List of number-one albums in Australia during the 1980s explained

The following lists the number one albums on the Australian Albums Chart, during the 1980s. The source for this decade is the Kent Music Report up until 20 June 1988, whereafter the source is the ARIA Charts.

The yellow background indicates the #1 album on the KMR/ARIA End of Year Chart

scope=row style="background-color:lightblue"	The light blue background indicates the #1 album on the KMR/ARIA End of Decade Chart

1980

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
7 January	Electric Light Orchestra	ELO's Greatest Hits	4 weeks
14 January
21 January
28 January
4 February	Creedence Clearwater Revival	20 Golden Greats	2 weeks
11 February
18 February	The Police	Reggatta de Blanc	2 weeks
25 February
3 March	Pink Floyd	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="4"	The Wall	4 weeks
10 March
17 March
24 March
31 March	Michael Jackson	Off the Wall	2 weeks
7 April
14 April	Split Enz	True Colours	10 weeks
21 April
28 April
5 May
12 May
19 May
26 May
2 June
9 June
16 June
23 June	Village People	Can't Stop the Music	9 weeks
30 June
7 July
14 July
21 July
28 July
4 August
11 August
18 August
25 August	Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra	Xanadu	6 weeks
1 September
8 September
15 September
22 September
29 September
6 October	David Bowie	Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)	5 weeks
13 October
20 October
27 October
3 November
10 November	Barbra Streisand	Guilty	6 weeks
17 November
24 November
1 December
8 December
15 December
22 December	John Lennon and Yoko Ono	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="2"	Double Fantasy	10 weeks
29 December

1981

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
5 January	John Lennon and Yoko Ono	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="8"	Double Fantasy	10 weeks
12 January
19 January
26 January
2 February
9 February
16 February
23 February
2 March	The Police	Zenyatta Mondatta	1 week
9 March	AC/DC	Back in Black	1 week
16 March	Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show	Greatest Hits	4 weeks
23 March
30 March
6 April
13 April	Cold Chisel	Swingshift	2 weeks
20 April
27 April	Split Enz	Corroboree	3 weeks
4 May
11 May
18 May	The Beatles	The Beatles' Ballads	7 weeks
25 May
1 June
8 June
15 June
22 June
29 June
6 July	Billy Field	Bad Habits	2 weeks
13 July
20 July	Stars on 45	Long Play Album	2 weeks
27 July
3 August	Australian Crawl	Sirocco	6 weeks
10 August
17 August
24 August
31 August
7 September
14 September	Various artists	Hitwave '81	1 week
21 September	Stevie Nicks	Bella Donna	1 week
28 September	The Rolling Stones	Tattoo You	11 weeks
5 October
12 October
19 October
26 October
2 November
9 November
16 November
23 November
30 November
7 December
14 December	The Police	Ghost in the Machine	1 week
21 December	Men at Work	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="2"	Business as Usual	9 weeks
28 December

1982

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
4 January	Men at Work	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="4"	Business as Usual	9 weeks
11 January
18 January
24 January
1 February	Blondie	The Best of Blondie	2 weeks
8 February
15 February	Men at Work	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="3"	Business as Usual	9 weeks
22 February
1 March
8 March	Cliff Richard	Love Songs	2 weeks
15 March
22 March	Moving Pictures	Days of Innocence	7 weeks
29 March
5 April
12 April
19 April
26 April
3 May
10 May	Cold Chisel	Circus Animals	1 week
17 May	Various Artists	1982 with a Bullet	5 weeks
24 May
31 May
7 June
14 June
21 June	Split Enz	Time and Tide	2 weeks
28 June
5 July	Duran Duran	Rio	1 week
12 July	Roxy Music	Avalon	3 weeks
19 July
26 July
2 August	Australian Crawl	Sons of Beaches	5 weeks
9 August
16 August
23 August
30 August
6 September	Various Artists	1982 Out of the Blue	5 weeks
13 September
20 September
27 September
4 October
11 October	Dire Straits	Love over Gold	15 weeks
18 October
25 October
1 November
8 November
15 November
22 November
29 November
6 December
13 December
20 December
27 December

