Top Albums of 1981





Rank All Time Rank Artist Album Genres
1
270
The Human League Dare! New Romantic, Synthpop
2
346
Brian Eno - David Byrne My Life in the Bush of Ghosts Art Rock, Experimental Rock
3
378
Black Flag Damaged Hardcore Punk
4
433
Kraftwerk Computerwelt / Computer World Synthpop
5
740
Rush Moving Pictures Hard Rock, Progressive Rock
6
747
Motörhead No Sleep 'Til Hammersmith Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
7
789
Grace Jones Nightclubbing Art Pop, Dance-Pop, Sophisti-Pop
8
800
X Wild Gift Punk Rock
9
862
The Gun Club Fire of Love Psychobilly, Punk Blues
10
919
Soft Cell Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret New Wave, Synthpop
11
953
Squeeze East Side Story New Wave, Pop Rock
12
1124
The Police Ghost in the Machine New Wave, Pop Rock
13
1158
Echo and the Bunnymen Heaven Up Here Post-Punk
14
1260
Rickie Lee Jones Pirates Jazz Pop, Singer/Songwriter
15
1342
Rick James Street Songs Contemporary R&B, Synth Funk
16
1353
The Rolling Stones Tattoo You Rock
17
1366
Japan Tin Drum Art Pop, New Romantic, Synthpop
18
1367
Go-Go's Beauty and the Beat New Wave, Power Pop
19
1410
Einstürzende Neubauten Kollaps Industrial
20
1451
Elvis Costello and The Attractions Trust Pop Rock
21
1461
King Crimson Discipline Art Rock, Progressive Rock
22
1602
Deutsch Amerikanische Freundschaft Alles ist gut EBM, Neue Deutsche Welle, Synth Punk
23
1625
The Birthday Party Prayers on Fire Noise Rock, Post-Punk
24
1752
Gang of Four Solid Gold Post-Punk
25
1768
Siouxsie and The Banshees Juju Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
26
1797
Phil Collins Face Value Pop Rock
27
1803
Heaven 17 Penthouse and Pavement New Wave, Synthpop
28
1805
Black Uhuru Red Roots Reggae
29
1827
The Psychedelic Furs Talk Talk Talk New Wave, Post-Punk
30
1945
Trio Trio Neue Deutsche Welle
31
1990
Minor Threat Minor Threat [EP 1981 / LP 1984] Hardcore Punk
32
2050
Stray Cats Stray Cats/Built for Speed Rockabilly
33
2080
This Heat Deceit Experimental Rock, Post-Punk
34
2245
Journey Escape AOR, Pop Rock
35
2379
The Raincoats Odyshape Post-Punk
36
2431
The Cramps Psychedelic Jungle Garage Punk, Psychobilly
37
2570
Au Pairs Playing with a Different Sex Post-Punk
38
2574
Glenn Branca The Ascension No Wave, Noise Rock
39
2620
New Order Movement Post-Punk
40
2655
The dB's Stands for Decibels Jangle Pop, Power Pop
41
2672
Cabaret Voltaire Red Mecca Industrial, Post-Punk
42
2729
Marquis de Sade Rue De Siam Post-Punk
43
2868
Stevie Nicks Bella Donna Soft Rock
44
2894
The Neville Brothers Fiyo on the Bayou New Orleans R&B, Pop Soul
45
2905
Tom Verlaine Dreamtime Art Punk, Post-Punk
46
2917
Fleshtones Roman Gods Garage Rock Revival
47
2931
The Cure Faith Gothic Rock, Post-Punk

Albums "bubbling under" the all-time top 3000:
Pat Metheny Offramp Jazz Fusion
Wipers Youth of America Post-Punk, Punk Rock
Foreigner 4 AOR, Hard Rock, Pop Rock
The Blasters The Blasters Rockabilly, Roots Rock
The Lounge Lizards The Lounge Lizards Avant-Garde Jazz
Mission of Burma Signals, Calls and Marches EP Post-Punk
The Associates Fourth Drawer Down New Wave, Post-Punk
Mink DeVille Coup de Grace Pop Rock
Television Personalities ...And Don't the Kids Just Love It Indie Pop, Post-Punk
U2 October Alternative Rock, Post-Punk
Iron Maiden Killers NWOBHM
Ozzy Osbourne Diary of a Madman Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Prince Controversy Pop Rock, Synth Funk
Depeche Mode Speak & Spell New Romantic, Synthpop
Fela Coffin for Head of State Afrobeat
Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls Jazz
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts I Love Rock'n'roll Hard Rock
Bauhaus Mask Gothic Rock, Post-Punk
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark Architecture & Morality New Wave, Synthpop
Public Image Ltd. The Flowers of Romance Experimental Rock, Post-Punk
Simple Minds Sons and Fascination Art Rock, New Wave, Synthpop
The Undertones Positive Touch Pop Punk, Power Pop
Fela Original Sufferhead Afrobeat
Tuxedomoon Desire Experimental Rock, Post-Punk
Franco Battiato La voce del padrone New Wave, Singer/Songwriter
Pretenders Pretenders II New Wave
Dick Gaughan Handful of Earth Scottish Folk Music
De Press Block to Block New Wave, Post-Punk
Bobby Womack The Poet Soul
The J. Geils Band Freeze Frame New Wave, Pop Rock
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Hard Promises Heartland Rock, Pop Rock
Kid Creole and The Coconuts Fresh Fruit in Foreign Places Pop
David Lindley El Rayo-X Pop Reggae, Rock & Roll
Def Leppard High 'n' Dry Hard Rock, NWOBHM
Jaco Pastorius Word of Mouth Jazz Fusion
Vangelis Chariots of Fire Film Score, Progressive Electronic
Rush Exit...Stage Left Hard Rock, Progressive Rock
Duran Duran Duran Duran New Romantic, Synthpop
Penguin Café Orchestra Penguin Café Orchestra Chamber Jazz
Ebba Grön Kärlek & Uppror Punk Rock
Smokey Robinson Being with You Soul
Derek Bailey Aida Free Improvisation
Sun Ra Arkestra Sunrise in Different Dimensions Free Jazz, Post-Bop
Daryl Hall & John Oates Private Eyes Blue Eyed Soul
The Sound From the Lion's Mouth Post-Punk
Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Live - Reach Up and Touch the Sky Rock
Johnny Copeland Copeland Special Blues, Blues Rock
Teena Marie It Must Be Magic Funk, Soul
Al Jarreau Breakin' Away Jazz Pop, Smooth Jazz
The Fall Slates Post-Punk
The Teardrop Explodes Wilder Neo-Psychedelia, Post-Punk
Roky Erickson & The Aliens The Evil One Hard Rock, Psychedelic Rock
The Beat Wha'ppen? 2 Tone
Wall of Voodoo Dark Continent Minimal Wave, New Wave
B.B. King There Must Be a Better World Somewhere Blues, Blues Rock