Top 10 Best-Selling Albums of the 1980s

Top 10 Best-Selling Albums of the 1980s

Top 10 Best-Selling Albums of the 1980s | IrelandVinyl.com

Relive the electrifying era of synth-pop, new wave, and stadium rock with these best-selling albums of the 1980s, now available on vinyl at IrelandVinyl.com and in-store at Zhivago Gifts Galway.

1. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)

  • Sales: 70 million+ (Best-selling album of all time)

  • Key Tracks: "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Thriller"

  • Grammys: 8 awards including Album of the Year

2. AC/DC – Back in Black (1980)

  • Sales: 50 million+

  • Key Tracks: "You Shook Me All Night Long," "Hells Bells," "Back in Black"

  • Legacy: Biggest-selling hard rock album ever

3. Pink Floyd – The Wall (1979/1980)

  • Sales: 30 million+ (1980s sales)

  • Key Tracks: "Another Brick in the Wall," "Comfortably Numb," "Hey You"

  • Grammys: Best Engineered Album

4. Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

  • Sales: 30 million+

  • Key Tracks: "Dancing in the Dark," "Born in the U.S.A.," "Glory Days"

  • Grammys: Nominated for Album of the Year

5. Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (1985)

  • Sales: 30 million+

  • Key Tracks: "Money for Nothing," "Walk of Life," "So Far Away"

  • Grammys: Best Engineered Album

6. Madonna – Like a Virgin (1984)

  • Sales: 25 million+

  • Key Tracks: "Like a Virgin," "Material Girl," "Into the Groove"

  • Legacy: Defined 80s pop culture

7. Whitney Houston – Whitney Houston (1985)

  • Sales: 25 million+

  • Key Tracks: "Saving All My Love for You," "How Will I Know," "Greatest Love of All"

  • Grammys: Best Pop Vocal Performance

8. U2 – The Joshua Tree (1987)

  • Sales: 25 million+

  • Key Tracks: "With or Without You," "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," "Where the Streets Have No Name"

  • Grammys: Album of the Year

9. Guns N' Roses – Appetite for Destruction (1987)

  • Sales: 30 million+

  • Key Tracks: "Sweet Child o' Mine," "Welcome to the Jungle," "Paradise City"

  • Legacy: Best-selling debut album ever

10. Prince – Purple Rain (1984)

  • Sales: 25 million+

  • Key Tracks: "When Doves Cry," "Let's Go Crazy," "Purple Rain"

  • Grammys: Album of the Year, Best Rock Performance

Key Insights:

  • Michael Jackson's Thriller remains the undisputed king of 80s albums

  • Irish pride with U2's The Joshua Tree making the list

  • Vinyl editions of these classics capture the authentic analog warmth

Find These Classics At:
🛒 Browse All 1980s Vinyl
📍 Zhivago Gifts, Galway (in-store)

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