The full ranking
E.T. flew past everything, Spielberg and Lucas owned the decade, and Batman closed it with a bang. The biggest worldwide grossers of the 1980s.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Spielberg's suburban fairy tale grossed nearly $793 million worldwide and reigned as the highest-grossing film of all time for over a decade. Nothing else in the 1980s came close.
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The darkest and best-reviewed Star Wars chapter took in over $538 million worldwide. Its twist became the most famous line in movie history.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Harrison Ford and Sean Connery's father-son act drove the trilogy capper to about $474 million worldwide, the biggest film of 1989 globally.
Batman (1989)
Tim Burton's gothic blockbuster grossed over $411 million worldwide and ignited worldwide Batmania. The modern superhero movie starts here.
Back to the Future (1985)
Zemeckis's time-travel comedy earned roughly $381 million worldwide and topped 1985's box office. The DeLorean never went out of style.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)
The original trilogy's finale grossed nearly $375 million worldwide, with a record-setting opening for its day and a redeemed Vader for the ages.
Top Gun (1986)
Tony Scott's jet-fueled spectacle made about $357 million worldwide and made Tom Cruise a global megastar. The need for speed paid off for decades.
Rain Man (1988)
Barry Levinson's road drama grossed nearly $355 million worldwide and won Best Picture, a rare awards juggernaut that was also its year's biggest hit.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Spielberg and Lucas's matinee homage took in roughly $354 million worldwide as the top film of 1981. Indiana Jones entered the pantheon on the first crack of the whip.
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984)
The darker prequel grossed about $333 million worldwide, and its chilled monkey brains helped invent the PG-13 rating.
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