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: Gaz W
  • 10. Too Shy by Kajagoogoo
    Captures the whole feel of the 80s. Cheap, tacky but bloody awesome!
  • 9. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
    Cheesy, Camp, GREAT!
  • 8. Gold by Spandau Ballet
    My karaoke tune. Love it.
  • 7. Live It Up by Mental As Anything
    Always reminds me of Crocodile Dundee. Don't ask why I like this, I just do.
  • 6. Criticise by Alexander ONeil
    Every time this track comes on in a pub or club, you can't help but sing along to it and your foot always starts tapping.
  • 5. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    No Comment needed - just pure class.
  • 4. House Of Fun by Madness
    Wacky, Zany, Silly, fun tune. Great drum intro. A song that makes you wanna get up and arse about.
  • 3. Blue Monday by New Order
    It looks liek there is a Manchester band bias here - but alot of the great music from the 80's came from my very own city. This tune is just years ahead of its time.
  • 2. This Charming Man by The Smiths
    Why can't this band just patch their differences and get back to making great songs like this?!? Come on Mozza and Co. Get it sorted.
  • 1. Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division
    One of the greatest songs ever, never mind the 80's. Another band that makes me proud to come from Manchester.
Loads more could have been on this list: Erasure, Pet Shop Boys, Madonna, Elton John, U2, The Jam, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays, OMD, Bananarama, Yazoo...the list could be endless!!
By: kevin
By: Jordy
Honourable Mention: High School Confidential - Rough Trade
By: Peter
Word up.
By: J
  • 10. Cats in the Cradle by Cat Stevens
    A sad, but yet a great song to listen to.
  • 9. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew
    amazing song that is a must for the ears of an 80's freak.
  • 8. Oh Oh Its Magic by Pilot
    Not too many hits from this band but deffiently this is one of them.
  • 7. Go your own Way by Fleetwood Mac
    not a bad song listen and get blown away!
  • 6. Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles
    GREAT SONG! [Editor: While being the first video shown on MTV USA it is technically a 70s song]
  • 5. It Must Have Been Love by Roxette
    If your into love songs this is the bab grand of them all.
  • 4. I Would Walk 500 Miles by The Proclaimers
    kind of annoying but loving this song isnt that hard
  • 3. Hurts So Good by John Cougar
    WOW! awesome song and suprisely catchy.
  • 2. We Built This City by Jefferson Starship
    nice beat and a great easy listening song.
  • 1. Right Here Right Now by Jesus Jones
    not a bad song.
Not in any specific order. Great songs and are a must for anyone's playlist.
By: Sergio
By: mitchell hodge
  • 10. Lick It Up by Kiss
  • 9. Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
  • 8. Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Queen
    Wicked
  • 7. Home Sweet Home by Mötley Crüe
    Love it
  • 6. We're Not Going To Take It by Twisted Sister
    Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 5. Start Me Up by Rolling stones
    Love the stones
  • 4. Money For Nothing by Dire Straits
    Good song [Editor: The first video featured on MTV Europe]
  • 3. Who Made Who? by AC/DC
    Really good
  • 2. Radio Ga Ga by Queen
    I love this band
  • 1. Jump by Van Halen
    Everyone I know loves this song
By: Rowan
  • 10. Every Breath You Take by Police
  • 9. Would I Lie To You? by Charles and Eddie
  • 8. Missing You by Brooks and Dunn
  • 7. King Of Wishful Thinking by Go West
  • 6. Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds
  • 5. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew
  • 4. Need You Tonight by INXS
  • 3. I Was Made For Loving You by Kiss
  • 2. Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners
  • 1. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
There are to many good songs from the 80's. These songs are not in order and there are many great songs that have missed out. Oh well that will do for now!
By: Ryan Audino
  • 10. Mesopotamia by The B-52's
    A song about the ancient middle eastern cradle of civilization? Brilliant! The B-52's are probably one of my favorite 80's bands and although this song differs from the main body of their work, the ancient historian in me makes it my favorite.
  • 9. Apache by The Sugarhill Gang
    Who knew that tired, offensive ethnic stereotypes could make for such a hott dance track?
  • 8. Gloria by Umberto Tozzi
    This song was covered by Laura Branigan a couple of years after it came out in Italy, but I really feel like this Italian version has more flavor. It's also a bit filthier than LB's English cover.
  • 7. I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany
    Returning to the other side of the Atlantic, I really feel that Tiffany's masterpiece encapsulates all that was the teenage pop sound of the 80's. Bubble gum, the mall, boys: oh, to be a Tiffany fan in the 80's!
