100 Greatest Albums of 1984

Criteria: These albums were chosen for their initial and lasting popularity and their influence and impact on rock music in general. Also considered is critical acclaim. The list includes rock and roll and related genres that were influential on rock music.

Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'. Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.

1. Purple Rain
Prince and the Revolution
2. Born in the USA
Bruce Springsteen
3. Like A Virgin
Madonna
4. Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
5. 1984
Van Halen
6. The Unforgettable Fire
U2
7. Let It Be
The Replacements
8. The Smiths
The Smiths
9. Ride The Lightning
Metallica
10. Private Dancer
Tina Turner
11. Zen Arcade
Hüsker Dü
12. Double Nickels On The Dime
Minutemen
13. Rattlesnakes
Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
14. How Will The Wolf Survive
Los Lobos
15. Reckoning
R.E.M.
16. Stop Making Sense
Talking Heads
17. Ocean Rain
Echo And The Bunnymen
18. Learning To Crawl
The Pretenders
19. Reckless
Bryan Adams
20. Make It Big
Wham!
21. Heartbeat City
The Cars
22. Chicago 17
Chicago
23. Building The Perfect Beast
Don Henley
24. Footloose
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
25. Suddenly
Billy Ocean
26. Who's Afraid Of The Art Of Noise
Art Of Noise
27. Diamond Life
Sade
28. Welcome To The Pleasuredome
Frankie Goes To Hollywood
29. Ice Cream Castle
The Time
30. Love At First Sting
Scorpions
31. I Feel For You
Chaka Khan
32. Big Bam Boom
Daryl Hall & John Oates
33. Powerslave
Iron Maiden
34. Beverly Hills Cop
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
35. Emergency
Kool & The Gang
36. Out Of The Cellar
Ratt
37. The Age Of Consent
Bronski Beat
38. Stay Hungry
Twisted Sister
39. Let The Music Play
Shannon
40. New Edition
New Edition
41. Swept Away
Diana Ross
42. Agent Provocateur
Foreigner
43. Don't Break The Oath
Mercyful Fate
44. The Fat Boys
The Fat Boys
45. A Private Heaven
Sheena Easton
46. The Last In Line
Dio
47. Escape
Whodini
48. Street Talk
Steve Perry
49. Defenders Of The Faith
Judas Priest
50. Three Of A Perfect Pair
King Crimson
51. Vital Signs
Survivor
52. Grace Under Pressure
Rush
53. Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi
54. A Walk Across The Rooftops
The Blue Nile
55. Tooth And Nail
Dokken
56. Slide It In
Whitesnake
57. Wheels Are Turnin'
REO Speedwagon
58. Sparkle In The Rain
Simple Minds
59. Valotte
Julian Lennon
60. ...All The Rage
General Public
61. Meat Puppets II
Meat Puppets
62. Ego Trip
Kurtis Blow
63. The Allnighter
Glenn Frey
64. The Glamorous Life
Sheila E.
65. All Over The Place
The Bangles
66. Couldn't Stand The Weather
Stevie Ray Vaughan
67. Into The Gap
Thompson Twins
68. Treasure
The Cocteau Twins
69. Fistful Of Metal
Anthrax
70. The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
71. I Often Dream Of Trains
Robyn Hitchcock
72. Meeting In The Ladies Room
Klymaxx
73. Some Great Reward
Depeche Mode
74. Breaking Hearts
Elton John
75. Perfect Strangers
Deep Purple
76. Self Control
Laura Branigan
77. Human's Lib
Howard Jones
78. Various Positions
Leonard Cohen
79. Camouflage
Rod Stewart
80. Body And Soul
Joe Jackson
81. Warrior
Scandal Featuring Patty Smyth
82. The Woman In Red
Stevie Wonder
83. The Swing
INXS
84. Tonight
David Bowie
85. Victory
The Jacksons
86. It'll End In Tears
This Mortal Coil
87. The Big Express
XTC
88. Somebody's Watching Me
Rockwell
89. Word Of Mouth
The Kinks
90. Ammonia Avenue
Alan Parsons Project
91. VOA
Sammy Hagar
92. Tour De Force
.38 Special
93. Go Insane
Lindsey Buckingham
94. Alf
Alison Moyet
95. Starchild
Teena Marie
96. Planetary Invasion
Midnight Star
97. Hard To Hold
Rick Springfield
98. New Sensations
Lou Reed
99. W.A.S.P.
W.A.S.P.
100. Tropico
Pat Benatar
DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1984
Brett's choice - An unheralded great album from 1984
* Love Letters
Force MDs
Bruce's choice:
* What's The Point?!!
R. Stevie Moore
Ryan's choice:
* Swoon
Prefab Sprout
Lew's choice:
* Human Racing
Nik Kershaw
⇐ 1983   |   1985 ⇒