Albums of 1986
The Queen Is Dead. Master of Puppets. Graceland. Three of the decade's defining statements in one year.
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1RaptureAnita Baker
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2Licensed to IllBeastie Boys
Licensed to Ill
A rowdy, rock-sampling debut that made rap a pop force. Fun and brash. A cultural landmark.
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3Word Up!Cameo
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4Epicus Doomicus MetallicusCandlemass
Epicus Doomicus Metallicus
A foundational epic-doom landmark of slow, majestic heaviness. Grand and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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5Black CelebrationDepeche Mode
Black Celebration
A dark, atmospheric synth-pop peak. Brooding and beloved. A fan favourite.
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6Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.Dwight Yoakam
Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.
A sharp Bakersfield-revival debut of honky-tonk fire. Tuneful and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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7Somewhere in TimeIron Maiden
Somewhere in Time
A polished, synth-tinged peak of melodic metal. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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8ControlJanet Jackson
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9Pleasure to KillKreator
Pleasure to Kill
A blistering German thrash landmark of relentless speed. Brutal and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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10Give Me the ReasonLuther Vandross
Give Me the Reason
Mid-period Vandross at his most assured — lush production and an unbroken string of ballads that confirmed him as the era's finest soul singer.
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11True BlueMadonna
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12Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?Megadeth
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
A sharp, technical thrash peak of political bite. Tight and beloved. A genre cornerstone.
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13Master of PuppetsMetallica
Master of Puppets
Thrash metal's high-water mark, complex and crushing across eight tightly written epics. Widely held to be the best metal album ever made. Relentless and precise.
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14BrotherhoodNew Order
Brotherhood
A balanced peak of guitar-and-synth dance-rock. Tuneful and beloved. A high point.
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15Time of No ReplyNick Drake
Time of No Reply
The posthumous collection of outtakes and demos that deepened the canon — raw versions that show the craft behind the finished recordings.
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16GracelandPaul Simon
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17PleasePet Shop Boys
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18SoPeter Gabriel
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19ParadePrince
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20Storms of LifeRandy Travis
Storms of Life
A neo-traditionalist debut that revived classic country. Warm and acclaimed. A landmark.
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21Strong PersuaderRobert Cray
Strong Persuader
A polished, soulful blues peak that crossed over, home to 'Smoking Gun'. Smooth and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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22Raising HellRun-DMC
Raising Hell
The album that took rap to the mainstream, home to the Aerosmith team-up 'Walk This Way'. Tough and tuneful. A landmark.
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23Born Too LateSaint Vitus
Born Too Late
A foundational doom-metal landmark of slow, heavy alienation. Heavy and influential. A genre cornerstone.
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24Reign in BloodSlayer
Reign in Blood
Twenty-nine minutes of pure, brutal velocity that redefined extreme thrash, bookended by 'Angel of Death' and 'Raining Blood'. Ferocious and flawless. A genre touchstone.
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25Guitar TownSteve Earle
Guitar Town
A sharp, rootsy debut of new-traditionalist country. Tough and acclaimed. A genre highlight.
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26The Colour of SpringTalk Talk
The Colour of Spring
A lush, sophisticated peak before their post-rock turn. Beautiful and acclaimed. A high point.
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27The Queen Is DeadThe Smiths
The Queen Is Dead
Morrissey's wit and Marr's chiming guitars at their combined peak, swinging from biting satire to aching tenderness. Widely held to be their masterpiece and a cornerstone of British indie. Funny, sad and gorgeous.
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28SkylarkingXTC
Skylarking
A sunny, Todd Rundgren-produced song-cycle of pastoral English pop. Tuneful and clever. Their most beloved record.