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: Jochen
  • 10. Billy Joel by It's Still Rock'n Roll To Me
    He's the greatest live performer I've ever seen
  • 9. Red Red Wine by UB40
  • 8. Mick Jagger by Let's Work
    Always gives you a kick in the back
  • 7. Being Boiled by The Human League
    Listen to the voice of buddha...
  • 6. Wild Boys by Duran Duran
    No list without them
  • 5. Real Life by Catch Me, I'm Falling
  • 4. St. Elmos Fire by John Parr
  • 3. Madonna by Like A Prayer
    Her best song yet, no doubt
  • 2. 99 Luftballoons by Nena
    I'm german and she's a really nice person, and hey... what a melody !
  • 1. Cambodia by Kim Wilde
    Could be also the "Kids in America", but I just love this song
By: Marc
  • 10. Lips Like Sugar by Echo & The Bunnymen
  • 9. Human by Human League
  • 8. Tenderness by General Public
  • 7. The Captain of Her Heart by Double
  • 6. Forever Young by Alphaville
  • 5. The Sun Always Shines on TV by A-Ha
  • 4. Be Near Me by ABC
  • 3. Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears
  • 2. We Close Our Eyes by Oingo Boingo
  • 1. New Year's Day by U2
    New Year's Day is one of those songs you can listen to anytime, no matter what your mood may be. Without a doubt, one of the best, if not the best, song of the 80s.
Limiting yourself to 10 songs, especially from an era where music was at its best, is a nearly impossible task. And I'm sure for many of you, as your mood changes, your list may change. There are just way too many other great bands/singers and songs out there, bands like Erasure, Oingo Boingo, Human League, Thompson Twins, INXS, OMD, etc.
By: Heather
Honorable Mention: Just Another Day (Oingo Boingo), Never Let Me Down (Depeche Mode), A View To A Kill (Duran Duran)
By: Julia
  • 10. Almost any song! by Elton John
    Elton John totally rocks my world people; sure, he is a gay piano player but Benny and the Jets! Hello! Elton rocked the 80's. HARD!
  • 9. Pride by U2
    Anything U2 does rocks.
  • 8. Tainted Love by Soft Cell
    If Marilyn Manson had the guts to remake this song, it must be great.
  • 7. Friday (I'm In Love) by The Cure
    I still listen to this song on Fridays and feel happy.
  • 6. Take On Me by A-Ha!
    This is still my boy-friend's favorite song. Ever.
  • 5. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    This was hard to choose, as I am also a HUGE fan of "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal" but this song was kind of the premiere.
  • 4. Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
    This song is also very wrong and I never realized it till I was older.... I am sensing a trend here....
  • 3. Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran
    This song reminds me of my unbridled teenage passion LOL
  • 2. My Sherona by Go to the Knack
    This song is so wrong... "I always get it up for the touch of the young ones?" Wowzas! ;)
  • 1. Want You To Want Me by Cheap Trick
    Such a simple love song.... ;) Priceless!
Just pop on the soundtrack to The Wedding Singer or watch The Breakfast Club and you get some of the best 80's songs ever! I didn't think it would be so hard to choose!
By: Rachelle
  • 10. Wouldnt It Be Good by Nick Kershaw
  • 9. One night in Bangkok by Murrey Head
  • 8. Human by Human League
  • 7. Heart by Pet shop boys
  • 6. Still Havent Found What I Am Looking For by U2
  • 5. Too Many Broken Hearts by Jason Donavan
  • 4. Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
  • 3. I love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett And The Blackhearts
  • 2. Time After Time by Cindy Lauper
  • 1. Do You Want To Dance With Me by Alpahville
The 80's was a great era!
By: J. Nagl
  • 10. Back in the Highlife by Steve Winwood
  • 9. Forever Young by Alphaville
  • 8. Joe Jackson by Steppin Out
  • 7. Best Adventures by Thinkman
  • 6. I'm On Fire by Bruce Springsteen
  • 5. Drive by The Cars
  • 4. Cry by Godley & Cream
  • 3. Blue Monday by New Order
    First Techno I heard :-)
  • 2. Always The Sun by The Stranglers
  • 1. With Or Without You by U2
    The best love song ever written ...
