Best Albums Of The 80's

For the masses, the unwashed, the hoi polloi, I would suggest that AC/DC's Back in Black had more impact. Other than that cultural highpoint (just kidding), Rush - Moving Pictures, Van Halen - 1984, Ange - Fou, Iron Maiden - Number of the Beast, and like it not - Michael Jackson's Thriller. Yeah, I know , I know, but it does stand over & above the so-called "pop" scene as the best selling album ever. & who knows, if he had any sense in his head & not lost it all on his eccentricities, he might still be getting the respect he had earned back then. 

Some of my favourites from the 80's:

David Sylvian - Secrets of the Beehive
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden
The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead
Joy Division - Closer
The Birthday Party - Prayers on Fire
U2 - War
R.E.M. - Document
Echo & The Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Talking Heads - Remain In Light
Kate Bush - The Dreaming
Peter Gabriel - 4
Rush - Moving Pictures
Marillion - Fugazi
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones

Best 80's albums... Hmm... As it seems to be allright to list non-Prog albums, I'll do that.

Prog:

...

Man, this was hard... um...

Here's a random list of some of my 80's Prog favourites:

Univers Zéro - Ceux du Dehors
Art Zoyd - Le Mariage du Ciel et de l'Enfer
Art Zoyd - Berlin
Anamorphose - Palimpseste
Von Zamla - No Make Up!
Zamla Mammaz Manna - Familjesprickor
Six Cylindres en V - Dernier Cri
Uppsala - Uppsala
Dün - Eros
Shub-Niggurath - Les Morts Vont Vite
Nazca - Estación de sombra
Étron Fou Leloublan - Les Poumons Gonflés
Étron Fou Leloublan - Les Sillons de la Terre
Eider Stellaire - Eider Stellaire 3
King Crimson - Discipline
King Crimson - Three of a Perfect Pair

As for non-Prog, from this decade I quite like these:

The Flaming Lips - The Flaming Lips (EP)
The Flaming Lips - Hear It Is
The Flaming Lips - Oh My Gawd!!!
The Flaming Lips - Telepathic Surgery

...Yeah, that's about it. I'm not very keen on 80's music outside Avant-Prog and The Flaming Lips. But let's face it, Guns N' Roses first is a seriously good album in its genre.

I give my nod to Dallas Bryan's #19...

DallasBryan wrote: think its 21 now

I must say, or rather, repeat , that the album cover idea is a winner. Sight & sound may not necessarily match quality wise, but in going over a list of groups that an "identified"  neophyte such as myself is not familiar with, it does give something to pique my curiosity re : certain albums.

As it comes to the '80's, I'm quite a neo prog fan. But I like other stuff as well.