In the 80s - Top Ten Lists of Eighties Songs

What are your top ten favorite songs from the 80s?

This page currently edited by: Quirk. Past editor: RetroGuyDK, Absolutely Vile, Junior

By: Billy Bob
  • 10. Whats Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner
    I loved her hair! So fetch!
  • 9. Our House by Madness
    Suggs is so cute, i love his voice!
  • 8. You Spin Me Round by Dead Or Alive
    They were on my mum's areoplane! I'm sooo jelous!
  • 7. Papa Don't Preach by Madonna
    Fab!
  • 6. Material Girl by Madonna
    Cool! The pink dress was so lovely!
  • 5. Escepially For You by Kylie & Jason
    There so cute together and I love the chessy video to match the chessy song!
  • 4. Billie Jean by Micheal Jackson
    I still like afros, to bad he died his skin and cut his hair down to a normal size of hair!!! AFROS RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 3. Rio by Duran Duran
    I ecspecially love the tall one with the head band!!!! My mum liked him too!
  • 2. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by WHAM!
    Nice pink sweatshirt in the video! SOO CUTE!
  • 1. Take On Me by Ah-ha
    The band were so cute! I loved the videos!!
The 80s were so much better than this music, but i don't mind a bit of Jake Shears from Sissor Sisters once and a while!
By: erica goodwin
  • 10. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
    Even if you didn't really like this song, you would catch yourself singing along....I know I di and it grew on me.....
  • 9. Sister Christian by Night Ranger
    They didn't score too many #1 Hits but this was an awesome song!!!!
  • 8. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
    Who can forget that love scene in the movie "Top Gun" with Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis.......need I say more????
  • 7. Footloose by Kenny Loggins
    This movie was of course AWESOME!!!!! And so was the soundtrack.....which gave the 80's some awesome tunes!!!!
  • 6. Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds
    Who hasn't seen the movie "The Breakfast Club"....all the brat pack glory for those of us who grew up in the 80's a awesome tune indeed!!!
  • 5. Take On Me by A-Ha
    This song was infectious..........and still a great one to hear
  • 4. Missing You by John Waite
    Gotta love this one!!!!
  • 3. Carless Whisper by Wham!
    Girls definitely went crazy over thos song and George and Andrew....need i say more!
  • 2. Relax by Frankie Loves Hollywood
    Who didn't like the beat with this one....you know when you hear it you cathc yourself singing along!!!!
  • 1. Thriller by Michael Jackson
    I didn't see many mentions on this on, Definitely an unforgetable 80's song....or was it???
I could go on for sure, the 80's had some awesome music, some of the best of all time if you ask me. I still catch myself going back and reminiscing when I hear that certain favorite by Prince,Madonna,Michael Jackson,the list goes on...
By: Tania
  • 10. Stripped by Depeche Mode
    Just because it`s them...
  • 9. The Living Daylights by A-ha
    What a catchy song.
  • 8. Inbetween Days by The Cure
    Wonderful,just wonderful
  • 7. Paradise City by Guns n` Roses
    oh yeah!
  • 6. Panic by The Smiths
    They started something they couldn`t finish...
  • 5. She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult
    wow whata song
  • 4. Suicide blonde by INXS
    Great band
  • 3. Strangelove by Depeche Mode
    The best band ever
  • 2. A Question Of Time by Depeche Mode
    Kinda catchy
  • 1. Black Celebration by Depeche Mode
    Now that`s what I call a masterpiece
Great list
By: archie Salem
  • 10. Uncertain Smile by The The
    cool dude
  • 9. Bigger Punch Of Feeling by China Crisis
    the best band ever in the 80's
  • 8. Across The Kitchen Table by Pale Fountains
    cool band
  • 7. In A Big Country by Big Country
  • 6. More To Loose by Seona Dancing
    one hit wonder
  • 5. Tears by Chameleon
    awesome one hit wonder!
  • 4. Flaming Sword by The Care
    one of the underground new wave band, who never got in the chart..
  • 3. The Bottom Line by Big Audio Dynamite
    One of the craziest band in the 80's
  • 2. Absolute Reality by The Alarm
    One of their greatest songs ever
  • 1. Two Rivers by The Adventures
    totally awesome
totally awesome! 80's music is the best!