There are lots lots more ... just the one I got in Mind now :-)
By: Andre
  • 10. Kaileigh by Marillion
  • 9. YYZ by Rush
    The best song even made by the human race
  • 8. Flight Of Icarus by Iron Maiden
  • 7. Why Worry by Dire Straits
  • 6. Love Missile F-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
  • 5. Dia Eterno by Violeta De Outono
    Brazilian progressive rock band Realesed in U.K.
  • 4. There's A Lighting And Never Goes Up by The Smiths
  • 3. Cities in Dust by Siouxie And The Banshees
  • 2. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
  • 1. Viena by Ultravox
By: Jerry Bossio
  • 10. I Ran by A Flock Of Seagulls
  • 9. Money For Nothing by Dire Straits
  • 8. Shout / Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
  • 7. Take On Me by A-ha
  • 6. Careless Whisper by Wham
  • 5. Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran
  • 4. Summer Of '69 by Bryan Adams
  • 3. Eyes Without Face by Billy Idol
    Otra gran balada.
  • 2. Drive by Cars
    Buena cancion. Hubo muchas baladas en los ochentas y buenas. Se bailaban bastante.
  • 1. Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runner
    Buena cancion, esta muy bien matizada. Suena bien ochentas!
Cuando escucho estas canciones, se respira a 80's. La lista deberia ser mayor, con mucha pena estas son mis diez canciones.
By: chris butler
  • 10. Africa by Toto
  • 9. Vienna by Ultravox
  • 8. Kayleigh by Marillion
    O.K. u guessed it i like marillion
  • 7. Sugar Mice by Marillion
  • 6. Imagination by Belouis Some
  • 5. Ashes To Ashes by David Bowie
    What can i say - wow! The genius Bowie goes commercial
  • 4. Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart
    I love the rhythm on this. Gr8 electro-pop
  • 3. Higher Love by Steve Winwood
    Gr8 fusion of genres - inspirational soul
  • 2. With Or Without You by U2
    Haunting strings, u get lost in it.
  • 1. Under Pressure by David Bowie and Queen
    This is incredible, it just represents what it feels like to be under pressure. genreless, peerless
By: taylor weid
  • 10. Come On Eileen by Dexies Midnight Runners
  • 9. No Survivors by Charged G.B.H
  • 8. Wash Away by True Sounds Of Liberty(a.k.a TSOL)
  • 7. Banned From The Pubs by Peter And The Test Tube Babies
  • 6. Viva La Revolution by The Addicts
  • 5. Halloween by Misfits
    BEST BAND F'IN EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 4. Chemical Warfare by Dead Kennedys
  • 3. Rise Above by Black Flag
  • 2. The Reflex by Duran Duran
  • 1. In A Big Country by Big Country
    best song ever writen!!!!!!
MY ENTIRE LIST ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
By: Chris Ellis
They just don't write them like they use to ......... ah the 80's!
By: Jason Burge
By: Amadeo
  • 10. I Wanna Know What Love Is by Foreigner
    Hahahha. XD
  • 9. Within You by David Bowie
    Hells yeah.
  • 8. Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
    Hoh...pretty sweet.
  • 7. Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
    AWESOME!
  • 6. Sun Glasses At Night by Corey Hart
    Lol.
  • 5. Karma Chamelion by Culture Club
    Karma karma karma karma karma chamelion...
  • 4. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
    You ever see Top Gun? It owns.
  • 3. Manic Monday by The Bangles
    Sweet.
  • 2. All out of Love by Air Supply
    Pretty cool.
  • 1. Take On Me by Ah Ha!
    Legit.
Tha 80's 0wned. I have so many fav's from that decade, these ten are not in any order. - Amadeo
By: Stephanie Chapman
  • 10. 867-5309 (Jenny) by Tommy Tutone
  • 9. Legs by ZZ-Top
  • 8. Were Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
  • 7. 1999 by Prince
  • 6. Cherish by Kool and the Gang
  • 5. Wishing Well by Terence Trent D'Arby
  • 4. Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    This song is just cool
  • 3. Talk Dirty To Me by Poison
    POISON ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 2. Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles
    Who didn't listen to this song and try to walk like an Egyptian.
