kirtan: Turiya Sings

Alice Coltrane (2021)

Youth of America

Wipers (1981)

Licensed to Ill

Beastie Boys (1986)

Second Edition

Public Image Ltd. (1979)

By All Means Necessary (Expanded Edition)

Boogie Down Productions (1988)

The Expanding Universe

Laurie Spiegel (1979)

Crazy Rhythms (Bonus Track Version)

The Feelies (1980)

Colossal Youth

Young Marble Giants (1979)

The Head On the Door

The Cure (1985)

Los Angeles

X (1979)

Avalon

Roxy Music (1982)

Technique

New Order (1989)

Playing with Fire

Spacemen 3 (1988)

Kick (2017 Remaster)

INXS (1987)

Like a Virgin

Madonna (1984)

Walk Among Us

Misfits (1982)

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston (1985)

Glass: Solo Piano

Philip Glass (1989)

Gaucho

Steely Dan (1980)

Run‐D.M.C.

Run‐D.M.C. (1984)

Pretenders (Expanded Edition) [2006 Remaster]

Pretenders (1979)

Beat Happening

Beat Happening (1984)

Tunnel of Love

Bruce Springsteen (1987)

Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel (1987)

Actually: Further Listening 1987-1988 (Deluxe) [2018 Remaster]

Pet Shop Boys (1987)

Let’s Dance (40th Anniversary Remix E.P.)

David Bowie (1983)

Back In Black

AC/DC (1980)

No One Can Do It Better

The D.O.C. (1989)

Scientist Rids the World of the Evil Curse of the Vampires

Scientist (1990)

Ocean Rain

Echo & The Bunnymen (1984)

Steve McQueen (Legacy Edition)

Prefab Sprout (1985)

Skylarking (Remastered)

XTC (1986)

Nothing’s Shocking

Jane’s Addiction (1989)

Songs About Fucking

Big Black (1987)

Raw Like Sushi

Neneh Cherry (1989)

Dance Hall Style - EP

Horace Andy (1982)

Long Live The Kane

Big Daddy Kane (1988)

Vini Reilly

The Durutti Column (1988)

The Cactus Album

3rd Bass (1989)

To Mega Therion

Celtic Frost (1985)

Through the Looking Glass

Midori Takada (1983)

Milo Goes to College

Descendents (1982)

Sandinista! (Remastered)

The Clash (1980)

Hi How Are You

Daniel Johnston (1983)

Grip It on That Other Level

Geto Boys (1989)

Rites of Spring

Rites Of Spring (1985)

Rapture

Anita Baker (1986)

The Well‐Tuned Piano 81 X 25 6:17:50–11:18:59 PM NYC

La Monte Young (1987)

Compilation

The Clean (1985)

Meat Puppets II (Deluxe Edition)

Meat Puppets (1984)

Dolmen Music

Meredith Monk (1980)

Radio

LL COOL J (1985)

Imperial Bedroom

Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1984)

Hotter Than July

Stevie Wonder (1980)

Lyte As a Rock

MC Lyte (1988)

British Steel (Bonus Track Version)

Judas Priest (1980)

The Indestructible Beat of Soweto - Volume One

Various Artists (1985)

Ammnesia

Mr. Fingers (1988)

Shoot Out the Lights

Richard and Linda Thompson (1991)

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence

Ryuichi Sakamoto (2014)

Deep Listening

Pauline Oliveros & Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster & Panaiotis (1988)

Jane from Occupied Europe

Swell Maps (1979)

Rhyme Pays

Ice‐T (1987)

Playing With a Different Sex

Au Pairs (1985)

Soliloquy for Lilith

Nurse With Wound (1987)

Mister Yellowman

Yellowman (1981)

Cupid & Psyche 85

Scritti Politti (1985)

Rio (Collectors Edition)

Duran Duran (1982)

Private Dancer (2015 Remaster)

Tina Turner (1984)

In All Languages

Ornette Coleman (1987)

Streetcleaner

Godflesh (1989)

Dreams Less Sweet

Psychic TV (1983)

All Hail the Queen

Queen Latifah (1989)

Night and Day

Joe Jackson (1982)

Liliput

Kleenex/Liliput (1992)

Utd. State 90

808 State (1990)

Plux Quba

Nuno Canavarro (1987)

The Visitors (Deluxe Edition)

ABBA (1981)

Wild Planet

The B‐52’s (1989)

The Glow of Love

Change (1980)

Life Is...Too $hort

Too $hort (1987)

McCartney II (2014 Remaster)

Paul McCartney (1980)

Tom Tom Club

Tom Tom Club (1981)

Season of Glass

Yoko Ono (1981)

Locust Abortion Technician

Butthole Surfers (1986)

Ini Kamoze

Ini Kamoze (1984)

The Age of Consent (Bonus Tracks) [1996 Remaster]

Bronski Beat (1984)

Hot, Cool & Vicious

Salt‐N‐Pepa (2020)

Generic

Flipper (1981)

Straight from the Heart

Patrice Rushen (1982)

For Olim

Cecil Taylor (1986)

Virgo - EP

Virgo Virgo (2018)

Escape (Expanded Edition)

Whodini (1984)

Don't Break the Oath

Mercyful Fate (1984)

Fever

Tenor Saw (1984)

Duck Rock

Malcolm McLaren (1982)