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100 Greatest Albums of 1980

Criteria: These 1980 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.
Top 100 Albums by Year: (in progress)
Note: Yearly album lists go by earliest 'release date'.
Not necessarily the year an album peaked in the U.S. charts.
  1. Back In Black - AC/DC
  2. Remain In Light - Talking Heads
  3. Closer - Joy Division
  4. Ace Of Spades - Motörhead
  5. The River - Bruce Springsteen
  6. Dirty Mind - Prince
  7. Hi Infidelity - REO Speedwagon
  8. The Game - Queen
  9. Diana - Diana Ross
10. Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables - Dead Kennedys
11. Blizzard Of Ozz - Ozzy Osbourne
12. Searching For Young Soul Rebels - Dexy's Midnight Runners
13. Zenyatta Mondatta - The Police
14. Los Angeles - X
15. Peter Gabriel (III) - Peter Gabriel
16. Sandinista! - The Clash
17. Boy - U2
18. Crazy Rhythms - The Feelies
19. Double Fantasy - John Lennon and Yoko Ono
20. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) - David Bowie
21. Sound Affects - The Jam
22. The Wanderer - Donna Summer
23. Crimes Of Passion - Pat Benatar
24. Get Happy!! - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
25. Voices - Daryl Hall & John Oates
26. Empty Glass - Pete Townshend
27. Triumph - The Jacksons
28. Against The Wind - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
29. The Gap Band III - The Gap Band
30. Give Me The Night - George Benson
31. Glass Houses - Billy Joel
32. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
33. I Just Can't Stop It - The (English) Beat
34. Zapp - Zapp
35. Hotter Than July - Stevie Wonder
36. British Steel - Judas Priest
37. Autoamerican - Blondie
38. Permanent Waves - Rush
39. Gaucho - Steely Dan
40. Women And Children First - Van Halen
41. Emotional Rescue - Rolling Stones
42. Love Stinks - J. Geils Band
43. Arc Of A Diver - Steve Winwood
44. Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow
45. Uprising - Bob Marley & The Wailers
46. Heaven And Hell - Black Sabbath
47. Argybargy - Squeeze
48. Hold Out - Jackson Browne
49. Kings Of The Wild Frontier - Adam & The Ants
50. Departure - Journey
51. Duke - Genesis
52. The Jazz Singer - Neil Diamond
53. Three For Love - Shalamar
54. Lightning To The Nations - Diamond Head
55. Underwater Moonlight - The Soft Boys
56. Vienna - Ultravox
57. Freedom Of Choice - Devo
58. Making Movies - Dire Straits
59. Wild Planet - The B-52s
60. Light Up The Night - Brothers Johnson
61. Songs The Lord Taught Us - The Cramps
62. End Of The Century - The Ramones
63. Angel Witch - Angel Witch
64. Kilimanjaro - The Teardrop Explodes
65. Seventeen Seconds - The Cure
66. Killing Joke - Killing Joke
67. One-Trick Pony - Paul Simon
68. Colossal Youth - Young Marble Giants
69. In The Flat Field - Bauhaus
70. Celebrate! - Kool & The Gang
71. The Turn Of A Friendly Card - Alan Parsons Project
72. Signing Off - UB40
73. Seconds Of Pleasure - Rockpile
74. TP - Teddy Pendergrass
75. Black Sea - XTC
76. Crocodiles - Echo & The Bunnymen
77. Catholic Boy - Jim Carroll Band
78. Heartattack And Vine - Tom Waits
79. SOS - The SOS Band
80. Clues - Robert Palmer
81. Loverboy - Loverboy
82. True Colours - Split Enz
83. Super Trouper - ABBA
84. Never For Ever - Kate Bush
85. More Specials - The Specials
86. Faces - Earth Wind & Fire
87. The Romantics - The Romantics
88. Eagles Live - Eagles
89. Bass Culture - Linton Kwesi Johnson
90. Joy And Pain - Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly
91. Is This Real? - The Wipers
92. The Blues Brothers: Music From The Soundtrack - The Blues Brothers
93. Me Myself I - Joan Armatrading
94. Heroes - The Commodores
95. Strong Arm Of The Law - Saxon
96. The Correct Use Of Soap - Magazine
97. Warm Thoughts - Smokey Robinson
98. Kaleidoscope - Siouxsie & The Banshees
99. One Step Closer - The Doobie Brothers
100. Visage - Visage
Back In Black AC/DC album cover
Remain In Light Talking Heads album cover
Closer Joy Division album cover
Ace Of Spades Motorhead album cover
The River Bruce Springsteen album cover
Dirty Mind Prince album cover
Hi Infidelity REO Speedwagon album cover
 DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1980
  Brett's choice - An unheralded great album from 1980
 •  Promise - Promise
  Bruce's choice:
 •  More George Thorogood And The Destroyers - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
  Ryan's choice:
 •  Snap Crackle & Bop - John Cooper Clarke
  Lew's choice:
 •  Cognac & Bologna - Doug and the Slugs




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