List of top 40 albums for 1980–1989 in Australia

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The following lists the top 40 (end of decade) charting albums on the Australian Album Charts, for the 1980s. These were the best charting albums in Australia for the 1980s. The source for this decade is the Kent Music Report, known from 1987 onwards as the Australian Music Report.

#TitleArtistHighest pos. reachedDate reached
1. Whispering Jack John Farnham 1November 1986
2. Brothers in Arms Dire Straits 1May 1985
3. Thriller Michael Jackson 1June 1983
4. Born in the U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen 1October 1984
5. Whitney Houston Whitney Houston 1June 1986
6. Can't Slow Down Lionel Richie 1June 1984
7. Too Low for Zero Elton John 2August 1983
8. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Midnight Oil 3December 1982
9. Business as Usual Men at Work 1December 1981
10. Kick INXS 1October 1988
11. Graceland Paul Simon 1October 1986
12. An Innocent Man Billy Joel 3November 1983
13. Revenge Eurythmics 2August 1986
14. Crowded House Crowded House 1June 1987
15. Love over Gold Dire Straits 1October 1982
16. Colour by Numbers Culture Club 1October 1983
17. No Jacket Required Phil Collins 1May 1985
18. Like a Virgin Madonna 2January 1985
19. The Swing INXS 1April 1984
20. The Joshua Tree U2 3March 1987
21. Little Creatures Talking Heads 2August 1985
22. Back in Black AC/DC 1March 1981
23. Man of Colours Icehouse 1October 1987
24. For the Working Class Man Jimmy Barnes 1December 1985
25. Slippery When Wet Bon Jovi 1July 1987
26. The Lonesome Jubilee John Cougar Mellencamp 2May 1988
27. She's So Unusual Cyndi Lauper 3February 1985
28. East Cold Chisel 2June 1980
29. The Wall Pink Floyd 1March 1980
30. Tracy Chapman Tracy Chapman 3June 1988
31. Chariots of Fire Vangelis 5May 1982
32. The Dream of the Blue Turtles Sting 1April 1986
33. Tango in the Night Fleetwood Mac 5November 1987
34. Scarecrow John Cougar Mellencamp 2July 1986
35. Sirocco Australian Crawl 1August 1981
36. True Blue Madonna 1August 1986
37. Dirty Dancing Original Soundtrack 1October 1986
38. ...ish 1927 1May 1989
39. Invisible Touch Genesis 3July 1986
40. Volume One Traveling Wilburys 1February 1989
41. Glass Houses Billy Joel 2May 1980
42. Double Fantasy John Lennon & Yoko Ono 1Dec 1980
43. The Bridge Billy Joel 2Oct 1986
44. Be Yourself Tonight Eurythmics 1Jul 1985
45. The Boys Light Up Australian Crawl 4Sep 1980
46. Diesel and Dust Midnight Oil 1Aug 1987
47. Reckless Bryan Adams 2Oct 1985
48. Heavy Nova Robert Palmer 2Feb 1989
49. Tattoo You The Rolling Stones 1Sep 1981
50. True Colours Split Enz 1Apr 1980
51. Listen Like Thieves INXS 1Oct 1985
52. Introducing the Hardline According to Terrence Trent D'Arby Terrence Trent D'Arby 1May 1988
53. Age of Reason John Farnham 1Aug 1988
54. Let's Dance David Bowie 1Apr 1983
55. Rattle and Hum U2 1Oct 1988
56. Icehouse Flowers (Icehouse) 4Nov 1980
57. Avalon Roxy Music 1Jul 1982
58. Zenyatta Mondatta The Police 1Mar 1981
59. Under a Blood Red Sky U2 2Feb 1984
60. Appetite For Destruction Guns 'n' Roses 7Oct 1988
61. Making Movies Dire Straits 6Mar 1981
62. Days of Innocence Moving Pictures 1Mar 1982
63. Synchronicity The Police 1Jul 1983
64. Off The Wall Michael Jackson 1Mar 1980
65. Greatest Hits Vols. I & II Billy Joel 2Aug 1985
66. Kev's Back Kevin Bloody Wilson 8Oct 1986
67. Whenever You Need Somebody Rick Astley 1Apr 1988
68. Stardust Willie Nelson 5Aug 1980
69. Private Dancer Tina Turner 7Sep 1984
70. Hotter Than July Stevie Wonder 3Dec 1980
71. Guilty Barbra Streisand 1Nov 1980
72. Dare The Human League 3Apr 1982
73. Open Up and Say...Ahh! Poison 11Sep 1988
74. A Momentary Lapse of Reason Pink Floyd 4Nov 1987
75. Faith George Michael 3Mar 1988
76. Push Bros 4Aug 1988
77. Songs From the Big Chair Tears For Fears 5May 1985
78. Flashdance Original Soundtrack 1Aug 1983
79. Freight Train Heart Jimmy Barnes 1Dec 1987
80. Hysteria Def Leppard 4Jul 1989
81. The Raw and the Cooked Fine Young Cannibals 2May 1989
82. Melissa Etheridge Melissa Etheridge 2Mar 1989
83. Stop Making Sense Talking Heads 9Nov 1985
84. Dancing on the Ceiling Lionel Richie 2Sep 1986
85. Whitney Whitney Houston 1Jun 1987
86. Like a Prayer Madonna 2Apr 1989
87. Face Value Phil Collins 2Jun 1981
88. The Rose Soundtrack Bette Midler 3May 1980
89. Edge Daryl Braithwaite 1May 1989
90. Bad Habits Billy Field 1Jul 1981
91. Christopher Cross Christopher Cross 6May 1981
92. Union Toni Childs 7Nov 1988
93. Spirit of Place Goanna 2Jan 1983
94. Madonna Madonna 10Aug 1984
95. Rock a Little Stevie Nicks 5June 1986
96. Can't Stop the Music Soundtrack Village People 1June 1980
97. Red Sails in the Sunset Midnight Oil 1November 1984
98. Bad Michael Jackson 2September 1987
99. 1100 Bel Air Place Julio Iglesias 2October 1984
100. Circus Animals Cold Chisel 1May 1982

[1] These charts were calculated by David Kent of the Kent Music Report / Australian Music Report and they are based on the number of weeks and position the records reached within the top 100 albums for each week.

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  1. Australian Music Report, No 805, 1 Jan 1990, David Kent, Turramurra, NSW, Australia