The 80 Best Albums of the 1980s (Paste Magazine)

"The 1980s might conjure up images of leg warmers, parachute pants, moonwalking, Flock of Seagulls haircuts and any number of John Hughes movies. But looking back at the decade's best albums, those years were extremely diverse. They saw the last vestiges of a vibrant punk scene and the beginnings of post-punk and New Wave; the rise of hip-hop and an explosion of great college radio; the brief ascension of rootsy singer/songwriters to mainstream country stardom; and the establishment of some almost-universally beloved pop stars. Today we celebrate our favorite albums that arose from the '80s. There's a little bit of rap, folk, country, jazz, pop and a lot of rock 'n' roll in its various incarnations. Here are the 80 best albums of the 1980s."