1983

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
3 January	Dire Straits	Love over Gold	15 weeks
10 January
17 January	John Lennon	The John Lennon Collection	5 weeks
24 January
31 January
7 February
14 February
21 February	The Carpenters	The Very Best of the Carpenters	1 week
28 February	Olivia Newton-John	Greatest Hits Vol 3	2 weeks
7 March
14 March	Cliff Richard	25 Years of Gold	3 weeks
21 March
28 March
4 April	Toto	IV	1 week
11 April	Dire Straits	Love over Gold	15 weeks
18 April	Various Artists	Go for It 1983	1 week
25 April	David Bowie	Let's Dance	1 week
2 May	Men at Work	Cargo	2 weeks
9 May
16 May	Various Artists	1983 The Hot Ones	4 weeks
23 May
30 May
6 June
13 June	Michael Jackson	bgcolor=#FFFF99	Thriller	11 weeks
20 June	The Beatles	The Number Ones	1 week
27 June	Michael Jackson	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="2"	Thriller	11 weeks
4 July
11 July	The Police	Synchronicity	3 weeks
18 July
25 July
1 August	Various Artists	Keep On Dancing	3 weeks
8 August
15 August
22 August	Original Soundtrack	Flashdance	3 weeks
29 August
5 September
12 September	Various Artists	The Breakers '83	2 weeks
19 September
26 September	Air Supply	Greatest Hits	1 week
3 October	Joe Cocker	The Best of Joe Cocker	3 weeks
10 October
17 October
24 October	Culture Club	Colour by Numbers	7 weeks
31 October
7 November
14 November
21 November
28 November	Various Artists	1983 ... Summer Breaks	3 weeks
5 December
12 December
19 December	Various Artists	Thru the Roof '83	5 weeks
26 December

1984

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
2 January	Various Artists	Thru the Roof '83	5 weeks
9 January
16 January
23 January	Michael Jackson	Thriller	11 weeks
30 January
6 February
13 February
20 February
27 February
5 March	Various Artists	1984 Shakin'	2 weeks
12 March
19 March	Michael Jackson	Thriller	11 weeks
26 March
2 April	INXS	The Swing	5 weeks
9 April
16 April
23 April	Cold Chisel	Twentieth Century	1 week
30 April	INXS	The Swing	5 weeks
7 May
14 May	Various Artists	Throbbin' '84	5 weeks
21 May
28 May
4 June
11 June
18 June	Lionel Richie	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="3"	Can't Slow Down	3 weeks
25 June
2 July
9 July	Elton John	Breaking Hearts	3 weeks
16 July
23 July
30 July	Culture Club	Colour by Numbers	7 weeks
6 August
13 August	Soundtrack / Prince	Purple Rain	1 week
20 August	Rodney Rude	Rodney Rude	2 weeks
27 August
3 September	Various Artists	H'its Huge '84	5 weeks
10 September
17 September
24 September
1 October
8 October	Jimmy Barnes	Bodyswerve	2 weeks
15 October
22 October	Bruce Springsteen	Born in the USA	8 weeks
29 October	U2	The Unforgettable Fire	1 week
5 November	Midnight Oil	Red Sails in the Sunset	4 weeks
14 November
19 November
26 November
3 December	Various Artists	Choose 1985	9 weeks
10 December
17 December
24 December
31 December

1985

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
7 January	Various Artists	Choose 1985	9 weeks
14 January
21 January
28 January
4 February	Wham!	Make It Big	2 weeks
11 February
18 February	Bruce Springsteen	Born in the USA	8 weeks
25 February
4 March	Various Artists	1985 Comes Alive	4 weeks
11 March
18 March
25 March
1 April	Bruce Springsteen	Born in the USA	8 weeks
8 April
15 April
22 April
29 April
6 May	Phil Collins	No Jacket Required	3 weeks
13 May
20 May
27 May	Dire Straits	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="5"	Brothers in Arms	34 weeks
3 June
10 June
17 June
24 June
1 July	Eurythmics	Be Yourself Tonight	4 weeks
8 July
15 July
22 July
29 July	Dire Straits	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="11"	Brothers in Arms	34 weeks
5 August
12 August
19 August
26 August
2 September
9 September
16 September
23 September
30 September
7 October
14 October	INXS	Listen Like Thieves	2 weeks
21 October
28 October	Dire Straits	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="7"	Brothers in Arms	34 weeks
4 November
11 November
18 November
25 November
2 December
9 December
16 December	Jimmy Barnes	For the Working Class Man	7 weeks
23 December
30 December

1986

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
6 January	Jimmy Barnes	For the Working Class Man	7 weeks
13 January
20 January
27 January
3 February	Dire Straits	Brothers in Arms	34 weeks
10 February
17 February
24 February
3 March
10 March
17 March
24 March
31 March
7 April
14 April
21 April	Sting	The Dream of the Blue Turtles	3 weeks
28 April
5 May
12 May	Various Artists	1986 Way to Go	3 weeks
19 May
26 May
2 June	Whitney Houston	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="9"	Whitney Houston	11 weeks
9 June
16 June
23 June
30 June
7 July
14 July
21 July
28 July
4 August	Madonna	True Blue	2 weeks
11 August
18 August	Whitney Houston	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="2"	Whitney Houston	11 weeks
25 August
1 September	Various Artists	1986 Just for Kicks	4 weeks
8 September
15 September
22 September
29 September	Cyndi Lauper	True Colors	4 weeks
6 October
13 October
20 October
27 October	Paul Simon	Graceland	5 weeks
3 November
10 November
17 November	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue rowspan="7"	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
24 November
1 December
8 December
15 December
22 December
29 December

