100 Greatest Albums of 1986

1986 record album covers for Raising Hell, Licensed To Ill, Graceland, and Control
Criteria: These 1986 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. Raising Hell - Run-D.M.C.
  2. Licensed To Ill - Beastie Boys
  3. Graceland - Paul Simon
  4. Control - Janet Jackson
  5. The Queen Is Dead - The Smiths
  6. Master of Puppets - Metallica
  7. So - Peter Gabriel
  8. Slippery When Wet - Bon Jovi
  9. Reign In Blood - Slayer
10. True Blue - Madonna
11. Rapture - Anita Baker
12. Lifes Rich Pageant - R.E.M.
13. Skylarking - XTC
14. Parade - Prince
15. Different Light - The Bangles
16. Strong Persuader - Robert Cray Band
17. Back In The High Life - Steve Winwood
18. Invisible Touch - Genesis
19. Dancing On The Ceiling - Lionel Richie
20. Live/1975–85 - Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
21. 5150 - Van Halen
22. The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
23. Look What The Cat Dragged In - Poison
24. Please - Pet Shop Boys
25. Fore! - Huey Lewis & The News
26. Top Gun - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
27. Crowded House - Crowded House
28. Black Celebration - Depeche Mode
29. Third Stage - Boston
30. True Colors - Cyndi Lauper
31. Word Up! - Cameo
32. Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? - Megadeth
33. Just Like The First Time - Freddie Jackson
34. The Final Countdown - Europe
35. August - Eric Clapton
36. Winner In You - Patti LaBelle
37. The Bridge - Billy Joel
38. Give Me The Reason - Luther Vandross
39. Tuff Enuff - Fabulous Thunderbirds
40. Night Songs - Cinderella
41. Blood & Chocolate - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
42. Somewhere In Time - Iron Maiden
43. Back In Black - Whodini
44. Atomizer - Big Black
45. Hot, Cool, & Vicious - Salt-n-Pepa
46. I Against I - Bad Brains
47. Eat 'Em And Smile - David Lee Roth
48. Georgia Satellites - Georgia Satellites
49. The Ultimate Sin - Ozzy Osbourne
50. Tinderbox - Siouxsie & The Banshees
51. To Hell With The Devil - Stryper
52. King Of America - The Costello Show
53. The Colour Of Spring - Talk Talk
54. Mechanical Resonance - Tesla
55. Solitude/Solitaire - Peter Cetera
56. Notorious - Duran Duran
57. Like A Rock - Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
58. Break Every Rule - Tina Turner
59. Can't Hold Back - Eddie Money
60. Love Zone - Billy Ocean
61. True Stories - Talking Heads
62. Aretha - Aretha Franklin
63. Candy Apple Grey - Hüsker Dü
64. Lives In The Balance - Jackson Browne
65. Talking With The Taxman About Poetry - Billy Bragg
66. Oh, My God! - Doug E. Fresh
67. Whiplash Smile - Billy Idol
68. EVOL - Sonic Youth
69. Infected - The The
70. The Other Side Of Life - Moody Blues
71. The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are - 2 Live Crew
72. Brotherhood - New Order
73. Raised On Radio - Journey
74. C86 - Various Artists
75. On Fire - Stetsasonic
76. They Might Be Giants - They Might Be Giants
77. Guitar Town - Steve Earle
78. Kool Moe Dee - Kool Moe Dee
79. Epicus Doomicus Metallicus - Candlemass
80. Forever - Kool & The Gang
81. Touch Me - Samantha Fox
82. Schoolly D - Schoolly D
83. Revenge - Eurythmics
84. Especially For You - The Smithereens
85. Live - George Thorogood & The Destroyers
86. A Kind Of Magic - Queen
87. Pleasure To Kill - Kreator
88. Mosaic - Wang Chung
89. Dancing Undercover - Ratt
90. New Kids On The Block - New Kids On The Block
91. London 0 Hull 4 - The Housemartins
92. Belinda - Belinda Carlisle
93. Show Me - The Cover Girls
94. Boomtown - David & David
95. Express - Love And Rockets
96. Your Funeral...My Trial - Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
97. Liberty Belle And The Black Diamond Express - The Go-Betweens
98. No Guru, No Method, No Teacher - Van Morrison
99. Born Sandy Devotional - Triffids
100. Album - Public Image Ltd.
Raising Hell Run-D.M.C. album cover
Licensed To Ill Beastie Boys album cover
Graceland Paul Simon album cover
Control Janet Jackson album cover
The Queen Is Dead The Smiths album cover
Master of Puppets Metallica album cover
So Peter Gabriel album cover
 DigitalDreamDoor Editor Picks for 1986
  Brett's choice - An unheralded great album from 1986
 •  The House Of Secrets - Direct Hits
  Bruce's choice:
 •  Messin' With My Mind - Clarence Carter
  Ryan's choice:
 •  Daring Adventures - Richard Thompson
  Lew's choice:
 •  Radio Musicola - Nik Kershaw


Top 100 Albums by Year: (in progress)