  • 6. Problèmes d'Amour by Alexander Robotnick
    The second greatest italo disco song. Never having seen the lyrics and furthermore not speaking French, I can only imagine that this song has something to do with robots and intergalatic love.
  • 5. Come on Closer by Pineapples
    The greatest production of italo disco, Europe's heavily synthesized, 1980's response to American disco. I listen to this song and fantasize about glittering European dancefloors in the 1980's and sleazy European men trying to pick up slutty European women.
  • 4. Fame by Irene Cara
    Whenever I listen to this song I get the nearly undeniable urge to leap through doorways making dramatic hand gestures while wearing short shorts and leg warmers. But then, I get that urge often.
  • 3. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
    An electrifying collision of arena rock and 80's pop, sung by a former NYPD cop.
  • 2. Together in Electric Dreams by Giorgio Moroder & Phil Oakey
    Giorgio Moroder holds the distinction of having innovated synthesizer usage in the later years of disco as well as having engineered the dominant sound of the 80's. In my opinion, this song, along with my #1, may be Giorgio's magnum opus.
  • 1. Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler
    Total Eclipse of the Heart is a great, great song, however, in terms of ridiculously over the top production and drunken screamability, Holding Out for a Hero definitely trumps it. Best song of the 80's, hands down.
It was extremely difficult chiseling out only ten songs from my favorite period of pop music. If nothing else, I beseech every one of you to track down my #1, if you haven't already heard/loved it.
By: Dan
By: Kaotic Twist
My Favorite F***ing Song
By: Jakob Blomquist
  • 10. Fight For Your Right to Party by Beastie Boys
  • 9. Smooth Operator by Sade
  • 8. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N Roses
  • 7. A Town Called Malice by The Jam
  • 6. Uptown by Prince
  • 5. Holiday by Madonna
  • 4. Bizzarre Love Triangle by New Order
  • 3. Come on Elaine by Dexy´s Midnight Runners
  • 2. Our house by Madness
  • 1. The Boy With A Thorn In His Side by The Smiths
Just a few good songs from the decade that comes too my mind.
By: Tae
  • 10. Leave a Light On For Me by Belinda Carlisle
    Just love that groove! Loved the video too!! Passionate, with soul, just a song with a lot of feeling.
  • 9. Legs by ZZ Top
    If you don't remember this one, you are not a truly 80s music fan
  • 8. Fun Fun by Baila Bolero
    If this isn't 80s sounding, I don't know what is. Another hot import from Europe.
  • 7. I Drove All Night by Cyndi Lauper
    The best of her songs!!
  • 6. No More Words by Berlin
    Hip!
  • 5. Born To Be My Baby by Bon Jovi
    Nothing to say, really.
  • 4. Paradise City by Guns N' Roses
    My batch with Hard Rock!!! Didn't you wish you could sing like Axl or play like Sash?
  • 3. Wild Side by Mötley Crüe
    Generational Hysteria!!!
  • 2. Free Fallin' by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
    If you need to ask why, you just don't get it
  • 1. Just Like Heaven by The Cure
    Just great, like it says JUST LIKE HEAVEN!!!
SO MUCH MUSIC, SO MUCH GRRRREEAAAATTT MUSIC. I'm glad I still have all my 80s favorite songs on LP, tape and CD. There are so many more songs to put in. No way we can just disseminate a decade of great music in 10 songs.
By: Thomas Mayes
Missing Out: The Clash, London Calling (1979) and Skinny Puppy, Too Dark Park (1990).
By: Nathan
  • 10. We're Not gonna take it by Twisted Sister
    A song u cant do w/o I can only fit 1 Twisted sister song on this list though i like other Twisted Sister songs . I wanna rock , Leader Of The Pack(cover) , can't stop rock and roll,king of the fools ,and lets not forget Come out and Play
  • 9. Our House by Madness
    whoa a danceable piece of music about growing up in a british mid-class home .
  • 8. Radio Ga Ga by Queen
    This here Roger Taylor wrote he has written many Queen songs such as : I'm in love with my car,Radio Ga Ga , and his newest Queen song Say It's Not True. anyway this song is very good its about people now are just changing the channel to MTV instead of listening to the radio
  • 7. I Want To Break Free by Queen
    Synthesizers in Queen songs ? well it was the '80s synthesizers actually were fit for Queen finally . Before The 1st Queen album they had tried a synthesizer and back then synths had sounds that were very easy to make without one and they were impossible to play actual chords on them. from 1973-1980 they put the words No Synthesizers(spelled Synthesisers on A Night At The Opera maybe on other Queen albums before 1980)
  • 6. Higher Love by Steve Winwood
    great song, he put a lot of work after faliure of Talking Back To The Night which I think is a good album.
