RIAA Top 100 albums of the 80's
 

According to the RIAA, here is a list of the top 100 selling albums of the 80's in America.

(Note, Compilation and Greatest Hits albums were not included on this list)

1. Michael Jackson- "Thriller" (29,300,000)
2. AC/DC - "Back in Black" (19,100,000)
3. Bruce Springsteen - "Born In the U.S.A." (15,900,000)
4. Guns and Roses - "Appetite For Distruction" (15,600,000)
5. Whitney Houston - "Whitney Houston" (14,200,000)
6. Phil Collins - "No Jacket Required" (13,800,000)
7. Prince - "Purple Rain" (13,600,000)
8. Bruce Springsteen - "Live/1975-85" (13,100,000)
9. Dire Straits - "Brothers In Arms" (12,900,000)
10. Def Leppard - "Hysteria" (12,600,000)
11. "Dirty Dancing Original Soundtrack" (12,500,000)
12. Bon Jovi - "Slippery When Wet" (12,100,000)
13. Michael Jackson - "Bad" (11,900,000)
14. U2 - "The Joshua Tree" (11,800,000)
15. George Michael - "Faith" (11,200,000)
16. Madonna - "Like a Virgin" (10,900,000)
17. Lionel Richie - "Can't Slow Down" (10,900,000)
18. Whitney Houston - "Whitney" (10,800,000)
19. Van Halen - "1984" (10,100,000)
20. "Top Gun Original Soundtrack" (9,600,000)
21. Madonna - "True Blue" (9,100,000)
22. "Footloose Original Soundtrack" (9,100,000)
23. Def Leppard - "Pyromania" (9,100,000)
24. REO Speedwagon - "Hi Infidelity" (9,100,000)
25. Garth Brooks - "Garth Brooks" (9,000,000)
26. Beastie Boys - "Licensed to Ill" (9,000,000)
27. Journey - "Escape" (9,000,000)
28. ZZ Top - "Eliminator" (8,900,000)
29. The Police - "Synchronicity" (8,300,000)
30. New Kids On the Block - "Hang Tough" (8,100,000)
31. Billy Joel - "An Innocent Man" (7,900,000)
32. Bon Jovi - "New Jersey" (7,600,000)
33. Bobby Brown - "Don't Be Cruel" (7,600,000)
34. Paula Abdul - "Forever Your Girl" (7,300,000)
35. Tracy Chapman - "Tracy Chapman" (7,200,000)
36. Genesis - "Invisible Touch" (7,200,000)
37. The Eagles - "Eagles Live" (7,100,000)
38. Aerosmith - "Pump" (7,100,000)
39. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (7,100,000)
40. Huey Lewis and the News - "Sports" (7,100,000)
41. Billy Joel - "Glass Houses" (7,000,000)
42. INXS - "Kick" (6,900,000)
43. Paul Simon - "Graceland" (6,500,000)
44. Phil Collins - "Face Value" (6,500,000)
45. Phil Collins - "But Seriously" (6,400,000)
46. Janet Jackson - "Rhythm Nation 1814" (6,300,000)
47. Whitesnake - "Whitesnake" (6,300,000)
48. U2 - "Rattle and Hum" (6,200,000)
49. Metallica - "Master of Puppets" (6,100,000)
50. Chicago - "Chicago 17" (6,100,000)
51. Cyndi Lauper - "She's So Unusual" (6,000,000)
52. Foreigner - "4" (6,000,000)
53. Quiet Riot - "Metal Health" (6,000,000)
54. Journey - "Frontiers" (6,000,000)
55. "The Big Chill Original Soundtrack" (6,000,000)
56. Peter Gabriel - "So" (5,900,000)
57. Tears For Fears - "Songs From the Big Chair" (5,800,000)
58. Anita Baker - "Rapture" (5,400,000)
59. Janet Jackson - "Control" (5,300,000)
60. ZZ Top - "Afterburner" (5,300,000)
61. Madonna - "Madonna" (5,300,000)
62. Men At Work - "Business As Usual" (5,300,000)
63. Neil Diamond - "The Jazz Singer" (5,300,000)
64. Christopher Cross - "Christopher Cross" (5,300,000)
65. Madonna - "Like A Prayer" (5,200,000)
66. Enya - "Watermark" (5,200,000)
67. Sade - "Diamond Life" (5,200,000)
68. Wham - "Make It Big" (5,100,000)
69. Don Henley - "The End Of The Innocence" (5,100,000)
70. Tom Petty - "Full Moon Fever" (5,100,000)
71. Milli Vanilli - "Girl You Know It's True" (5,100,000)
72. Guns and Roses - "G N' R Lies" (5,100,000)
73. Aerosmith - "Permanent Vacation" (5,100,000)
74. Fleetwood Mac - "Tango in the Night" (5,100,000)
75. Heart - "Heart" (5,100,000)
76. "Flashdance Original Soundtrack" (5,100,000)
77. Bruce Springsteen - "The River" (5,100,000)
78. Bonnie Ratt - "Nick of Time" (5,000,000)
79. AC/DC - "Who Made You" (5,000,000)
80. John Cougar Mellencamp - "Scarecrow" (5,000,000)
81. John Cougar Mellencamp - "American Fool" (5,000,000)
82. Alabama - "Mountain Music" (5,000,000)
83. Barbara Streisand - "Memories" (5,000,000)
84. Bob Seger - "Against the Wind" (5,000,000)
85. Bryan Adams - "Reckless" (4,900,000)
86. Tina Turner - "Private Dancer" (4,900,000)
87. Culture Club - "Colour By Numbers" (4,900,000)
88. Lionel Richie - "Dancing On The Ceiling" (4,700,000)
89. Sade - "Promise" (4,600,000)
90. Lionel Richie - "Lionel Richie" (4,300,000)
91. Poison - "Open Up and Say...Ahhh" (4,100,000)
92. Tiffany - "Tiffany" (4,100,000)
93. Boston - "Third Stage" (4,100,000)
94. Van Halen - "5150" (4,100,000)
95. "Miami Vice Original Soundtrack" (4,100,000)
96. Prince - "1999" (4,100,000)
97. Asia - "Asia" (4,100,000)
98. AC/DC - "For Those About To Rock We Salute You" (4,100,000)
99. Rolling Stones - "Tattoo You" (4,100,000)
100. Ozzy Osbourne - "Blizzard Of Ozz" (4,000,000)

