User:FraDany/List of my number-one albums of the 1980s

The Albums Chart is a weekly record chart based on album sales from Sunday to Saturday; during the 1980s, a total of 47 albums reached number one. The most successful artist of the 1980s was American singer and dancer Michael Jackson, who topped the Albums Chart for 65 weeks with three different albums. Thriller, his sixth studio album, was the biggest-selling album of 1983 and the biggest-selling album of the decade, as well as of all time. The first number-one album of the 1980s was The Wall, the eleventh studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd – released in 1979, first reached number one in December, and remained at the top for eleven consecutive weeks. The final number one of the 1980s was ...But Seriously by English musician Phil Collins.

Number-one albums

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Thriller (1982) by American singer Michael Jackson was the biggest-selling album of the decade; it spent 35 consecutive weeks at the top of the Albums Chart, longer than any other album in history and remains the best-selling album of all time. Bad (1987), Jackson's seventh studio album, was also the second best-selling album of the decade. Jackson also spent 65 weeks at the top of the chart, longer than any other act.
 
Greatest Hits (1981) by British band Queen was the third biggest-selling album and the best-selling compilation of the decade. It is also the fourth biggest-selling album in music history. Queen also reached number one with four different releases during the 1980s, the most of any act.
 
American musician Prince and his band The Revolution had the sixth best-selling album of the decade with Purple Rain (1984), which is also the best-selling soundtrack album.
Key
Best-selling album of the year
Runner-up album of the year
Best-selling album of the decade
Runner-up album of the decade
Contents
← 1970s · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990s→
Artist Album Weeks at
number one
Issue date
1980
The Clash London Calling 9 2 March
Boney M. The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits 10 4 May
Queen The Game 7 13 July
AC/DC Back in Black 11 31 August
ABBA Super Trouper 15 16 November
1981
Aerosmith Aerosmith's Greatest Hits 5 1 March
REO Speedwagon Hi Infidelity 11 5 April
Vangelis Chariots of Fire: Music from the Original Soundtrack 9 21 June
Foreigner 4 10 23 August
Queen Greatest Hits 16 1 November
1982
Barbra Streisand Memories 12 21 February
Toto Toto IV 12 16 May
Duran Duran Rio 11 8 August
The Beatles 20 Greatest Hits 4 24 October
ABBA The Singles: The First Ten Years 6 21 November
1983
Men at Work Business as Usual 8 2 January
Michael Jackson Thriller 18 27 February
Various artists Flashdance: Original Soundtrack from the Motion Picture 9 3 July
The Police Synchronicity 11 4 September
Michael Jackson Thriller 15 20 November
1984
Queen The Works 7 4 March
Various artists Footloose: Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Motion Picture 4 22 April
Bob Marley and the Wailers Legend 12 20 May
Bruce Springsteen Born in the U.S.A. 10 12 August
Prince / the Revolution Purple Rain 15 21 October
1985
Madonna Like a Virgin 4 3 February
Phil Collins No Jacket Required 14 3 March
Dire Straits Brothers in Arms 12 9 June
Bryan Adams Reckless 9 1 September
Billy Joel Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II 12 3 November
1986
The Doors The Best of The Doors 7 26 January
Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 12 16 March
Queen A Kind of Magic 3 8 June
Various artists Top Gun: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 5 29 June
Madonna True Blue 16 3 August
Janet Jackson Control 6 23 November
1987
Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 11 4 January
U2 The Joshua Tree 5 22 March
Fleetwood Mac Tango in the Night 7 26 April
Whitney Houston Whitney 12 14 June
Michael Jackson Bad 17 6 September
1988
Various artists Dirty Dancing: Original Soundtrack from the Vestron Motion Picture 10 3 January
George Michael Faith 12 13 March
Cher Cher 8 5 June
Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 7 31 July
Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction 10 18 September
Enya Watermark 9 27 November
1989
Fleetwood Mac Greatest Hits 9 29 January
Madonna Like a Prayer 9 2 April
Queen The Miracle 7 4 June
Roxette Look Sharp! 9 23 July
Tina Turner Foreign Affair 5 24 September
Cher Heart of Stone 10 29 October
Contents
← 1970s · 1980 · 1981 · 1982 · 1983 · 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990s→

Artists with the most number ones

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Four artists all had at least three number-one albums during the 1980s.

Artist Number ones Albums
Queen 4
List
Phil Collins 3
List
Michael Jackson
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Madonna
List

Albums with the most weeks at number one

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The following albums spent at least twenty weeks at number one during the 1980s.

Artist Album Weeks at
number one
Michael Jackson Thriller 35
Bad 20

Artists with the most weeks at number one

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Three different artists have spent thirty weeks or more at number one on the album chart during the 1980s.

Artist Weeks at
number one
Albums
Michael Jackson 65
List
Queen 42
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Madonna 34
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Best-selling albums of the 1980s

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No. Album Artist Year Weeks at number one
1 Thriller Michael Jackson 1982 35
2 Bad 1987 20
3 Greatest Hits Queen 1981 18
4 True Blue Madonna 1986 17
5 Super Trouper ABBA 1980 17
6 Purple Rain Prince / the Revolution 1984 17
7 Faith George Michael 1987 16
8 Dirty Dancing: Original Soundtrack from the Vestron Motion Picture Various artists 10
9 Legend Bob Marley and the Wailers 1984 13
10 Back in Black AC/DC 1980 11
11 No Jacket Required Phil Collins 1985 14
12 Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen 1984 13
13 Greatest Hits – Volume I & Volume II Billy Joel 1985 14
14 The Magic of Boney M. – 20 Golden Hits Boney M. 1980 10
15 Toto IV Toto 1982 13
16 The Joshua Tree U2 1987 12
17 Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 1985 11
18 Like a Prayer Madonna 1989 10
19 ...But Seriously Phil Collins 8
20 Whitney Whitney Houston 1987 13