By: deirdre
  • 10. Respect by Erasure
  • 9. Heart Of Glass by Blondie
  • 8. Aint Nothin Gonna Break My Stride by X
  • 7. Simply Irresistable by Robert Palmer
  • 6. Wang Chung Tonight by Wang Chung
  • 5. The Jungle Song by X
    "oh oh oh ohohohohohoh oh oh oh oh oh oh ohohohohohohoh oh oh oh oh"
  • 4. We Got The Beat by The Gogos
  • 3. We Built This City On Rock And Roll by Jefferson Starship
  • 2. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
  • 1. Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds
By: Casey Ryback
  • 10. Cry Little Sister by Gerard McMann
    Lost Boys - a classic. Song brings back great memories....
  • 9. Land Of Confusion by Genesis
    Video with spitting image, priceless!
  • 8. In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
    From his first solo album and still THE best one! Chilling!
  • 7. The Power Of Love by Huey Lewis & The News
    Great song from even greater movie.
  • 6. You Got It by Roy Orbison
    ' He has voice of an angel. ' - Elvis Presley
  • 5. One by Metallica
    This one has to be here, right? =)
  • 4. Don't Wake The Lion by Magnum
    British gift to the world.
  • 3. Any Song From Any Album by RUSH
    That's all.
  • 2. No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper
    The best soundtrack ever
  • 1. Queensrÿche by Eyes Of A Stranger
    OR Operation:Mindcrime in it's entirety. :-) Only Seattleband worth mentioning. Geoff is God. Period.
Ten isn't enough! Especially 1988 was a great year. And soundtrack in the 80's were fantastic! Take Hold!
By: The Objectivist Monkey
  • 10. When You Were Mine by Cyndi Lauper
    "You didn't have the decency to change the sheets."
  • 9. State Of Grace by Billy Joel
    Along with "And So It Goes ...", the bookends to a decade of heartbreak for Billy.
  • 8. The River by Bruce Springsteen
    The Boss's finest song of the decade was one of his softest ones.
  • 7. Didn't We Almost Have It All by Whitney Houston
    "You know you'll never love that way again."
  • 6. Somebody's Baby by Jackson Browne
    Ode to Jennifer Jason Leigh
  • 5. Sister Christian by Night Ranger
    Best ... bridge ... ever
  • 4. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
    The quintessential California song.
  • 3. With Or Without You by U2
    Haunting.
  • 2. Money For Nothing by Dire Straits
    The chant of a generation.
  • 1. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns n Roses
    Axl's voice and Slash's guitar combined to transcend normal sensory enjoyment.
We've got the need ... the need .. for speed!
By: Aubrey
  • 10. Bastards Of Young by The Replacements
    This song speaks truths if you listen to the lyrics.
  • 9. Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears
  • 8. Melt With You by Modern English
  • 7. Living On A Prayer by Jon Bon Jovi
    Yay for big hair!
  • 6. Enigma Of The Absolute by Dead Can Dance
    Awesome song. Thoughtful lyrics and a strange melody to keep you listening.
  • 5. Charlotte Sometimes by The Cure
    Early Cure music, my favorite.
  • 4. Mother by Danzig
  • 3. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
  • 2. Save A Prayer by Duran Duran
    Libidinous much? A must love for DD fans.
  • 1. Somebody by Depeche Mode
    A wistful and genuinely sweet song.
Only listed a few of my favorites as I'm sure many others did. Bah.
By: karen w
There are so many great songs and great bands from this era. Too many to ever write down. A lot of one hit wonders. I try to look back on web sites featuring 80's music and there are alot of songs and bands that I had forgotten over the years. I read the song titles and it brings me back to being a teenager ,the age my kids are today.
By: Ash
  • 10. "Neverending Story" by Limahl
    I spent nearly two stright years waiting for th music video to this song to come on TV and is from the 1984 movie "The Neverending Story", a beautiful song never played on the radio!
  • 9. "Dancing On The Ceiling" by Lionle Richie
  • 8. "In The Air Tonight" by Phil Collins
  • 7. "We Built This City" by Starship
  • 6. "I Ran" by A Flock Of Seagulls
    Ultimate New Wave Song and interesting music video!
  • 5. "Jacob's Ladder" by Huey Lewis & The News
    One of the bands best!! #1 song!!
  • 4. "Tarzan Boy" by Baltimora
    You rarely hear this song and I think it's one of the best party/dance songs ever made, it has great rhythm and is catchy as heck!! The first time I heard it was in the 3rd Ninja Turtles movie. Terrific song!
