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: Glenn
  • 10. Freeze Frame by The J Geils Band
    I love the Synth in this song I used to sit in my bedroom on my mini synth and duplicate it until my fingers said stop no more.
  • 9. Love Plus One by Haircut One Hundred
    Great song with everything in it Horns Synths takes me back to when I was 16 in high school.
  • 8. Only You by Yazoo
    What a talent this song has got a real feal I especially love the squeaky sound reminds me of a playground swing really sparks the imagination.
  • 7. Six Months In a Leaky Boat by Split Enz
    These guys I know are from NZ but we claim them in Auz what a brilliant piece of world class production.
  • 6. My Hearts On Fire by Machinations
    My favourite home band of the 80's so under appreciated outside Auz have to be some of the best talent in the world I love the syth bass lines the best bass rift off all time.
  • 5. You Are by Lionel Richie
    I know a bit soppy but the musical arrangment with the syth bass brilliant.I bet knowone today could duplicate very classy.
  • 4. Generals and Majors by XTC
    Fun well put together song and yes that is Richard Branson in the film clip.
  • 3. Dancing on The Jetty by INXS
    I know this is extremely early 80,s one of their earliest but as far as I am concerned their best!!!
  • 2. To Cut a Long Story Short by Spandau Ballet
    This was there first and best single it's a pity they changed so much a real 80's feel to this song I love it.What a brilliant use of synths.
  • 1. Love My Way by Pschedelic Furs
    This song to me encompasses the 80's sound and feel in a time that I was lucky enough to grow up in.Takes me back every time I hear it BRILLIANT!!!!! PS: It's meaning couldn't be any more revelant for where we are today listen and take note!!!
I have left out many that I could have included so many to choose from since I grew up,in the 80's I think I have every TAPE produced then what a musical stand out decade I personally think the music back then sound more modern and expertly produced than anything today!!!
By: Hahahaha
i think every song is good in this list..
By: Emilio Velez
  • 10. What Have I Done To Deserve This by Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfled
  • 9. The Lebannon by The Human League
  • 8. You Win Again by Bee Gees
  • 7. La Fuerza Del Destino by Mecano
    Another spanish song
  • 6. Baby Jane by Rod Stewart
  • 5. Codo by Thauchen Prokopetz - Dof
  • 4. Hold Me Now by Thompson Twins
  • 3. Embrujada by Tino Casal
    Spanish song
  • 2. Vienna by Ultravox
  • 1. Endless Love by Lionel Ritchie - Diana Ross
By: Alexander
By: Jasmine Maddock
  • 10. Hey Little Girl by Icehouse
    It makes me think of my troubled past and I cry. Its simple, haunting and a loners lament. When you try, and everything goes wrong, and you get it in the neck, by people who dont have your best interests at heart.
  • 9. Voyage Voyage by Desireless
    This plaintive electronic slice of ambiguous sexuality in the singer melancholy and exquisitely french, underrated but gorgeous.
  • 8. Killing Moon/nocturnal Me by Echo And The Bunnymen
    The best thing to come out of a land of bleached hair and happy chaps with bald heads, comes this incredible sophisticated dark moody gorgeous sounding band with quite possibly the most sublime song ever recorded. All echo songs genius, but these two. Are. Beyond. Its not about gay love, its about god. The other song is sinister in a suave way, dramatic, powerful brooding and handsome with opinion like the Mccullogh himself. Now why are there not any men like him in london?
  • 7. Eloise by The Damned
    No dont like anything else they have done, and this is a cover, but what a cover. Far better, darker and suave than the John Barry original.
  • 6. Hyperactive/she Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
    If you are hyperactive in science experiments, you could, like the bespectacled Dolby, end up playing a woman like a cello, and have a talking box head that peels off to reveal another. Genius videos. Slick, eccentric songs. Loves cats.
  • 5. Time Became The Tide/living On The Ceiling by Blancmange
    In the not entirely unattractive Neil Arthur, a gloriously quirky slab of topsy turvy living advice. Works if you have a fear of floors. Time... Is a melancholy sweep of lament. Excellent at videos, love the one Lose Your Love, which i just have, was dating the leader of the stuckism art movement. Anyway they smash up everything, and have spinning feet.
  • 4. Johnny And Mary/looking For Clues by Robert Palmer
    He was not just addicted to love, and addicted to shiny suits, he did some cracking quirksome tunes like this sombre elegant touching story of a couple, plus a loose limb funkathon with incredible video of weird headed characters coming out of doors.