:laugh: :laugh: @ #30. Sad that's higher than Tango :lol:

Even sadder is #71. :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

My, there is a truckload of crapola on that list.

And these are the ones I actually own. The Dirty Dancing soundtrack sold 12.5 million copies? Yikes.

:lol: :lol: I didn't see that one...that is even worse...dear God WHY!?! :laugh:

I had all of the above on some point & time in my life. Now I only have the bolded ones.

The ones I own...
 

1. Michael Jackson- "Thriller" (29,300,000)
2. AC/DC - "Back in Black" (19,100,000)
3. Bruce Springsteen - "Born In the U.S.A." (15,900,000)
4. Guns and Roses - "Appetite For Distruction" (15,600,000)
8. Bruce Springsteen - "Live/1975-85" (13,100,000)
9. Dire Straits - "Brothers In Arms" (12,900,000)
10. Def Leppard - "Hysteria" (12,600,000)
12. Bon Jovi - "Slippery When Wet" (12,100,000)
14. U2 - "The Joshua Tree" (11,800,000)
19. Van Halen - "1984" (10,100,000)
23. Def Leppard - "Pyromania" (9,100,000)
27. Journey - "Escape" (9,000,000)
28. ZZ Top - "Eliminator" (8,900,000)
29. The Police - "Synchronicity" (8,300,000)
32. Bon Jovi - "New Jersey" (7,600,000)
34. Paula Abdul - "Forever Your Girl" (7,300,000)
37. The Eagles - "Eagles Live" (7,100,000)
38. Aerosmith - "Pump" (7,100,000)
39. Metallica - "...And Justice For All" (7,100,000)
47. Whitesnake - "Whitesnake" (6,300,000)
48. U2 - "Rattle and Hum" (6,200,000)
49. Metallica - "Master of Puppets" (6,100,000)
53. Quiet Riot - "Metal Health" (6,000,000)
54. Journey - "Frontiers" (6,000,000)
60. ZZ Top - "Afterburner" (5,300,000)
70. Tom Petty - "Full Moon Fever" (5,100,000)
72. Guns and Roses - "G N' R Lies" (5,100,000)
73. Aerosmith - "Permanent Vacation" (5,100,000)
74. Fleetwood Mac - "Tango in the Night" (5,100,000)
75. Heart - "Heart" (5,100,000)
91. Poison - "Open Up and Say...Ahhh" (4,100,000)
93. Boston - "Third Stage" (4,100,000)
94. Van Halen - "5150" (4,100,000)
99. Rolling Stones - "Tattoo You" (4,100,000)
100. Ozzy Osbourne - "Blizzard Of Ozz" (4,000,000)

I didn't think they could even find 100 semi-worthy albums from the '80's.
Looks like I was right.... :eek:

The ones I would still listen to 20+ years later (track skipping allowed):

