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 | |