The 80 Best Albums of the 1980s

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The 1980s might conjure up images of leg warmers, parachute pants, moonwalking, Flock of Seagulls haircuts and any number of John Hughes movies. But looking back at the decade’s best albums, those years were extremely diverse. They saw the last vestiges of a vibrant punk scene and the beginnings of post-punk and New Wave; the rise of hip-hop and an explosion of great college radio; the brief ascension of rootsy singer/songwriters to mainstream country stardom; and the establishment of some almost-universally beloved pop stars. Today we celebrate our favorite albums that arose from the ’80s. There’s a little bit of rap, folk, country, jazz, pop and a lot of rock ’n’ roll in its various incarnations. Here are the 80 best albums of the 1980s.

50. Crowded House – Crowded House (1986)
As members of Split Enz, singer/songwriter Neil Finn and drummer Paul Hester enjoyed a commanding presence on the Australian and New Zealand charts, but found lasting American success elusive; it wasn’t until the band broke up—and they hooked up with bassist Nick Seymour, christening themselves Crowded House—that they broke the platinum barrier in the U.S. You no doubt remember the melodies of this album’s two Top 10 hits, “Don’t Dream It’s Over” and “Something So Strong,” but what you may not have heard is the bittersweet melancholy that pervades Finn’s lyrics, serving as a poignant counterpart to the songs’ barbed hooks and sunny ’80s production. It was music for grown-ups that feckless kids could easily hum along to—and although it proved Crowded House’s commercial high point, it also kicked off a string of critically revered albums that continues through 2010’s Intriguer.—Jeff Giles

49. The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy and the Lash (1985)
Thirty years on, most albums from the ’80s are starting to sound pretty dated, and not just the flash-in-the-pan stuff. One album that has evaded the death rattle of nostalgia is The Pogues’ Rum, Sodomy and the Lash, and it seems to have done so by starting with a frame of reference too far back to be tied to a modern era. Rum is The Pogues’ way of paying homage to the sleazebags, scallywags and sods that came before them, an album full of resurrected folk ballads and sea shanties coupled with nearly indistinguishable new ones. On top of it all sits Elvis Costello’s production, which shines through the grime of each track and infuses the album with a heady angst. Whether it’s 1985 or 2012, Rum, Sodomy and the Lash still manages to sound far, far ahead of its time by planting itself firmly in the past.—Jody Amable

48. Dire Straits – Brothers In Arms (1985)
There’s a reason Dire Straits sold 30 million copies of this record. It’s damn near perfect. Douglas Adams said it best in his completely unrelated sci-fi book, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish: “Mark Knopfler has an extraordinary ability to make a Schecter Custom Stratocaster hoot and sing like angels on a Saturday night, exhausted from being good all week and needing a stiff drink.” The hits you know, particularly “Money For Nothing” and “Walk of Life” are all happiness and light, but it’s the quieter tracks like “So Far Away,” “Why Worry” and the title track that seem to have every subtle guitar note in the right place. Its mood indeed is perfectly suited for a love scene in one of the funniest sci-fi books of all time in which the couple floats about the ground. And well, why wouldn’t that be good enough for 30 million people? —Josh Jackson

47. Tears For Fears – Songs From the Big Chair (1985)
Time hasn’t been kind to the earnest pop of the mid ’80s. As synthetic sounds came to dominate the airwaves, producers all toyed with the same tricks, giving songs a shorter shelf life. But get past the pink Polos, pained expressions and punchy drum sounds of Tears For Fears’ Songs From the Big Chair and you’ll find an epic album that replaced the band’s synth-pop with some jangly guitars and a more mature sound. Packed with hits like “Everybody Wants To Rule the World,” “Shout,” “Mothers Talk” and “Head Over Heels,” it’s 1985 in a nutshell.—Josh Jackson

46. The Clash – Sandinista (1980)
White people were still trying to figure out exactly what hip-hop was in December of 1980, and here was The Clash, leading off the feverishly anticipated follow-up to instant classic London Calling with “The Magnificent Seven,” one of the first rap songs many rock fans ever heard. And if Joe Strummer wasn’t exactly Big Daddy Kane rhymewise, the gesture showed that The Only Band That Matters were still as curious about the outside world as ever, whether that meant exploring New York street art or South American political movements. Sandanista! doubled-down on the genre exploration of Calling, investigating dub, blues and folk music to see what they could say to punk rock. A triple album, Sandanista! overflowed with musical ideas and outspoken lyrics, finding beauty in information overload.—Michael Tedder

45. The dB’s – Stands For Decibels (1981)
Two years before R.E.M. released Murmur and three years after Big Star’s Third/Sister Lover, Peter Holsapple and Chris Stamey continued the tradition of Southern jangly guitar rock with their Winston/Salem, N.C. outfit The dB’s. Stamey had played bass with Alex Chilton, but the combination of Stamey and Holsapple produced something equally Byrds-influenced with lovely harmonies, tight rhythm and power-pop melodies.—Josh Jackson

44. The Smiths – The Smiths (1984)
While some debuts from decade-defining acts are previews for later greatness, The Smiths already mastered their form on their 1984 self-titled album. The signature interplay between Johnny Marr’s sharp Telecaster and Morrissey’s even sharper wit propelled classics like “Hand In Glove” and “This Charming Man,” two of the many tracks that benefited from the naïve energy that would be missed in the band’s later catalog. Twenty-eight years on, The Smiths doesn’t exactly sound fresh, but the dated recording quality gives a nostalgic romance to Morrissey’s old-soul crooning. If The Smiths weren’t the best band of the 1980s, they certainly peaked the earliest.—Ryan Wasoba

43. Minutemen – Double Nickels on the Dime (1984)
The sheer size of Double Nickels can be daunting, with more than 40 short funk-punk yawps spread across its four sides, but time flies unusually fast while listening to this double album. Its message is clear: Rock ’n’ roll doesn’t have to be a fantasyland. It can be about real people living normal lives, from landladies to blue-collar philosophers to three corndogs from San Pedro who dig Blue Oyster Cult and The Clash. It’s egalitarian rock and one of the warmest and most human records you’ll ever hear.—Garrett Martin

42. Marshall Crenshaw – Marshall Crenshaw (1982)
Rock during the early ’80s was all about what was new—new sounds, new fashions, New Wave. But for a moment in the summer of ’82, Marshall Crenshaw proved you could still make magic happen with three guys and a dozen great songs—including the lilting “Someday, Someway,” which grazed the Top 40 and sounded like the opening salvo in what should have been a long list of hits. Alas, Crenshaw’s commercial ship sailed quickly, but his debut still sounds just as fresh as it did 30 years ago.—Jeff Giles

41. Ornette Coleman – In All Languages (1987)
The title Ornette Coleman chose for his 1987 album, In All Languages, was no less boastful—and no less justified—than the title for his 1959 record, The Shape of Jazz To Come. By recording with both an acoustic quartet and an electric septet, even performing seven of the 16 new compositions with both bands, the saxophonist seemed to declare that he could express himself in all styles, in all languages. He declared that his quest for the emotionally vivid moment would not be limited by instrumentation or jazz factionalism any more than it would be by conventional notions of harmony and swing.—Geoffrey Himes