  • 1. Hey Mickey by Toni Basil
    This song is just AWESOME!!
The 80's ROCKED
By: Troels
  • 10. Kids in America by Kim Wilde
    Wee its ok but boring in the length
  • 9. Dance Hall Days by Wang Chung
    heh dunno to say.
  • 8. I Should Be So Lucky by Kylie Minogue
    Shes good looking :D
  • 7. We Built This City by Starship
    Heh A Real rock and roll song. Probaly the best out there !
  • 6. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush
    ?? ehh fun but not if you listen to that song on repeat.
  • 5. Careless Whispers by George Michael
    Good Chillout music :)
  • 4. Girls Just Want To Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    :) what can i say worth to listen to.
  • 3. Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics
    its damnn hot :) good dance music..
  • 2. Im So Excited by Pointer Sisters
    Good work out music/song probaly the best workout song out there :).
  • 1. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew
    Just one of the best rock songs in 1980s. You gotta hear this song.
80s rux :D !!
By: Matt
  • 10. Crazy Train by Ozzy
    Very catchy and evil! HAHAHAHA! R.I.P. Rhandy Rhoads.
  • 9. Bring the Noise by Public Enemy and Anthrax
    Metal/Rap done well at long last!
  • 8. Ride the Lightning by Metallica
    You may not have heard of this one. It was pretty underground at the time. But if you got time, check it out! It's full of violent thrashing.
  • 7. It's Tricky by RUN-DMC
    Ha! A classic rap song that started it all from greatest rap trio of all time. R.I.P. Jason "Jam Master Jay" Mizell
  • 6. Back in Black by AC/DC
    Off of one the greatest rockalbums of all time was this genius song with a great riff curtousy of Angus Young and crew.
  • 5. Youth Gone Wild by Skid Row
    Hair metal with a hard rocking thrash edge was the formula to this rebellious song.
  • 4. Beat It by Michael Jackson
    Using the incredible range of Jacko, wailing of Eddie Van Halen, and monster riffs created the ultimate pop song that metal heads and pop freaks could both listen to.
  • 3. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) by Beastie Boys
    This was the anthem to every adolescent boy in the 80's.
  • 2. Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N Roses
    The last hair metal* band that managed to survive in the early nineties until eventually swallowed by grunge. *That's good hair metal!
  • 1. Master of Puppets by Metallica
    Metallica was the band sent down to kill crappy hair metal fluff. And it succeeded.
By: Justin Brown
  • 10. Running Down A Dream by Tom Petty
    Mainly because at some points, Tom Petty looks like Steve Nash and this song is a big feature in ESPN's Baseball Tonight commercials. Always boosts the ranking.
  • 9. Cruel Summer by Bananarama
    What other era would've accepted an artist named Bananarama? And this song is just funny to know and sing along to as your friends stare on in total horror. IT'S A CRUEL (it's a cruel) CRUEL SUMMA...
  • 8. Goodbye Stranger by Supertramp
    It takes a little bit to really get into it, but, who doesn't love high-pitched voices?
  • 7. Barracuda by Heart
    Another song that leaves you scratching your head. If only it wasn't a female singer...
  • 6. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
    Now, I penalized this song because it's been so overdone, not the band's fault or anything, but, when you appear in more than 10 movies and late-1990's Mountain Dew commercials, come on.
  • 5. Rock Lobster by The B-52's
    Everyone loves the B-52's for Love Shack, but nobody gives Rock Lobster any love. Come on, folks. I mean, seriously, what is this song about? Thus is the mystery, and the appeal of Rock Lobster.
  • 4. 867-5309 by Tommy Tutone
    What a terrible name for an artist, though. Seriously. The MxPx cover of this song is years better than this, but, still, it's the original, we must give respect.
  • 3. What I Like About You by The Romantics
    The best part about this song is that it found its way into a Capri Sun ad from like, 1994. I guess the kids were singing it to the juice...
  • 2. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
    The best part is when all the music fades out and there's just yelling, I can just see all the 80s kids throwing their fists to the beat yelling "take me home tonight..." like an American anthem.