9. Dire Straits - "Brothers In Arms" (12,900,000)
14. U2 - "The Joshua Tree" (11,800,000)
25. Garth Brooks - "Garth Brooks" (9,000,000)
26. Beastie Boys - "Licensed to Ill" (9,000,000)
27. Journey - "Escape" (9,000,000)
29. The Police - "Synchronicity" (8,300,000)
31. Billy Joel - "An Innocent Man" (7,900,000)
36. Genesis - "Invisible Touch" (7,200,000)
37. The Eagles - "Eagles Live" (7,100,000)
41. Billy Joel - "Glass Houses" (7,000,000)
42. INXS - "Kick" (6,900,000)
51. Cyndi Lauper - "She's So Unusual" (6,000,000)
54. Journey - "Frontiers" (6,000,000)
55. "The Big Chill Original Soundtrack" (6,000,000)
56. Peter Gabriel - "So" (5,900,000)
57. Tears For Fears - "Songs From the Big Chair" (5,800,000)
59. Janet Jackson - "Control" (5,300,000)
66. Enya - "Watermark" (5,200,000)
67. Sade - "Diamond Life" (5,200,000)
69. Don Henley - "The End Of The Innocence" (5,100,000)
70. Tom Petty - "Full Moon Fever" (5,100,000)
74. Fleetwood Mac - "Tango in the Night" (5,100,000)
75. Heart - "Heart" (5,100,000)
78. Bonnie Ratt - "Nick of Time" (5,000,000)
86. Tina Turner - "Private Dancer" (4,900,000)
89. Sade - "Promise" (4,600,000)

You owned a Tiffany album? :laugh:

I had this one!!! :o


and this one....



I didn't have this one...but I wanted it... :lol:

^^

Oh I had it too...I didn't mention that? Nope..guess I didn't...:lol: A minor omission...I did have it...and had a NKOTB night shirt, t-shirt, sweater, buttons, posters....I never got the dolls :mad:

I didn't have the Dirty Dancing soundtrack but my best friend did - we'd listen to it while playing Barbies...and boyhowdy could our barbies dirty dance :lol:

:laugh: :laugh: ditto to everything you just said...:lol: except I had DD soundtrack....

I wanted to go to NKOTB concert but I was too young and no one else wanted to go with me!!

I still have hanging tough and please, don't go girl on my iPod. I bust it out every once in awhile when I'm feeling nostalgic...

and when I'm REALLY in the mood...I do the "the dance"... :laugh:

:lol: "the dance" wow..you're hard core :p

NKOTB was my first concert..my sister and brother in law took me and STILL rag on me about it to this day - I guess they took me so that they could in turn make fun of me for the rest of my life about it :laugh:

I don't even remember the concert, I do remember being at the restaurant beforehand and a big tour bus passed by and every girl under age 15 in the joint went NUTS (myself included) :rolleyes:

So who was your favorite New Kid??

lol...man and you have some of their songs in iPod...I haven't even attempted to download their songs..I should just for sh*ts and giggles :laugh:

^^ yeah, I do it just to crack myself up..:laugh:

oh...let's see. Probably donnie because he was the "bad boy"

that seems to be the type I always fall for...:rolleyes:

:laugh: :lol: :laugh: :lol:

Yeah..that's what I'm doing over here...omg...how cheesy - and how in love with them I was :lol:

My favorite was Joe....and did ANYONE like Danny!?! Even now I think he's so gross....

I swear I just watched that and I am CRYING!!!! :lol:

ew..I hated danny. sick-o.

the rest were alright. Joe was too sweet :laugh: but I still had a crush on him.

donnie and jordan were my top two.

I KNOW!!! I'm dying as well...it's so bad...:lol:

Are you tough enough!?!


:lol:

My best friend was the Jordan lover - I stuck with Joe - didn't really have a two - and now looking at them I can't even imagine finding any of them attractive :laugh:

I STILL own Tiffany's first album. haters. :p

Suckaaaaaa.

Eh, I liked Debbie Gibson. :shocked:

Now you're speaking my language.

Electric Youth was my anthem in 10th grade. :laugh:

^^

same here - I like Tiffany, but never owned her album - Debbie Gibson? I adored her!

I met Tiffany a few years ago...she was trying a comeback or something and was playing (for free) at my college lol...a bunch of us went to re-live childhood fantasies...then we stayed to meet her :laugh:

I'm not the only one who learned the Electric Youth dance, am I?

I had the Electric Youth perfume :laugh:

http://www.99perfume.com/image/ELECTRIC_YOUTH_W.jpg

Learned it, AND performed it for our Drama class dance unit in 12th grade. I still get people asking me where I learned how to dance like that.

I almost bought some of that at the height of my Debbie obsession. Then I lost the auction on eBay and hadn't thought of it since.