  • 3. "Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
    Like "St. Elmo's Fire, this song completes the movie and would not be the same without it. Great song!
  • 2. "St. Elmo's Fire" by John Parr
    This is another one of those energetic "feel good" songs. Superb song!
  • 1. "Kyrie" + "Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister
    Kyrie is my favorite of the two songs and is very insprational and uplifting to me and is my favorite song and in my opinion the best song of the 80's!
PLEASE NOTE:None of these songs are Rock or Metal songs. I have so many favorite rock songs from AC/DC, Def Leppard, Van Halen and Gun's N' Roses that I couldn't possibly list them all. The songs I listed fill a few categories of music from the 80's but they are still my favorite songs.
By: Mercury
  • 10. Down Under by Men At Work
    Had to put it on here because this was the song that really caused me to revisit the 80's I loved as a kid in High School. It was my favorite 80's song for a long time.
  • 9. Money For Nothing by Dire Straits
    The beginning of the MTV era. Later to be ended by reality TV and stupid game shows.
  • 8. I Want To Know What Love Is by Foreigner
    Makes you sing till your throat is bleeding!
  • 7. Danger Zone by Kenny Loggins
    I feel the need....for SPEED!!!
  • 6. Broken Wings by Mr. Mister
    I always loved the music in this song. Vintage 80's.
  • 5. Africa by Toto
    Just a great song.
  • 4. Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper
    From the one movie that ALL children should grow up with! GOONIES!
  • 3. Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
    Cheesy, weird, and makes no sense. Perfect for a great 80's tune!
  • 2. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N Roses
    My brother and I argued over which was better when we were kids; this or Paradise City. Great memories!
  • 1. Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
    Steeeeeeeve Perry!
These are in no particular order. I love the 80's for it's cheesiness, bad hair, bad outfits, and odd music. It is an era that was totally different from any other, and like that it vanished(probably for the better!). I love looking back at the 80's now and seeing how stupid we looked as kids, teens, and adults! I will always love 80's music because of it's wide array of totally distinct and crazy sounds. I could make a list a mile long!
By: Steve G.
This list's order could be rearranged for sure. I find it kind of pointless to rate good albums against each other, so please don't take this in any particular line up. I know a lot of these albums are either from 1980 or 1989 but they're still 80's and still some of my favorites. In the end I think they together capture the over all feel of (a darker) 80's. Certainly they're are more. Enjoy these though if you haven't already.
By: Colin Ford
  • 10. Were Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sisters
  • 9. Sweet Child O Mine by Guns N Roses
  • 8. You Shook Me All Night Long by ACDC
  • 7. When Doves Cry by Prince
  • 6. Under Pressure by David Bowie & Queen
  • 5. Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
  • 4. Every Breath You Take by The Police
  • 3. Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran
  • 2. Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
  • 1. Man In Motion by John Parr
By: Doug
  • 10. Falling Off The Edge Of The World by Black Sabbath
    What an AWESOME guitar riff in this one. One of the best songs, EVER!
  • 9. Metal Health by Quiet Riot
    I really didn't like them, when this album was released. They kind of grew on me, over the years.
  • 8. Electric Eye by Judas Priest
    Great song, leading off a great album.
  • 7. Shot In The Dark by Ozzy Osbourne
    I love the video! I love the guitar solo! I just love it!
  • 6. Eat It! by "Weird" Al Yankovic
    One of the greatest spoof songs ever done. Only thing is, I don't think there are many kids "..starving in Japan.."
  • 5. The Trooper by Iron Maiden
    I love to be driving, when I hear this one. Good thing I have a radar detector!
  • 4. On The Turning Away by Pink Floyd
    Not my favorite tune by them (that would be a tie between Comfortably Numb and Echoes, but they are 70's tunes), but a great solo by Gilmore.
  • 3. Channel Z by B-52's
    I am livin' on Channel Zeeee! Such a cool tune!
  • 2. Fade To Black by Metallica
    First Metallica song I ever heard. My favorite metal ballad.
  • 1. Alone, Again by Dokken
    One of my favorite metal ballads. Steve Lynch's guitar playing is top notch!
This list goes in reverse order (#10 is #1 and so on). So many other great songs I didn't list here, from a ton of groups. Nice site!
