This is the list of the number-one albums of the UK Compilation Chart during the 1980s. A total of 15 different albums reached number one on the chart during the decade. From 14 January 1989, sales of Various Artists albums were excluded from the main UK Album Chart and used instead to compile the new Compilation Albums Chart.
| Best-selling compilation album of the year |
| scope=col | scope=col | Artist | scope=col | Album | scope=col | Record label | scope=col | Reached number one (for the week ending) | scope=col | Weeks at number one | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" colspan=6 | |||||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Now That's What I Call Music XIII | EMI/Virgin Records/Polygram | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Really Useful Group/Polydor | 2 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Polydor | 4 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Telstar | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Really Useful Group/Polydor | 1 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Deep Heat | Telstar | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Unforgettable 2 | EMI | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Now That's What I Call Music 14 | EMI/Virgin Records/Polygram | 7 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Nite Flite 2 | CBS | 2 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | CBS/BMG/WEA | 6 | ||||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | Various artists | Now! Dance '89 | EMI/Virgin | 6 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 11 | Various artists | Now That's What I Call Music 15 | EMI/Virgin Records/Polygram | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 12 | Various artists | Deep Heat 4 – Play with Fire | Telstar | 5 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 13 | Various artists | Smash Hits Party '89 | Dover | 3 | ||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 14 | Various artists | EMI | 1 | |||||||
| scope=row style="text-align:center;" | 15 | Various artists | Now That's What I Call Music 16 | EMI/Virgin Records/Polygram | 7 |