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: John J
  • 10. To France by Mike Oldfield
    Beautiful Song
  • 9. Aldebaran by Enya
    unkown but awesome
  • 8. Scoundrel Days by A-Ha
    what a voice
  • 7. Stay On These Roads by A-Ha
    Sad Heartbreaking tune
  • 6. One Hundred Years by The Cure
    One Hundred Years
  • 5. Fallen Angel by Alphaville
    Such Angelic Emotion
  • 4. The Same Deep Water As You by The Cure
    Disintegration Forever
  • 3. Unforgettable Fire by U2
    A Gem
  • 2. Stripped by Depeche Mode
    some little darkness
  • 1. John by Desireless
    Very beautiful song.
This List Is Attempt to pick The bigget jewels!!!
By: Bástya Elvtárs
By: Joseph Small
I'm a huge fan of 80's New Wave. I wish this was a top 100 list.
By: Scotty V.
Love the 80s
By: Juan Carlos
  • 10. Who´s Holding Donna Now by Debarge
  • 9. Saint Elmo Fires by John Parr
  • 8. I Can Dream About You by Dan Hartman
  • 7. Don´t Shed A Tear by Paul Carrack
  • 6. Promises Promises by Naked Eyes
  • 5. Heaven Help Me by Deon Estus
  • 4. Especially For You by Kylie Minogue & Jason Donovan
  • 3. Where Are You Now? by Jimmy Harnen & Synch
  • 2. It Would Take A Strong Strong Man by Rick Atsley
  • 1. Mary´s Prayer by Danny Wilson
    It´s a gorgeous song, always bring the best times of my life
By: A.e.k.
By: Stan
  • 10. Break My Stride by Matthew Wilder
    Still turn this song up every time it comes on. One of the first 45s I ever bought!
  • 9. Mickey by Toni Basil
    What was the name of my crush in college? Hmmmm
  • 8. Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield
    My 80s mancrush 2.0. a defining song of the 80s!
  • 7. Walking On Sunshine by Katrina & the Waves
    Such an uplifting tune. Can still see my roommate jumping around to this tune!
  • 6. Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
    My 80s mancrush. One of the finest pop songs of any decade.
  • 5. Believe It Or Not by Joey Scarbury
    I fell in love with this song on the series and was thrilled it was released as a single.
  • 4. Holiday by Madonna
    Simply....Madonna at her finest.
  • 3. Missing You by John Waite
    Love this song but still hate how the video ends!
  • 2. You Should Hear How She Talks About You by Melissa Manchester
    Goes right along with my crush in college. You should have heard....
  • 1. Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac
    My favorite song of the entire decade. One of the finest songs ever!
I have compiled a Top 100 songs of the 70s, 80, 90s and 00s. The songs here are just the tip of a very big iceberg. I miss the 80s!
By: Pratik
  • 10. Everything Counts by Depeche Mode
    Hints at their future material' greatness but there's a pleasing spirit here.
  • 9. Th First Picture of You by The Lotus Eaters
    Peter Coyle sings this one with unabashed romanticism.
  • 8. Forever Young by Alphaville
    Forever immortal for me.
  • 7. Swamp Thing by THe Chameleons UK
    Post Punk Perfection
  • 6. All Through the Night by Cyndi Lauper
    Often under looked but probably the best song of the album.
  • 5. Purple Rain by Prince
    One of his greatest songs.
  • 4. Radio Free Europe by R.E.M
    A great alternative rock single that changed the college rock scene.
  • 3. Lorelei by Cocteau Twins
    Ethereal sums this up.
  • 2. Running Up the hill by Kate Bush
    Great voice and thunderous synths
  • 1. There is a light that never goes ou by The Smiths
    The perfect indie jangle song.
There are of course countless other songs that could have made the list but the aim here was to showcase the brilliance and diversity of 80s music which is often mistaken to be a decade of decadence.This list is just the tip of the iceberg for anyone wanting to explore the 80s.
By: Mathieu Longchamps
Top10 New Wave/Pop mainstream songs only. No punk-rock or metal bands.
By: Wolfchild
  • 10. Smothered Hope by Skinny Puppy
    Founders of the electro-industrial genre. They fuse elements of electro, ambient,new wave and rock music and make innovative use of sampling. Major cult following of this band!
  • 9. Join In The Chant by Nitzer Ebb
    A hard pounding in your face track that spawned the EBM movement and fully welcomed by Industrial enthusiasts everywhere!
  • 8. Love Missile F1-11 by Sigue Sigue Sputnik
    Maybe a tad overplayed. Still the track deserves merit for its over the top sampling and infectious driving beat with well timed synth music. Major club staple in the 80s from the fifth generation of rock 'n' roll band.