  • 5. She's An Angel by They Might Be Giants
    When The Giants recorded their demo tape in 1983 it got lots of attention to different record companies this was one of the songs on their demo tape that made it to their 1st album in 1986.
  • 4. Come On Eileen by Dexy's Midnight Runners
    Their string riffs almost sound like synthesizers .
  • 3. What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) by Information Society
    Behold The Completed Evolution Of New Wave. This sounds so good like other Information Society songs .
  • 2. Video Killed The Radio Star by Buggles
    Awesome the beginning of synth pop as we knew it. [€ditor: Technically this song is from the 70s]
  • 1. Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
    awesome song I mean there is just something about it that wants to make you dance I don't know the synth bass ? , the Beat?, the rap intro ? ,
These songs I think are the best songs from the 1980s
By: Miranda
  • 10. Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    Another great eighties...just about anything by Bon Jovi is great.
  • 9. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    This one should've been higher, too...there's so many good ones!
  • 8. Heat of the Moment by Asia
    Fun song!
  • 7. Making Love Out of Nothing at All by Air Supply
    Another beautiful slow song. Actually, I think I might've ranked this higher...
  • 6. Little Red Corvette by Prince
    If you love sports cars, you gotta love this song!
  • 5. Eternal Flame by The Bangles
    Beautiful slower song. I chose this one mainly because I can't hear it without thinking "1980s!"
  • 4. Pretty in Pink by Psychedelic Furs
    Great song, used in movie of same title which starred Molly Ringwald!
  • 3. Material Girl by Madonna
    Can't have the eighties without materialism!
  • 2. Jesse's Girl by Rick Springfield
    The ultimate song about wanting someone you can't have.
  • 1. My Best Friend's Girlfriend by The Cars
    It sticks in your head. What else can I say? And this band was so huge in the eighties!
I would've also added stuff by Billy Joel, Aerosmith, and several others, but I was mainly thinking of the songs that were eighties-definitive...the bands such as Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, etc., are what I consider to be more timeless, I guess. This was a really hard list to come up with, considering the eighties had an explosion of GREAT music! And of course, I didn't forget The Buggles, "Video Killed the Radio Star," but the songs in my list are the ones I tend to listen to more... Thanks!
By: janice
  • 10. Red Red Wine by UB40
    totaly cool band i love em still
  • 9. Eye Of The Tiger by Sourvivor
    the rocky theme the only good thing about that movie.
  • 8. Lovin Every Minute Of It by Lover Boy
    u didn,t make out to this song? dont tell my mom lol
  • 7. Do U Really Hurt Me? by The Culture Club
    even though he wore dreeses he could sing! dont judge the book by the cover.
  • 6. Makin Love Out Of Nothin At All by Air Suply
    and they still rock seen em 3 years ago
  • 5. Carelees Whiper by Wham!
    the ideal 80s band
  • 4. Dukes Of Hazzard Theme by Waylen
    ok i admit it i am still a huge dukes of hazzard fan the 2005 movies dose not subituite
  • 3. Time After Time by Cindy Lauper
    cool song
  • 2. Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
    remember the kick a vedio
  • 1. Lady by Kenny Rogers
    he is the best in the cuntry music gener
the 80s was packed full of memories for all of us regan babies! in lovin memory of president rolnald regan i miss u!
By: Barry Longbottom
  • 10. Real LifeSend me an Angel by
    well, first i hear "Piece of my heart" of "Intermission" that is a techno, and then i hear "Send me an angel" and i realize that has the same rhythm and I like both of them
  • 9. You spin me 'round by Dead or alive
    If you have seen the video you hate this group, but if you first hear the song you think that the voice of teh singer is very strange but is very good
  • 8. Color my Love by Fun Fun
    This girls are a perfect duo, since I hear Color my Love or Baila Bolero I start to think how could be the singers if the voice of them are so good
  • 7. the Loco-motion by Kylie Minogue
    she is so cute, this first hit of Kylie is a boom! She is one of the better singers of the 80's, she appeared on the scene at a early age
  • 6. The Different Story (World of lust & Crime) by Peter Schilling
    This song is very interesting, he has a very good voice i think it's a good singer, and i prefer this song than Major Tom
  • 5. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
    well Rick Astley is a very good singer, and my mother says that he is handsome, well i don't know, but i like all of his songs
  • 4. Just can't get enough by Depeche Mode
    Well it's a song that represents Depeche Mode, for me Depeche Mode are very similar to PSB it's like New Order and Kon Kan
  • 3. It's a sin by Pet Shop Boys
    For me It's a sin it's the better song of PSB, it's the song for that i knew PSB
  • 2. Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order
    why? because that song is a boom! New Order and Kon Kan are very similar if you don't realize, New Order and Kon Kan are 80's ^^
  • 1. I beg your pardon (I never promised a rose garden) by Kon Kan
    Well, this song is extremely good for me, that band make a very big achievement in the late 80's with that song, other songs of that band are Harry Houdini, Move to move, Bite the bullet, Puss in boots/these boots are made for walking, Liberty, but the better song for me is I beg your pardon.