  • 3. Babooshka by Kate Bush
    Why not pick a song because the singer is, have been told, a dead ringer for me! That and 1930s film actresses! Not only is she perfect, gorgeous and brunette- like a snow white, and yes I do fancy her with Grace Kelly, this song has other world yowls and breaking glass in it. Totally original. Had it on before my surrealism artwork was exhibited at garboushan Beverly Hills, so means something extra.
  • 2. Twenty Years Ago- Live, On Play Album/i Wanted Your Heart by Magazine
    Screwed up wonky jazz tinged frenetic genius, from the norths most underrated and Beatles free band.
  • 1. Gloomy Sunday/paper House/party Fears Two by The Associates
    Exquisite, dark, beautiful, luscious, crisp, melancholy and superior. And the music is not half bad either! Billy Mckenzie was a four octave singer and with them unique multi textured keyboards, they were, like the best bands, never destined for great success.
So many songs, so little space. The 80s were about extremes-crap and genius. For every black lace or dodgy metal band was sheer brilliance and invention. Also worth a spin are kraftwerk not just for gorgeous wolfgang flur, china crises, OMD joan of arc... had a heart, Furniture brilliant minds, the Communards so cold the night, Erasure, Yazoo, and the camp surreal sarcasm of sparks.
By: Ralon
  • 10. Place In This World by Michael W. Smith
    Regardless of beliefs, this song can be uplifting.
  • 9. Brother to Brother by Billy Burnette
    The theme from Gleaming the Cube by James House is good, but there's something about the end credits song.
  • 8. Lonely Nights by Bryan Adams
    One of the rarer, but best Bryan Adams songs.
  • 7. Beat's So Lonely by Charlie Sexton
    Largely forgotten, great '80s-sounding song. Featured in Some Kind of Wonderful. Deserves radio play.
  • 6. Sometimes by Erasure
    Nice synth-pop song.
  • 5. Say It, Say It by E.G. Daily
    Voice of Tommy Pickles. Nice littled diddy, with a music video paying homage to Lolita.
  • 4. Turn It Up by Nick Kamen
    In Honey I Shrun kthe Kids.
  • 3. You Don't Know by Scarlett & Black
    Beautiful.
  • 2. Rush Hour by Jane Wiedlin
    Kind of a dream, quintessential '80s pop sound.
  • 1. Everlasting Love by Rachel Sweet & Rex Smith
    Fun. Nice voices.
I can't pick ten favorite songs from the '80s, but here are ten of the more obscure songs I listen to a lot. Hope some of these will be introductions to new songs you enjoy. B ]
By: danleenc
By: Frank Jablonski
  • 10. Man In The Moon by Voice Of The Beehive
  • 9. Silent Lucidity by Queensryche
  • 8. Imagination by Xymox
  • 7. Breathless by Spk
  • 6. Deep And Wide And Tall by Aztec Camera
  • 5. Waiting For The Redbird by Easterhouse
  • 4. Big Man Restless by Kissing The Pink
  • 3. Coeur Perdu by Lise Loyal
  • 2. A Trick Of The Light by The Triffids
  • 1. Country Of Love by Annabel Lamb
By: Jan Griffiths
  • 10. Sara by Jefferson Starship (or just Starship)
    Song came out just before the Challenger disaster, and I heard it shortly after it happened. Makes me think of it every time I hear the song.
  • 9. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) by Hall and Oates
    I like the instrumentation of this song. Also used by Simply Red as "Sonrise".
  • 8. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham
    All-time favorite 80s song!! I have an extended dance mix of this, including an instrumental version.
  • 7. True by Spandau Ballet
    One of my favorite slow songs of the 80s.
  • 6. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    I love this song, as well as the parody "Weird Al" Yankovic did called "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch".
  • 5. Cars by Gary Numan
    I just like the song.
  • 4. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    Great dance number in its day.
  • 3. Thriller by Michael Jackson
    I love Vincent Price in this song.
  • 2. (Don't You) Forget About Me by Simple Minds
    Just a great song to go with a great movie! (The Breakfast Club)
  • 1. Take on Me by A-ha
    Cool song and video
I have many more favorite 80s songs than this, but I just put ones here that have some significance at certain times in my life during the 80s.
By: Ryruko
  • 10. Save it For Later by English Beat
    Positively splendid song.
  • 9. Michael Caine by Madness
    Absolutely!
  • 8. Down in the Tube Station at Midnight by The Jam
    Gotta love mod revival.
