As usual, there a few ways to determine who was the best performer / band. The way that we chose was to add up the sales of all the albums that a group released in the 1980s. To mix it up a little, we included rock, R&B, country and rap performers.
To help this page load faster, we’ll break the list into manageable pieces. PART 1 – #200 – #151 (this page), PART 2 – #150 – # 101 , PART 3 – #100 – #51, PART 4 – #50 – #1 . If you want just the list with out the pictures and extra info, you should check our NO FLUFF LIST
#200 – Dokken
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Breaking the Chains” (1981)
“Tooth and Nail” (1984)
“Under Lock and Key” (1985)
“Back for the Attack” (1987)
#199 – Bee Gees
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Living Eyes” (1981)
“E.S.P.” (1987)
“One” (1989)
#198 – Deep Purple
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Perfect Strangers” (1984)
“The House of Blue Light” (1987)
“Nobody’s Perfect” (1988)
#197 – Ronnie Milsap
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Out Where the Bright Lights Are Glowing” (1981)
“Keyed Up” (1983)
“One More Try for Love” (1984)
“Lost in the Fifties Tonight” (1985)
#196 – Jackson Browne
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Hold Out” (1980)
“The Pretender” (1986)
“Lives in the Balance” (1986)
“World in Motion” (1989)
#195 – Credence Clearwater Revival
Key Albums in the 1980s
“The Best of Creedence Clearwater Revival” (1980)
“Creedence Gold” (1980)
“Chronicle” (1986)
“The 20 Greatest Hits” (1988)
#194 – The Who
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Face Dances” (1981)
“It’s Hard” (1982)
#193 – Earth Wind and Fire
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Faces” (1980)
“Raise!” (1981)
“Powerlight” (1983)
“Electric Universe” (1983)
“Touch the World” (1987)
#192 – The Jackson 5
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Triumph” (1980)
“Soulsation!” (1986)
#191 – N.W.A.
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Panic Zone” (1987)
“N.W.A. and the Posse” (1987)
“Straight Outta Compton” (1988)
#190 – Midnight Oil
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Place Without a Postcard” (1981)
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1” (1982)
“Red Sails in the Sunset” (1984)
“Species Deceases” (1985)
“Diesel and Dust” (1987)
#189 – USA for Africa
Key Albums in the 1980s
“We Are the World” (1985)
#188 – The Blues Brothers
Key Albums in the 1980s
“The Blues Brothers: Soundtrack” (1980)
“Made in America” (1980)
“Best of The Blues Brothers” (1981)
“Dancin’ Wid Da Blues Brothers” (1983)
#187 – Kansas
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Vinyl Confessions” (1982)
“Drastic Measures” (1983)
“Power” (1986)
#186 – Isley Brothers
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Go All the Way” (1980)
“Grand Slam” (1981)
“Inside You” (1981)
“The Real Deal” (1982)
“Between the Sheets” (1983)
“Isley Brothers Greatest Hits, Vol. 1” (1984)
“Masterpiece” (1985)
“Smooth Sailin'” (1987)
“Different Drummer” (1987)
#185 -ABBA
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Super Trouper” (1980)
“The Visitors” (1981)
“The Singles: The First Ten Years” (1982)
“Thank You for the Music” (1983)
“ABBA Live” (1986)
#184 – Roy Orbison
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Laminar Flow” (1980)
“Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits Live” (1983)
“In Dreams: The Greatest Hits” (1987)
“Mystery Girl” (1989)
#183 – Belinda Carlisle
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Belinda” (1986)
“Heaven on Earth” (1987)
“Runaway Horses” (1989)
#182 – Melissa Etheridge
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Melissa Etheridge” (1988)
#181 – DZ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Rock the House” (1987)
“He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper” (1988)
#180 – Sheena Easton
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Take My Time” (1981)
“You Could Have Been with Me” (1982)
“Madness, Money & Music” (1982)
“Best Kept Secret” (1983)
“A Private Heaven” (1984)
“Do You” (1985)
“No Sound But a Heart” (1987)
“The Lover in Me” (1988)
#179 – Bad Company
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Rough Diamonds” (1982)
“Fame and Fortune” (1986)
“10 from 6”
“Dangerous Age” (1988)
#178 – Blondie
Key Albums in the 1980s
Autoamerican (1980)
The Best of Blondie (1981)
The Hunter (1982)
