Number One Albums of the 1980s

Top grossing and number one albums from the 1980s broken out by calendar year. Name of artist and name of album. Date added to Billboard Charts.

Number One Albums of 1980
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
1/5 1 On The Radio Volumes 1 & 2 Donna Summer
1/12 1 Bee Gees Greatest Bee Gees
1/19 15 The Wall Pink Floyd
5/3 6 Against The Wind Bob Segar & The Silver Bullet Band
6/14 6 Glass Houses Billy Joel
7/26 7 Emotional Rescue Rolling Stones
9/13 1 Hold Out Jackson Browne
9/20 5 The Game Queen
10/25 3 Guilty Barbara Streisand Album entered chart at Number 1
11/8 4 The River Bruce Springsteen
12/13 2 Kenny Rogers’ Greatest Hits Kenny Rogers
12/27 8 Double Fantasy John Lennon/Yoko Ono
Number One Albums of 1981
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
2/21 15 Hi Infidelity REO Speedwagon Album entered chart at Number 1
4/4 3 Paradise Theater Styxx Album entered chart at Number 1
6/27 4 Mistaken Identity Kim Carnes
7/25 3 Long Distance Voyager The Moddy Blues
8/15 1 Precious Time Pat Benatar
8/22 10 Foreigner Foreigner Album entered chart at Number 1
9/5 1 Bella Donna Stevie Nicks
9/19 9 Escape Journey
9/19 9 Tatoo You Rolling Stones
12/26 3 For Those About To Rock AC/DC
Number One Albums of 1982
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
2/6 4 Freeze Frame J. Geiks Band
3/6 6 Beauty And The Beat Go-Go’s
4/17 4 Chariots of Fire Vangelis / Soundtrack
5/15 9 Asia Asia Album entered chart at Number 1
5/29 3 Tug of War Paul McCartney
8/7 5 Mirage Fleetwood Mac
9/11 9 American Fool Jon Cougar
11/13 15 Business As Usual Men At Work
Number One Albums of 1983
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
2/26 37 Thriller Micahel Jackson Album entered chart at Number 1
6/25 2 Flashdance Soundtrack
7/23 17 Synchronicity The Police Album entered chart at Number 1
11/26 1 Metal Health Quiet Riot
12/3 3 Can’t Slow Down Lionel Richie
Number One Albums of 1984
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
4/21 10 Footloose Soundtrack
6/30 1 Sports Huey Lewis And the News
7/7 7 Born In The U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen Album entered chart at Number 1
8/4 24 Purple Rain Prince And The Revolution / Soundtrack
Number One Albums of 1985
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
2/9 3 Like A Virgin Madonna
3/2 3 Make It Big Wham!
3/23 1 Centerfield John Fogerty
3/30 7 No Jacket Required Phil Collins Album entered chart at Number 1
4/27 3 We Are The World USA for Africa
6/1 3 Around The World In A Day Prince And The Revolution
6/22 2 Beverly Hills Cop Soundtrack
7/13 5 Songs From The Big Chair Tears For Fears Album entered chart at Number 1
8/10 2 Reckless Bryan Adams
8/31 9 Brothers In Arms Dire Straits
11/2 11 Miami Vice TV Soundtrack Album entered chart at Number 1
12/21 1 Heart Heart
Number One Albums of 1986
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
1/25 3 The Broadway Album Barbara Streisand
2/15 2 Promise Sade
3/1 1 Welcome To The Real World Mr. Mister
3/8 14 Whitney Houston Whitney Houston Album entered chart at Number 1
4/26 3 5150 Van Halen
7/5 2 Control Janet Jackson
7/19 1 Winner In You Patti LaBelle
7/26 5 Top Gun Soundtrack Album entered chart at Number 1
8/16 5 True Blue Madonna
9/27 2 Dancing On The Ceiling Lionel Richie
10/18 1 Fore! Huey Lewis And The News
10/25 8 Slippery When Wet Bon Jovi Album entered chart at Number 1
11/1 4 Third Stage Boston
11/29 7 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band Live / 1975 – 85 Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Number One Albums of 1987
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
3/7 7 Licensed to Ill Beastie Boys
4/25 9 Joshua Tree U2
6/27 11 Whitney Whitney Houston
9/12 2 La Bamba Los Lobos / Soundtrack
9/26 6 Bad Michael Jackson
11/7 1 Tunnel of Love Bruce Springsteen
11/14 18 Dirty Dancing Soundtrack Album entered chart at Number 1
Number One Albums of 1988
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
1/16 12 Faith George Michael Album entered chart at Number 1
1/23 2 Tiffany Tiffany
6/25 4 OU812 Van Halen
7/23 6 Hysteria Def Leppard Album entered chart at Number 1
8/6 5 Appetite for Construction Guns n’ Roses Album entered chart at Number 1
8/20 1 Roll With It Steve Winwood
8/27 1 Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman
10/15 4 New Jersey Bon Jovi
11/12 6 Rattle And Hum U2
12/24 4 Giving You The Best That I Got Anita Baker
Number One Albums of 1989
DATE
M/D 		Weeks on Top 40 Album Artist Notes
1/21 6 Don’t Be Cruel Bobby Brown Album entered chart at Number 1
3/11 5 Electric Youth Debbie Gibson
4/15 1 Loc-ed After Dark Tone Loc
4/22 6 Like A Prayer Madonna
6/3 7 The Raw & The Cooked Fine Young Cannibals
7/22 6 Batman Prince / Soundtrack
9/2 1 Repeat Offender Richard Marx
9/9 2 Hangin’ Tough New Kids On The Block
9/23 8 Girl You Know It’s True Milli Vanilli Album entered chart at Number 1
10/7 10 Forever Your Girl Paula Abdul Album entered chart at Number 1
10/14 2 Dr. Feelgood Motley Crue
10/28 4 Janet Jackson’s Rhythym Nation 1814 Janet Jackson
12/16 1 Storm Front Billy Joel