Top 10 Greatest Albums of the 1980S

AC/DC's seventh studio album, released July 1980 on Atlantic Records, is the second best-selling album of all time with over 50 million copies sold. Recorded as a tribute to late vocalist Bon Scott and featuring new singer Brian Johnson, it was produced in just 30 days. The album hit #1 in the UK and reached #4 on the US Billboard 200, certified 25x platinum in America.

Prince and the Revolution's sixth studio album and film soundtrack, released June 1984 on Warner Bros. Records, sold over 25 million copies worldwide and spent 24 consecutive weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200. It spawned the iconic title track and "When Doves Cry," won two Academy Awards for Best Original Song Score, and earned Prince a Grammy for Best Rock Performance.

Bruce Springsteen's seventh studio album, released June 1984 on Columbia Records, sold over 30 million copies and produced seven top-10 Billboard Hot 100 singles, a record at the time. It spent 139 weeks on the Billboard 200, reached #1 in multiple countries, and was certified 15x platinum in the US. The E Street Band-backed record became an anthem of working-class America.

U2's fifth studio album, released March 1987 on Island Records, produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, sold over 25 million copies and debuted at #1 in 20 countries. It won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Rock Performance in 1988, and features iconic singles "With or Without You" and "Where the Streets Have No Name." Rolling Stone ranked it the 26th greatest album ever made.

Guns N' Roses debut studio album, released July 1987 on Geffen Records, is the best-selling debut album in US history with over 30 million copies sold worldwide and 18x platinum certification in America. Produced by Mike Clink, it reached #1 on the Billboard 200 after a slow start and spawned the singles "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Welcome to the Jungle," defining hard rock for a generation.

Madonna's second studio album, released November 1984 on Sire Records and produced by Nile Rodgers, sold over 21 million copies worldwide and became the first album by a female artist to sell over 5 million copies in the US. It topped the Billboard 200 for 3 weeks, spawned the #1 hit title track, and was certified 10x platinum in America, cementing Madonna as the defining pop icon of the decade.

Whitney Houston's debut studio album, released February 1985 on Arista Records, topped the Billboard 200 for 14 weeks in 1986 and sold over 25 million copies worldwide, certified 13x platinum in the US. It was the first debut album and the first album by a solo female artist to produce three number-1 US singles: "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," and "Greatest Love of All."

Fleetwood Mac's fourteenth studio album, released April 1987 on Warner Bros. Records, sold over 15 million copies worldwide and reached #1 in the UK, spending a total of 216 weeks on the UK Albums Chart. The fifth and final album with the classic Buckingham-Nicks-McVie lineup, it produced the hits "Big Love," "Little Lies," and "Everywhere," certified 7x platinum in the UK and 2x platinum in the US.

The Police's fifth and final studio album, released June 1983 on A&M Records, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed there for 17 weeks, selling over 8 million copies in the US alone with 8x platinum certification. It won 3 Grammy Awards in 1984 including Best Pop Performance by a Duo and features the career-defining hit "Every Breath You Take," one of the most-played songs in radio history.