1987

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
5 January	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
12 January	Various Artists	Summer '87	2 weeks
19 January
26 January	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue rowspan="10"	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
2 February
9 February
16 February
23 February
2 March
9 March
16 March
23 March
30 March
6 April	Paul Simon	Graceland	5 weeks
13 April
20 April	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue rowspan="2"	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
27 April
4 May	Various Artists	87 Hits Out	1 week
11 May	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue rowspan="4"	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
18 May
25 May
1 June
8 June	Crowded House	Crowded House	1 week
15 June	John Farnham	bgcolor=lightblue	Whispering Jack	25 weeks
22 June	Whitney Houston	Whitney	3 weeks
29 June
6 July
13 July	Bon Jovi	Slippery When Wet	6 weeks
20 July
27 July
3 August
10 August
17 August
24 August	Midnight Oil	Diesel and Dust	6 weeks
31 August
7 September
14 September
21 September
28 September
5 October	Icehouse	Man of Colours	11 weeks
12 October
19 October
26 October
2 November
9 November
16 November
23 November
30 November
7 December
14 December
21 December	Jimmy Barnes	Freight Train Heart	5 weeks
28 December

1988

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
4 January	Jimmy Barnes	Freight Train Heart	5 weeks
11 January
18 January
25 January	The Twelfth Man	Wired World of Sports	3 weeks
1 February
8 February
15 February	Soundtrack	Dirty Dancing	8 weeks
22 February
29 February
7 March
14 March
21 March
28 March
4 April
11 April	Rick Astley	Whenever You Need Somebody	1 week
18 April	Various Artists	Hit Pix '88	2 weeks
25 April
2 May	Terence Trent D'Arby	Introducing the Hardline According to Terence Trent D'Arby	5 weeks
9 May
16 May
23 May
30 May
6 June	Soundtrack	Good Morning, Vietnam	2 weeks
13 June
20 June	Bananarama	Wow!	1 week
27 June	Various Artists	'88 Kix On	4 weeks
4 July
11 July
18 July
25 July	Crowded House	Temple of Low Men	1 week
1 August	John Farnham	Age of Reason	8 weeks
8 August
15 August
22 August
29 August
5 September
12 September
19 September
26 September	Various Artists	88 the Winners	4 weeks
3 October
10 October
17 October	Bon Jovi	New Jersey	1 week
24 October	Various Artists	88 the Winners	4 weeks
31 October	U2	Rattle and Hum	5 weeks
7 November
14 November
21 November
28 November
5 December	Jimmy Barnes	Barnestorming	3 weeks
12 December
19 December
26 December	Various Artists	Summer '89	2 weeks

1989

	Date		Artist		Album		Weeks at number one
2 January	Various artists	Summer '89	2 weeks
9 January	Soundtrack by various artists	Cocktail	5 weeks
16 January
23 January
30 January
6 February
13 February	Traveling Wilburys	bgcolor=#FFFF99 rowspan="2"	Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1	2 weeks
20 February
27 February	Roy Orbison	Mystery Girl	4 weeks
6 March
13 March
20 March
27 March	Various artists	Hits of '89 Volume 1	5 weeks
3 April
10 April
17 April
24 April
1 May	1927	...ish	3 weeks
8 May
15 May
22 May	Daryl Braithwaite	Edge	3 weeks
29 May
5 June
12 June	John Cougar Mellencamp	Big Daddy	1 week
19 June	Soundtrack by Bette Midler	Beaches	4 weeks
26 June
3 July
10 July	Fine Young Cannibals	The Raw and the Cooked	1 week
17 July	Soundtrack by Bette Midler	Beaches	4 weeks
24 July	Def Leppard	Hysteria	3 weeks
31 July
7 August
14 August	Ian Moss	Matchbook	3 weeks
21 August
28 August
4 September	Andrew Lloyd Webber	The Premiere Collection	1 week
11 September	Richard Marx	Repeat Offender	7 weeks
18 September
25 September
2 October
9 October
16 October
23 October
30 October	John Williamson	Warragul	1 week
6 November	Billy Joel	Storm Front	2 weeks
13 November
20 November	Cher	Heart of Stone	1 week
27 November	Phil Collins	...But Seriously	3 weeks
4 December
11 December
18 December	Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers		4 weeks
25 December

See also

• List of artists who reached number one on the Australian singles chart
• Music of Australia
• List of UK Albums Chart number ones of the 1980s

References

• David Kent's Australian Chart Book

based on the Kent Music Report

• Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA) official site
• OzNet Music Chart