  • 1. If You Leave by OMD
    I touch you once...I touch you twice...
Sure, I'm only 17, but my genesis was in the middle of this musical melting pot, so, I'm better for it. I left Michael Jackson off because I like him too much.
By: Jonathan W.
  • 10. Walk This Way by Run DMC and Aerosmith
    Launched the first Rap song to be played on MTV and reinvented Aerosmith's career
  • 9. Paradise City by Guns N Roses
  • 8. The Police by Every Breath You Take
    influenced Puff Daddy to remake the song "ill be missing you" due to the death of Biggie.Sting performed it live with Puff Daddy at the 1997 Mtv awards
  • 7. Bark At The Moon by Ozzy Osbourne
  • 6. We're Not Gonna Take It by Twisted Sister
  • 5. Welcome To The Jungle by Guns N Roses
  • 4. Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson
  • 3. One by Metallica
    First video Metallica ever made
  • 2. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N Roses
  • 1. Beat It by Michael Jackson
By: Randall J
  • 10. Eye in the Sky by Alan Parsons Project
    An awesome intro. First heard it late at night on WLS, Chicago. I grew up in Nebraska and the music choices were certainly limited, thank god for WLS!
  • 9. Heat of the Moment by Asia
    Asia's first album had a full, rich sound to it. Great on headphones.
  • 8. Your Love by The Outfield
  • 7. Better be Home Soon by Crowded House
    My parents still swear that Neil Finn is a country artist because of this song.
  • 6. I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper
  • 5. Hold Me Now by Thompson Twins
  • 4. Your Only Human (Second Wind) by Billy Joel
    Really inspired me when things looked grim in college.
  • 3. Baby Grand by Billy Joel w/Ray Charles
  • 2. Head Over Heels by The Go-Gos
    Their best song in my opinion.
  • 1. Fortress Around Your Heart by Sting
    I like the imagery the lyrics paint in my mind.
By: Matt Nelson
  • 10. I Love My Radio by Taffy
    Akkk ... yes the euro mix is a little cheesy, but I love it ... sorry!
  • 9. Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
    Classic soul done right! First song I played on the radioin the UK.
  • 8. Stop! by Erasure
    Great track (although not really made for clubs with the extended version being pretty short) which would always fill the floor.
  • 7. Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go by Soft Cell
    One of my favourite 12' records, and not just because it gave you plenty of time to go to the bathroom ... brings back fond memories of playing my first regular gig in an Ice Rink who's accoustics made this track sound even better!
  • 6. Nobody by Tounge N' Cheek
    A little known UK group who had a massive underground club hit with this track ... if you know anymore about this song, please let me know!
  • 5. Back To Life by Soul II Soul
    Jazzy M's first offering influenced club soul music more than any other group in the 80's - 90's.
  • 4. House Arrest by Krush
    This track wasn't around for long, but was a great blending of House styles that I payed at least 5 times a night (much to everyone's dismay).
  • 3. If I'm Not Your Lover by Al B Sure
    A great R'N'B classic (yes, I know it was a big hit in 1990 ... but purist DJ's know this was originally released in '88).
  • 2. Big Fun by Inner City
    Whooowa! As anyone who ever visited a nightclub in '89 will know ... this was THE summer party song that year. Classic house.
  • 1. Something About You [shep pettibone mix] by Level 42
    And at number one ... a tough choice ... but for me, Level 42 were simply one the best bands ever, and the excellent dance remix (featuring an amazing freestyle break) still sounds as good today as it did back then.
All of the above tracks are from the late 80's, which I think was one of the best times for me. It signified my change from being a 'mobile' DJ, playing at weddings every night, to the world of nightclub DJ'ing. The music seemed to be maturing with me, and these songs cemented my conviction to making a career from spinning records for the next 10 years. The music you see in the list above is just a small part of the great new musical styles that started emmerging at the time. I'm sure there's a TON of tracks I've missed out, but these are the first ones that come to mind (for me). Hopefully it will bring back a few memories of that dark, neon filled club you visited with your fake ID when you were young.

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