Top Ten Lists of Eighties Movies

The concept is pretty easily, pick your ten favorite movies from the eighties. The hard part? I want JUST movies from the eighties, not movies you might have seen during the eighties. Also, try and avoid movies that came out after the eighties if possible, 1990 is pretty borderline, I won't scream too loudly if you add one that is from then...

This page currently edited by: Gwen. Past editor: Junior

By: Christine
  • 10. Regarding Henry (198?)
    Some of Harrison Ford's best work...
  • 9. A Christmas Story (1983)
  • 8. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
    Matthew Broderick again...good actor!
  • 7. Sixteen Candles (1984)
    Anthony Michael Hall is way too funny!
  • 6. Return of the Jedi (1983)
  • 5. When Harry Met Sally (1989)
  • 4. The Princess Bride (1987)
    Too funny!
  • 3. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Lucky Carrie Fisher, getting to smooch with Harrison Ford!
  • 2. ST: The Wrath of Kahn (1982)
    The best Star Trek Movie made...
  • 1. Glory (1989)
    Powerful movie, cool soundtrack!
By: Jamie
More fun movies: Top Gun, Better Off Dead, Less Than Zero More serious, but good movies: Sophie's Choice, Blade Runner
By: Matt Coskren
  • 10. License To Drive
    Corey Feldman is great in this movie. This is an eighties classic. Heather Graham is so hot in this movie. This is the best movie to see before you get your license
  • 9. Mask
    Cher is great in this movie and so is eric stolz.
  • 8. Uncle Buck
    Best movie of John Candy's career. Very funny. I never get sick of seeing that movie.
  • 7. Adventure's In Babysitting
    I found this movie to be very entertaining. This was the first movie I rented for my VCR. I liked Elizabeth Shue's performance as the babysitter. My favorite part of this movie was when Liz Shue sang the blues.
  • 6. Back To School
    The Best movie of Rodney Dangerfield's career. It was funny all the way through. Sam Kinnison (God rest his soul) was fantastic as the history teacher.
  • 5. National Lampoon's American Vacation
    This movie was a riot. The best of the vacation movies. This is an eighties classic. Randy Quaid played the part of Eddy superbly.
  • 4. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    Matthew Brodrick was fantastic in this movie. This movie made his career. I always enjoy seeing this movie again and again.
  • 3. Ghostbusters
    Great Cast of Moranis, Akroyd, Murray, Ramis, and Weaver made for a funny comedy and interesting plot.
  • 2. E.T.
    Drew Barrymore was so cute and so good in this movie.
  • 1. Breakfast Club
    Perfect Cast of young talent mixed together very well to show what it was like to be a teen in the 80's.
I think the movies of the eighties were great. I love the eighties and wish I could go back in time. I had some fun times in the eighties and I love the songs, movies, TV shows, and fads of the eighties.
By: Jenny
  • 10. ALL CHEECH AND CHONG MOVIES.........
    Up in Smoke was Awesome! Things are tough all over - Great!
  • 9. Empire Stikes Back
  • 8. The lost Boys
  • 7. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
  • 6. Weird Science
  • 5. Repo Man
    The 1st movie I ever saw with Emelio Estevez--- funny and great music too.
  • 4. Breakfast Club
  • 3. Pretty in Pink
  • 2. Sixteen Candles
    Long Duck Dong was hillarious!!!! "No more yankee my wankee the donger need food!!!!" "Auto mobiiiile--Lake big lake"!!!!!
  • 1. Valley Girl
    My favorite movie of all times!!!!!! I love the song La la la love you by Pat Travers and Love my way by Psychedelic Furs loved it all soundtrack and averything!!! A MUST SEE MOVIE
By: Ari
By: Seth Dreitzler
By: ERin
By: Ralphy Fred
By: Jon Ruffell
  • 10. Police Academies 1 - 19
    All brilliant, all unsurpassed, they don't make movies like this any more
  • 9. A View to a Kill
    The worst Bond film ever - pure comedy
  • 8. Teen Wolf
    Give me the keg...
  • 7. Ghostbusters
    Any film that has Rik Moranis in...
  • 6. Top Gun
    Slider....you stink
  • 5. Karate Kid
    Wax on, wax off
  • 4. Back to the Future
    Hey McFly...
  • 3. Beverly Hills Cop
    I put a banana, a banana in the tail-pipe / Achmel
  • 2. Lethal Weapon 2
    But, but you're blick!!!...Okay, okay, okay (Joe Pesci, ad inf.)... now I'm pissed, Roge, I'm really pissed, I say we go in and shoot those fuckers
  • 1. Goonies
    Hey you guys!!!/up there it's their time,down here it' our time,that's all over the moment you ride up in Troy's bucket...
Greatest film line from the Eighties: I did a guy in Laos from 1000 yards out...rifle shot in high winds...there were maybe eight, even ten guys in the world that could have made that shot...the only thing I was ever any good at...
By: alia
it was really hard to pick just 10 i love the 80's and all of these movies on an equal level david bowie just rules and so does everyone else in the 80s
By: jereme
  • 10. ghost busters
    the name says it all
  • 9. feris buelers day off
    funny
  • 8. heavy metal
    i liked this movie because it was anime
  • 7. the dark crystal
    the birds were cool in this movie
  • 6. labrynth
    jim henson movie
  • 5. the breakfast club
    hey its the brat pack
  • 4. princess bride
    its got something for every one
  • 3. real geniuses
    always watchable
  • 2. stand by me
    "are you gonna shoot us all" "no snake just you"
  • 1. bill and teds bogus journey
    dude, were dead
By: jen
By: Katie
  • 10. When Harry Met Sally
    Sally: We are just going to be friends, OK? Harry: Great. Friends. The best thing...You realize, of course, that we could never be friends. Sally: Why not? Harry: What I'm saying is - and this is not a come-on in any way, shape, or form - is that men and women can't be friends, because the sex part always gets in the way.
  • 9. Pretty Woman
    Oh honey. You know what's happened? I got a runner in my pantyhose. I'm not wearing pantyhose.
  • 8. Girls Just Want to Have Fun
    Velcro. Next to the Walkman and Tab, it is the coolest invention of the 20th century.
  • 7. Pretty in Pink
    Blane? His name is Blane? That's a major appliance, that's not a name!
  • 6. Dirty Dancing
    Nobody puts Baby in the corner...
  • 5. An Officer and a Gentleman
    "Stop eyeballing me, sweet pea." "Where ya been all your lives, smoking dope and bad mouthin' your country?"
  • 4. The Breakfast Club
    Screws fall out all the time, the world's an imperfect place.
  • 3. Hoosiers
    My team's on the floor.
  • 2. Dead Poet's Society
    We don't read and write poetry because its cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is full of passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering: these are noble pursuits necessary to sustain life but poetry, beauty, romance, love. These are what we stay alive for.
  • 1. St. Elmo's Fire
    Love, love, you know what love is? Love is an illusion created by lawyer types like yourself to perpetuate another illusion called marriage to create the reality of divorce and then the illusionary need for divorce lawyers.
I couldn't begin to list in order my top ten favorites (except for maybe the first one!) but here are some good 80's movies with some great lines.
By: Jason
'80s Rule! I love this decade. Way to many movies to list!
By: E. Walker
  • 10. Better Off Dead
    "I want my two dollars......."
  • 9. The Last American Virgin
    Okay, four more words for "American Pie"........
  • 8. Porky's
    I've got one word for "American Pie".......
  • 7. The Breakfast Club
    "Don't you forget about me, I'll be alone dancing, you know and baby...."
  • 6. Say Anything
    You'll never listen to Peter Gabriel the same again.
  • 5. The Lost Boys
    It's the attack of Eddie Munster.......
  • 4. Pretty in Pink
    Molly Molly Molly!
  • 3. Ferris Buehler's Day Off
    "I heard that you were feeling ill....."
  • 2. Sixteen Candles
    Those PC immorals that like to pick this one apart should watch again and realize that the Donger was the coolest dude out there!
  • 1. Valley Girl
    C'mon guys, there wouldn't be any of the others without this total gem. Besides, it's worth it just for the Plimsouls and Modern English pumping the soundtrack.
By: Albert
  • 10. Purple Rain
    Haaaa, ha ha ha. Haaa, ha ha ha. Not my favorite, however, total representative of the 80's pop scene.
  • 9. Lost Boys
    Kieffer was awesome. Head vampire...now he was scary.
  • 8. Dragon Slayer
    Tough-looking dragon.
  • 7. War Games
    Mr. McItrich, after care consideration, I have come to the conclusion that your new "defense system" sucks.
  • 6. Real Genius
    Smooth.
  • 5. American Werewolf in London
    Wow. Scary. One of the first believable werewolves. First funny/scary horror flick.
  • 4. 3 O'clock High
    Funny!!!! Directing was excellant.
  • 3. Legends
    Unfortunately a movie Cruise isn't too proud of. I thought is was great. Unforgetable acting by Tim Curry as the Prince of Darkness. Visual were incredible.
  • 2. Ferris Beullers Day Off
    Genius directing. Alpha Romero car ride was a riot. Mia Sara...a babe!
  • 1. Bladerunner
    Stars galore! Rutger Hauer, Edward James Olmos, Shawn Young, Daryl Hannah, Harrison Ford. Great "Tears in the rain" speech is forever memorable.
My favorite movies include any movie that "How soon is now" by the Smiths. It always seemed to fit perfectly in its scenes. One of my favorite character actors is the punk in Some Kind of Wonderful. Everytime he entered the scene, the background music was Billy Idol.
By: Ericka
  • 10. E.T/1982
    "Hoooooooooooooooooooome!!!!!" "ET, phone, home!!"
  • 9. Dream a little Dream/1989
  • 8. UHF/1989
    "Hey kids where do you wanna go?!!!???"
  • 7. Spaceballs/1987
    "Spaceballs??" "Oh shit, there goes the planet!"
  • 6. Ghostbusters/1984
  • 5. Little shop of horrors/1988
  • 4. Stand by me/1986
  • 3. Back to the future/1985
    "Great scott!!!" "Marty, we're going to the future!"
  • 2. Gremlins/1984
    Gizmo rules!!
  • 1. The Goonies/1985
    Excellent movie!!!!!
By: LiL
  • 10. Poltergeist III
    damn those mirrors scared the crap outta me!
  • 9. Big
    tom hanks at his best before he got old. i think this i the first movie that made me cry.
  • 8. St. Elmo's Fire
    another one of those great brat pack flicks.
  • 7. Annie
    i still sing those songs! they are great and will never grow old.
  • 6. Say Anything
    cusak makes me wanna watch any movie. what a stud with that boom box!
  • 5. Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    i haven't seen this one as much as the others, but when i saw it it jumped to one my all-time favorites!
  • 4. Dirty Dancing
    "nobody puts baby in the corner." oh la la. patrick in those tight pants. gotta love the dancing and the last scence just makes you so happy.
  • 3. Pretty In Pink
    there's just something about molly that makes a movie! (plus that dress makes you laugh just looking at it!)
  • 2. The Breakfast Club
    "does barry manalow know you raid his wardrobe?" just classic!
  • 1. Sixteen Candles
    i just love this movie. it's an all time classic. i love the vocab: "outer-limits" "major" molly is great, but joan cusak on the bus has got to be the best part. "uh...yea!" and the whole school dance scene! it's just great! i can't even begin to express my love for this one.
i love john hughes. what a man of....brilliance
By: Ali
nah
By: Suvi

Previous List or Next List

We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 70s and 90s
Do You Have a Top Ten Song List to Share?

This site grows only with submissions from dedicated visitors like yourself. If you would like to reflect about a concert you attended, please fill out the form below.

Please use the The Top Ten 80s Movies submission page.