By: Russell Lee
  • 10. Barbados by The Models
  • 9. I Want To Break Free by Queen
  • 8. Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
  • 7. I Could Be Happy by Altered Images
  • 6. Can't Wait To See You by Eurogliders
  • 5. Pop Goes The World by Men WIthout Hats
  • 4. Head Over Heels by Tears For Fears
  • 3. Alive And Kicking by Simple Minds
  • 2. Unforgettable Fire by U2
  • 1. Who Made Who by AC/DC
By: graham
  • 10. Gold by Spandeu Ballet
  • 9. Pass The Dutchie by Musical Youth
  • 8. Sweet Dreams by The Eurhythmics
  • 7. The Final Countdown by Europe
  • 6. Cruel Summer by Bananarama
  • 5. 500 Miles by The Proclaimers
  • 4. Everyone Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
  • 3. Rio by Duran Duran
  • 2. Club Tropicana by Wham
  • 1. Girls On Film by Duran Duran
i didnt put wake me up before you go go but its defo up there these songs make a good summer of partying
By: Mike
  • 10. Hot Rod Hearts by Robbie Dupree
    Probably my favorite song from the time that I really started to get interested in music, thanks to the weekly top 40 list printed in the local paper.
  • 9. Carrie by Cano
    A more haunting version of the Cliff Richard song from 1980, about a girl who disappears and is feared to be a victim of foul play. "Carrie had a date with the wrong kind of fate, it's plain to see"...
  • 8. Angel Of Death by Slayer
    Forget the "Nazi" controversy. Metallica may have put 'thrash' on the map, but this song defined it...and still does!
  • 7. Pray For The Sun by Raven
    Powerful ballad by a powerful band that never got the break they deserved.
  • 6. Eternal Flame by Bangles
    Susanna Hoffs. Period.
  • 5. (Just Like) Starting Over by John Lennon
    Every time I hear this I think back to when I found out Lennon had been assassinated, and it sends a chill down my spine, maybe because this was big on the radio at the time.
  • 4. Eye In The Sky by Alan Parsons Project
    Not sure why this is here, it just is.
  • 3. Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
    Reminds me of my first real crush.
  • 2. Ready To Explode by Slade
    Reminds me of the bittersweet summer of 1984. I related to this song because of the mention of the '750 motorbike'. I wanted a 500cc Honda dirt bike but as my sister had just lost two of her schoolmates in a dirt bike accident, my parents forbade it. So I lived vicariously through this song.
  • 1. Night To Remember by Prism
    The late Ron Tabak's voice was never better than on this 1980 Canadian smash. Prism were one of the best, if not the best, Canadian acts of their time. Check out Armageddon and you'll see what I mean. As people, Prism are a class act as well!
These are the first 10 songs that came to mind, if I really thought about it I'd probably make some changes. But if I send even one reader off looking for some nostalgic sounds, then I will be satisfied.
By: Chris
Classics!
By: Jeremy
  • 10. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty
    1989 was the year. This song moved the 80's into the 90's. A transtional song to me, that closed out one of the best decades of music to exsist.
  • 9. Money For Nothing by Dire Straits
    I want my MTV followed by that opening guitar rift. Cant get anymore 80's then that.
  • 8. Down Under by Men At Work
    Just a great song.
  • 7. Vacation by Go Go's
    Girl's gone wild for the 80's.
  • 6. When Doves Cry by Prince
    Or you can substitute Purple Rain, Little red Corvette, Darling Niki, etc, etc, etc
  • 5. Where The Streets Have No Name by U2
    Actually, any song from the Joshua tree album, to be honest.
  • 4. Centerfold by J. Geils Band
    True classic.
  • 3. Take On Me by A-ha
    A video that was well ahead of its time. I think that video alone made the song greater then what it actually was.
  • 2. Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles
    Anyone that was there when MTV launched, can't forget that song. Was the first video ever played by MTV. Course that was when MTV actually played music.
  • 1. Drive by The Cars
    A song that still brings me back in time when I hear it.
I was a MTV addict, in the early 80's. Back when a Satelite dish was huge, which is where I got my MTV. When I think of the 80's, these songs/bands were the ones I will recall first. Granted many songs belong on this list. I mean a decade that included Glamrock, Heavy Metal, Pop, New Wave, Rap, Gangsta rap, Hip-hop, Alternative, Punk, Bubble-gum rock, and country, just cant be summed up in 10 songs.
By: Jerrod (kalmiultra)

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