Ummmmmm....Brian? :shrug:

Please tell me someone videotaped that. :lol: I'd move the furniture in the rec room and watch the video over and over and over...

I never danced to Debbie - but my friend and I would always do dance routines to Paula Abdul :laugh: We were bad ass.

God, I wish. I'd love to see if I did it any justice.

This so makes me want to put the song on and see if I still remember it.

I have the actual single... somewhere out in the garage or some place. ****, where is that thing?

I think I'll go practise, too. :p

omg you do? does it have the remixes and stuff? I've wanted those forever. The only one I could ever find was the Deep House Mix.

1. Michael Jackson- "Thriller" (29,300,000) *actually purchased in the '90s
2. AC/DC - "Back in Black" (19,100,000)
7. Prince - "Purple Rain" (13,600,000)
15. George Michael - "Faith" (11,200,000)
16. Madonna - "Like a Virgin" (10,900,000)
19. Van Halen - "1984" (10,100,000)
21. Madonna - "True Blue" (9,100,000)
22. "Footloose Original Soundtrack" (9,100,000)
23. Def Leppard - "Pyromania" (9,100,000)
24. REO Speedwagon - "Hi Infidelity" (9,100,000)
26. Beastie Boys - "Licensed to Ill" (9,000,000)
28. ZZ Top - "Eliminator" (8,900,000)
35. Tracy Chapman - "Tracy Chapman" (7,200,000)
42. INXS - "Kick" (6,900,000)
46. Janet Jackson - "Rhythm Nation 1814" (6,300,000)
48. U2 - "Rattle and Hum" (6,200,000)
51. Cyndi Lauper - "She's So Unusual" (6,000,000)
54. Journey - "Frontiers" (6,000,000) *the one with "Separate Ways"???
58. Anita Baker - "Rapture" (5,400,000)
59. Janet Jackson - "Control" (5,300,000)
61. Madonna - "Madonna" (5,300,000)
65. Madonna - "Like A Prayer" (5,200,000)
66. Enya - "Watermark" (5,200,000)
67. Sade - "Diamond Life" (5,200,000)
68. Wham - "Make It Big" (5,100,000)
74. Fleetwood Mac - "Tango in the Night" (5,100,000)
75. Heart - "Heart" (5,100,000)
76. "Flashdance Original Soundtrack" (5,100,000)
78. Bonnie Ratt - "Nick of Time" (5,000,000)
79. AC/DC - "Who Made You" (5,000,000)
86. Tina Turner - "Private Dancer" (4,900,000)
89. Sade - "Promise" (4,600,000)
96. Prince - "1999" (4,100,000)

I'm sad Bella Donna just missed the list. Also, I didn't notice any Duran Duran - which is strange, since I know I purchased at least a million myself (between albums, 12" singles, singles, etc etc :laugh: ).

I was a Debbie fan as well. She is now Deborah Gibson and I saw her a few months ago at an AIDS benefit in San Francisco. She sang a duet with Jordan Knight (swoon), and looked/sounded great. She walked right past me and I shook her hand. Not quite the same experience as shaking Stevie's, but nice.

Joey from NKOTB is a total hottie these days, btw.

omg, this is too good to not share. I went a-browsing on eBay and look what I found. :laugh:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ELECTRIC-YOUTH-P...QQcmdZViewItem

yeah, it had like, 5 mixes on there or something, plus another song. I wish I could rip from vinyl!

:lol:

that's what america sue wants for xmas!

The Paula Abdul...
 

disc is Deb's, not mine...But it is a part of the vast collection I own.

Hate to admit it, I used to own the Debbie Gibson "Electric Youth" album!!!!

Hey!
 

I was a New Kids fanatic too. Still have all of my crap too. I need to put 99.9% of it on Ebay. I'm keeping the dolls though.

Joe was my fave. I met Jordan when he made that solo album at a record signing. Left work early that day to get in line. I wore my Jordan NKOTB buttons, which just THRILLED him to pieces. :rolleyes: Yeah, he was not friendly at all. It could have been the buttons, but the girl behind me didn't wear any and he wasn't nice to her either.

I love Debbie Gibson's music.

HA! Separate Ways by Journey just came on my iTunes! YES!!!!!! The 80's totally rule.

christy, it scares the **** out of me that the dolls are only .1% of your collection. :lol:

Ok. Deb's copy. Suuuuuuuuuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre. ;)

I actually didn't mind Debbie Gibson. She at least wrote her own songs, played real instruments, and sang her songs. I say the jury's still out on whether Paula Abdul did any of that.

And now the voices in my head are totally singing "Out of the Blue". I hope you people are happy. :laugh: