Using my album formula, here are my favorite albums from the 80s:

1.  REM’s Life Rich Pageant (Capitol Records) – 1986 – 8.302

2.  Shrimp Boat’s Speckly (Aum Fidelity) – 1989 – 8.259

3.  Tom Waits’ Rain Dogs (Island Records) – 1985 – 7.781

4.  REM’s Dead Letter Office (IRS Records) – 1987 – 7.864

5.  The Smiths’ Louder the Bombs (Sire Records) – 1987 – 7.775

6.  Pixies’ Doolittle (4AD) – 1989 – 7.774

7.  Pixies Surfer Rosa/Come on Pilgrim (4AD) – 1988 – 7.530

8.  Camper Van Beethoven’s Telephone Free Landslide Victory (Cooking Vinyl) – 1985 – 7.522

9.  Fugazi’s 13 Songs (Dischord Records) – 1988 – 7.491

10.  The Minutemen’s Double Nickles on the Dime (SST) – 1989 – 7.479

Here are a few other lists that you may like…

Pitchfork’s Top Ten (We share 3 albums: Rain Dogs, Surfer Rosa, Doolittle)

Paste’s Top Ten (We share 2 albums: Doolittle, Life’s Rich Pageant)