  • 7. Police On My Back by The Clash
    Nope, I guess the Clash is my favorite 80's band!
  • 6. Dreams Never End by New Order
    Love them! I had a hard time choosing between Dreams Never End and Age of Consent
  • 5. Chandeliers by Care
    I just discovered Care a little while ago, already a favorite!
  • 4. Dying Day by Orange Juice
    Probably my favorite 80's band, Love Edwyn Collins
  • 3. Sorry For Laughing by JOSEF K
    Absolutely fantastic song!
  • 2. Heartland by The Sound
    A great band that very few people remember.
  • 1. Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) by Icicle Works
    Probably the first 80's song I loved.
I regret that I have but 10 songs to choose. Aztec Camera, Wild Swans, The Chameleons, The Comsat Angels, Joy Division, Disease, Haricut 100, Squeeze, XTC, The Alarm ande so many more
By: Dujon
By: Michael
By: Daniel
  • 10. Thunder Struck by Ac/dc
  • 9. Rocknroll All Nite by Kiss
  • 8. Black Dog by Led Zeppelin
  • 7. Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin
  • 6. Hells Bells by Ac/dc
  • 5. Highway To Hell by Ac/dc
  • 4. Welcome To The Jungle by Gunsnroses
  • 3. Sweet Child O Mine by Gunsnroses
  • 2. God Of Thunder by Kiss
  • 1. Heavens On Fire by Kiss
i can't believe some of you like def leppard it is the worst band of all time and listen to kiss sometime it is the best band of all time.
By: Ed Lara
By: Aaron
By: Paulp1
  • 10. Take It On The Run by Reo Speedwagon
  • 9. Self Control by Laura Branigan
  • 8. Crime Of Passion by Mike Oldfield & Barry Palmer
  • 7. Jeopardy by Gregh Kihn Band
  • 6. 'cause You Are Young by Cc Catch
  • 5. You Keep Me Hanging On by Kim Wilde
  • 4. Change by Tears For Fears
  • 3. Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benatar
  • 2. Song For Denise by Piano Fantasia
  • 1. Bad Boy by Den Harrow
!!!
By: Fitzfunk
  • 10. True by Spandau Ballet
    Last but not least I was young enough not to get caught up in the New Romantic Fade Thank F&@k
  • 9. The Party by Kraze
    Ya all wan dis party Started right excuse me excuse me stop pushing in your steppin all over my shoes
  • 8. Message From Hq! Don't Push Me Cause by Grand Master Flash
  • 7. Now That We Found Love by Heavy D And The Boyz
    What we gonna do with it
  • 6. Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
    Such a Bad time for anglo Irish Relations No more Killing in Enniskillen
  • 5. All Cried Out by Alison Moyet
    well had to really
  • 4. Don't Leave Me This Way by Jimmy Somerville
    Confused the hell out of me as a small boy him sing high and Alison Moyet A tenner
  • 3. The Final Countdown by Europe
    Reminds me of my first school disco in 1986 and Tommy used to work on the docks.
  • 2. Where Ever I Lay My Hat by Paul Young
    Thats my Home
  • 1. Nineteen by Paul Hardcastle
    Hard hitter
By: Randall Jackson
  • 10. Another Brick in the Wall Part II by Pink Floyd
    We don't need no education. Ironic.
  • 9. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
    Based solely on its cultural impact, this has to be on my list. Rickrolling justifies this.
  • 8. I Can't Stand It by Eric Clapton
    Clapton's best 80s song by far.
  • 7. Don't Stop Believing by Journey
    No comment needed.
  • 6. Master of Puppets by Metallica
    Yet again, how did Metallica not have a song on VH1's list?
  • 5. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham!
    Damn you George Michael!
  • 4. Angel of Death by Slayer
    Can we just go ahead and say that Slayer invented death metal with Reign in Blood?
  • 3. Peace Sells by Megadeth
    Great song on a great album.
  • 2. Jump by Van Halen
    If I even hear the word jump I start mentally singing this.
  • 1. One by Metallica
    The fact that VH1 didn't have this on their top 100 for the 80s shows how pathetic they are. Arguably Metallica's best song.
I'm surprised that despite metal hitting its heyday in this decade, no one really has any metal songs on their list.
By: Dantendo
The 80's Had The Most Talent And Hits And Sound Was At Its Peak Back Then - The Last 20 Years Or So Has Been Dreadful And Will No Doubt Continue
By: Scott D

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