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The 20 highest-grossing 1980s movies, ranked

The 1980s movies that blew up the box office
20. Ghostbusters: $296.6 million (£220m)
19. Look Who’s Talking: $297 million (£220m)
18. Beverly Hills Cop II: $300 million (£222m)
17. Rambo: First Blood Part II: $300.4 million (£223m)
16. Rocky IV: $300.5 million (£223m)
15. Beverly Hills Cop: $316 million (£234m)
14. Fatal Attraction: $320 million (£237m)
13. Crocodile Dundee: $328 million (£243m)
12. Who Framed Roger Rabbit: $330 million (£244m)
11. Back to the Future Part II: $332 million (£246m)
10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom: $333 million (£247m)
9. Rain Man: $355 million (£263m)
8. Top Gun: $357 million (£265m)
7. Back to the Future: $385 million (£285m)
6. Raiders of the Lost Ark: $390 million (£289m)
5. Batman: $412 million (£305m)
4. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: $474 million (£351m)
3. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: $482 million (£357m)
2. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back: $550 million (£407m)
1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: $797 million (£590m)
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Lucasfilm/Allstar Picture Library Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo

The 1980s movies that blew up the box office

The 1980s occupy a special place in the history of cinema. The decade launched blockbuster film franchises like Indiana Jones and Ghostbusters while also delivering enduring classics such as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

But which beloved 80s movies made the most money at the box office? We've ranked the 20 top performers of the decade by their lifetime global gross. Read on to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane and discover if your favourite film made the cut.

All dollar amounts in US dollars. 

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Danielle McAdam

18 June 2025

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