Well I Prefer the New Wave o Disco of the 80's, something that i can dance, only Erasure is not in the list because the song of Erasure that i love is Love to hate you and that song appeared in the early 90's, you see? the 80's are better even if they are in another time ^^
By: Barry Longbottom
  • 10. Real LifeSend me an Angel by
    well, first i hear "Piece of my heart" of "Intermission" that is a techno, and then i hear "Send me an angel" and i realize that has the same rhythm and I like both of them
  • 9. You spin me 'round by Dead or alive
    If you have seen the video you hate this group, but if you first hear the song you think that the voice of teh singer is very strange but is very good
  • 8. Color my Love by Fun Fun
    This girls are a perfect duo, since I hear Color my Love or Baila Bolero I start to think how could be the singers if the voice of them are so good
  • 7. the Loco-motion by Kylie Minogue
    she is so cute, this first hit of Kylie is a boom! She is one of the better singers of the 80's, she appeared on the scene at a early age
  • 6. The Different Story (World of lust & Crime) by Peter Schilling
    This song is very interesting, he has a very good voice i think it's a good singer, and i prefer this song than Major Tom
  • 5. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
    well Rick Astley is a very good singer, and my mother says that he is handsome, well i don't know, but i like all of his songs
  • 4. Just can't get enough by Depeche Mode
    Well it's a song that represents Depeche Mode, for me Depeche Mode are very similar to PSB it's like New Order and Kon Kan
  • 3. It's a sin by Pet Shop Boys
    For me It's a sin it's the better song of PSB, it's the song for that i knew PSB
  • 2. Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order
    why? because that song is a boom! New Order and Kon Kan are very similar if you don't realize, New Order and Kon Kan are 80's ^^
  • 1. I beg your pardon (I never promised a rose garden) by Kon Kan
    Well, this song is extremely good for me, that band make a very big achievement in the late 80's with that song, other songs of that band are Harry Houdini, Move to move, Bite the bullet, Puss in boots/these boots are made for walking, Liberty, but the better song for me is I beg your pardon.
Well I Prefer the New Wave o Disco of the 80's, something that i can dance, only Erasure is not in the list because the song of Erasure that i love is Love to hate you and that song appeared in the early 90's, you see? the 80's are better even if they are in another time ^^
By: Barry Longbottom
  • 10. Send me an Angel by Real Life
    well, first i hear "Piece of my heart" of "Intermission" that is a techno, and then i hear "Send me an angel" and i realize that has the same rhythm and I like both of them
  • 9. You Spin Me 'round by Dead Or Alive
    If you have seen the video you hate this group, but if you first hear the song you think that the voice of teh singer is very strange but is very good
  • 8. Color my Love by Fun Fun
    This girls are a perfect duo, since I hear Color my Love or Baila Bolero I start to think how could be the singers if the voice of them are so good
  • 7. The Loco-motion by Kylie Minogue
    she is so cute, this first hit of Kylie is a boom! She is one of the better singers of the 80's, she appeared on the scene at a early age
  • 6. The Different Story (World of lust & Crime) by Peter Schilling
    This song is very interesting, he has a very good voice i think it's a good singer, and i prefer this song than Major Tom
  • 5. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
    well Rick Astley is a very good singer, and my mother says that he is handsome, well i don't know, but i like all of his songs
  • 4. Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
    Well it's a song that represents Depeche Mode, for me Depeche Mode are very similar to PSB it's like New Order and Kon Kan
  • 3. It's A Sin by Pet Shop Boys
    For me It's a sin it's the better song of PSB, it's the song for that i knew PSB
  • 2. Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order
    why? because that song is a boom! New Order and Kon Kan are very similar if you don't realize, New Order and Kon Kan are 80's ^^
  • 1. I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised A Rose Garden) by Kon Kan
    Well, this song is extremely good for me, that band make a very big achievement in the late 80's with that song, other songs of that band are Harry Houdini, Move to move, Bite the bullet, Puss in boots/these boots are made for walking, Liberty, but the better song for me is I beg your pardon.
Well I Prefer the New Wave o Disco of the 80's, something that i can dance, only Erasure is not in the list because the song of Erasure that i love is Love to hate you and that song appeared in the early 90's, you see? the 80's are better even if they are in another time ^^

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