The Complete Picture: The Very Best of Deborah Harry and Blondie (1982)
Once More into the Bleach (1988)
#177 – Fine Young Cannibals
Key Albums in the 1980s
Fine Young Cannibals (1985)
The Raw & the Cooked (1988)
#176 – Taylor Dayne
Key Albums in the 1980s
Tell It to My Heart (1988)
Can’t Fight Fate (1989)
#175 – Traveling Wilburys
Key Albums in the 1980s
Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988)
#174 – Supertramp
Key Albums in the 1980s
Famous Last Words… (1982)
Brother Where You Bound (1985)
Free as a Bird (1987)
#173 – Boston
Key Albums in the 1980s
Third Stage (1986)
#172 – Kate Bush
Key Albums in the 1980s
Never for Ever (1980)
The Dreaming (1982)
Hounds of Love (1985)
The Sensual World (1989)
#171 – 38 Special
Key Albums in the 1980s
Rockin’ into the Night (1980)
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981)
Special Forces (1982)
Tour de Force (1983)
Strength in Numbers (1986)
Rock & Roll Strategy (1988)
#170 – Diana Ross
Key Albums in the 1980s
Diana (1980)
Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1981)
Silk Electric (1982)
Ross (1983)
Swept Away (1984)
Eaten Alive (1985)
Red Hot Rhythm & Blues (1987)
Workin’ Overtime (1989)
#169 – The B-52s
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Wild Planet” (1980)
“Whammy!” (1983)
“Bouncing Off the Satellites” (1986)
#168 – George Benson
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Give Me The Night” (1980)
“In Your Eyes” (1983)
“20/20” (1985)
“While The City Sleeps” (1986)
“Tenderly” (1989)
#167 – Oak Ridge Boys
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Together” (1980)
“Fancy Free” (1981)
“Bobbie Sue” (1982)
“American Made” (1983)
“Deliver” (1983)
“Step On Out” (1985)
“Christmas” (1986)
“Seasons” (1986)
“Heartbeat” (1987)
“Monongahela” (1988)
#166 – LL Cool J
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Radio” (1985)
“Bigger and Deffer (BAD)” (1987)
“Walking with a Panther” (1989)
#165 – Jennifer Rush
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Jennifer Rush” (1984)
“Movin'” (1985)
“Heart Over Mind” (1987)
#164 – Bruce Hornsby
Key Albums in the 1980s
“The Way It Is” (1986)
“Scenes From The Southside” (1988)
#163 – Styx
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Paradise Theatre” (1981)
“Kilroy Was Here” (1983)
“Caught in the Act” (1984, live album)
#162 – Gloria Estefan
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Primitive Love” (1985)
“Let It Loose” (1987)
“Anything for You” (1988)
#161 – Barry Manilow
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Barry” (1980)
“If I Should Love Again” (1981)
“Barry Live in Britain” (1982)
“Here Comes the Night” (1982)
“Greatest Hits Vol. II” (1983album)
“2:00 AM Paradise Cafe” (1984)
“Manilow” (1985)
“Swing Street” (1987)
#160 – Kylie Minogue
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Kylie” (1988)
#159 – Lisa Stansfield
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Affection” (1989)
#158 – Robert Palmer
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Clues” (1980)
“Maybe It’s Live” (1982, live album)
“Pride” (1983)
“Riptide” (1985)
“Sweet Lies” (1987, soundtrack album)
“Heavy Nova” (1988)
#157 – Dwight Yoakam
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.” (1986)
“Hillbilly Deluxe” (1987)
“Buenas Noches from a Lonely Room” (1988)
“Just Lookin’ for a Hit” (1989,)
#156 – Dan Fogelberg
Key Albums in the 1980s
“The Innocent Age” (1981)
“Greatest Hits” (1982, compilation album)
“Windows and Walls” (1984)
“High Country Snows” (1985)
“Exiles” (1987)
“The Wild Places” (1988)
#155 – Bette Midler
Key Albums in the 1980s
“The Rose: Original Soundtrack” (1980)
“Divine Madness!” (1980)
“No Frills” (1983)
“Mud Will Be Flung Tonight” (1985)
“Beaches: Original Soundtrack” (1988)
#154 – The Pointer Sisters
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Special Things” (1980)
“Black & White” (1981)
“So Excited!” (1982)
“Break Out” (1983)
“Contact” (1985)
“Hot Together” (1986)
#153 – The Bangles
Key Albums in the 1980s
“All Over the Place” (1984)
“Different Light” (1986)
“Everything” (1988)
#152 – Yoko Ono
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Season of Glass” (1981)
“It’s Alright (I See Rainbows)” (1982)
“Every Man Has a Woman” (1984)
“Starpeace” (1985)
“Onobox” (1989)
#151 – Rick Springfield
Key Albums in the 1980s
“Working Class Dog” (1981)
“Success Hasn’t Spoiled Me Yet” (1982)
“Living in Oz” (1983)
“Hard to Hold” (1984)
“Tao” (1985)
“Rock of Life” (1988)