  • 7. Strangelove (original version) by Depeche Mode
    One of the the top 5 for any DM fan. This song's catchy from beginning to end.
  • 6. A Strange Day by The Cure
    Bands lyrics are important to me! This brooding song has to be one of the best from The Cure! From 1982, Pornography was very dark and was released at a time when they almost disbanded due to turbulence in the group!
  • 5. Russian Roulette by Lords Of The New Church
    Great track by an English/American Gothic rock supergroup consisting of Stiv Bators(Dead Boys), Brian James(The Damned), Dave Tregunna(Sham 69) et al. The song has instant charm is melodic and more slickly produced than most of the punk bands that they were in.
  • 4. Welcome To Paradise by Front 242
    Major alternative dance floor staple from 1988. A top 10 of any Industrial or EBM fan. Lots of samples and hooks! I've heard their music be labelled as Punk Rock meets Electronica.
  • 3. Discipline by Malhavoc
    Cool Canadian industrial metal band formed in February 1983. Song with an in your face beat. Malhavoc fuses techno elements with death/trash metal. Truly ahead of their time.
  • 2. Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus
    Gothic rock forefathers. A haunting song that keeps you listening to the tempo and heed the well written lyrics.
  • 1. Lucretia My Reflection by Sisters Of Mercy
    Off the amazing 1987 Floodland album. Another track with a brooding, in your face beat and haunting vocals.
This list is the darker side of the 80s! I don't expect everyone to agree with this list but it is what it is! enjoy!
By: MiataMike 99er
  • 10. Gone West by Rain Parade
    I always play this song as a SUITE Gone West, Its Only Business & My Sweet Country. The Personification of JANGLE-POP; 80s at its best
  • 9. She Took a Drink From the Radio by Comstat Angles
    A Brilliantly edgy band that took a fatal wrong turn. Having delivered the greatest 3 LPs in Post Punk, they tinkered with their sound...oh well!!!
  • 8. Empire Days by The Opposition
    We were driving at night and the infamous SF Fog rolled in "Turn that S*** off, your music is Creeping me OUT!!!" Haunting, drowning melodies...
  • 7. Only Moments Ago... by The Lucy Show
    POST PUNK was 1978 (Joy Division) to 1994 (Lush) Shoegazing. Nirvana, an 80s band killed Post Punk with Grunge which went Alternative to Post Alt.
  • 6. Throw Your Arms Around Me by Hunters & Gatherers
    These Aussies took an old Crowded House song and made it their own. These musicians were cursed coming to age in the 80s. Just too many good bands
  • 5. Primary by The Cure
    This song is one of the most UN-Cure-like songs in the Cure Cannon. As pure Power-Punk, it rivals anything the Sex Pistols put out but is accessable
  • 4. Tears by The Chameleons
    A criminally ignored band. The Chameleons defined JANGLE-POP better than REM or the DBs ever could. A breath-taking masterpiece
  • 3. A Dream Away by The Cars
    The most UN-Car-like song in the Cars cannon. This is Post-Punk at its best.
  • 2. Remnants by The Box
    Want to freak a Police fan out? Play Message in a Bottle, Walking on the Moon and this song. Then ask the fan what Police LP did it come from?
  • 1. Kenneth Baker (is a Sick Man) by Bill Pritchard
    I pride myself is being a debauchee of edgy 80s music. Haunting melodies that creep people out. Do not play this music alone & in the dark
They say we are all entombed in the Music of our Youth and I am no exception. Play ANY MODERN Rock remnant of a song and I will immediately look for Beatlesque harmonies & Hooks or 80s sensibilities like 'The 1975' that sound like a John Huges soundtrack to 16 Candles. Although I came to age in the late 60s, the POST Punk (1978-1994) was my MUSIC. Rock died 31DEC1999 and I grieve its passage. Today, all they play is RAP, R&B, Souless Blue Eyed Soul and electronic music. Why is that? It has nothing to do with TASTES and all to do with EXPENSES. Rock is too expensive to produce today. With Rap, its a one take rap, feed it into the computer for the musical wallpaper that goes for songcraft and boom-in the can in under an hour. Digital Killed the Rock & Roll Star!!! Other bands to check out 1.) 17 Pygmies 2.)Sad Lovers & Giants 3.) Souxie & the Banchees 4.)Pink Turns Blue 5.) Adult Net/The Fix 6.)The The 7. The Sound 8. Talk Talk 9. 3 O'clock 10. Urban Verbs
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