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: Keith
  • 10. I Can't Wait by Nu Shooz
    This song reeks of the 1980's, but it's excellent!
  • 9. Uptown Girl by Billy Joel
    Best of the 80's hits he had.
  • 8. I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett
    How can anyone NOT love this song? Put another dime in the jukebox baby!
  • 7. Shadows Of The Night by Pat Benatar
    Best song from good ole Pat
  • 6. We Don't Have To Take Our Clothes Off by Jermaine Stewart
    Terrific dance song from 1986!
  • 5. Breakout by Swing Out Sister
    Just a good song to bob your head to! :)
  • 4. Touch Me (All Night Long) by Wish, Feat. Fonda Rae
    From 1984, featured in the film "A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge"
  • 3. Goody Two Shoes by Adam Ant
    Love the video of the posh woman going wild!
  • 2. West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys
    East end boys and west end girls...
  • 1. Give Me The Reason by Luther Vandross
    Excellent synth song from the comedy "Ruthless People"
By: Slumlord
  • 10. She's Crafty by Beastie Boys
    now come on.. you all know beastie boys changed your life
  • 9. All Hell Breaks Loose by The Misfits
    misfits. nuff said.
  • 8. Killing Moon by Echo And The Bunnymen
    light gothic. alot of soul. one of the best albums of the 80s.
  • 7. Blister In The Sun by Violent Femmes
    skipping school, drinking maddog 20/20, and smoking out on the way to skate downtown. thats all i can remember.
  • 6. Freak Scene by Dinosaur Jr.
    one of the most talented guitarists of the late 80s early 90s. they may say Slash.. but they'd be wrong
  • 5. A Strange Day by The Cure
    another band any 80s list should not be without. everyone has their favorite cure album. mine is pornography
  • 4. The Only One I Know by The Charlatans
    a song i stole from my, hipper then me, girlfriend to make one of my own favorites.
  • 3. Birthday by Sugarcubes
    definite underground classic. bjorks weird creepy moans.. gotta love bjork
  • 2. Strangelove by Depeche Mode
    the music for the masses album was the first cassette i'd ever bought with my own money. a strange album with alot of ambient gothic tone. i loved it. still listen to that album.. as well as all the other dm
  • 1. Every Day Is Like Sunday by The Smiths
    if the smiths arent in your top 10 then you missed the 80s
By: Megan
By: nikki
  • 10. Open Arms by Journey
  • 9. Always by Bon Jovi
  • 8. Do You Really Wanna Hurt Me by Culture Club
  • 7. Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran
  • 6. Every Rose Has It's Thorn by Poison
    hair bands rock!!!
  • 5. I Touch Myself by Divinyls
  • 4. Another One Rides The Bus by Weird Al
    this is the song that made him known
  • 3. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N Roses
    its a song that will always be one of the greats
  • 2. White Wedding by Billy Idol
    billy idol was sooooooo hotttttt
  • 1. Hey Ricky by Weird Al
By: jenn
  • 10. Goonies Are Good Enough by Cyndi Lauper
    everybody loves this song, deep down inside
  • 9. Walk by Pantera
  • 8. After The Rain by Nelson
  • 7. Fly By Night by Rush
    cause i am canadian
  • 6. Everybody Have Fun Tonight by Wang Chung
  • 5. Standing On Top Of The World by Van Halen
  • 4. Jump by Van Halen
    meh
  • 3. Smoking In The Boys Room by Motley Crue
    need i say more?
  • 2. With Or With Out You by U2
    that's right
  • 1. Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
    best druming by a guy with one arm
i love hair metal, motley crue rules and so does van halen. i am pathetic
By: Mr. Jones
By: James
  • 10. Like A Prayer by Madonna
    Okay, the video created quite a stir, but the song would have been great on its own.
  • 9. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) by Whitney Houston
    By far, Whitney's best song of the 80s if not ever!
  • 8. Papa Don't Preach by Madonna
    First she was like a virgin, then she was keeping her baby!
  • 7. Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes
    Kim Carne's biggest hit spent nine weeks at the top in 1981.
  • 6. Like A Virgin by Madonna
    The first of Madonna's many controversial songs, a catchy tune and memorable lyrics...Touched for the very first time!
  • 5. Lost In Your Eyes by Debbie Gibson
    The ruling 80s teen queen makes this ballad a great song for a teenagers first kiss!
  • 4. Against All Odds by Phil Collins
    The movie was lame, but the song is awesome!
  • 3. Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler
    The haunting music and Bonnie Tyler's unique voice make this one of the greatest songs!
  • 2. La Isla Bonita by Madonna
    One of the forgotten Madonna songs is one of her best!
  • 1. Alone by Heart
    A power ballad that really rocks! Ann Wilson makes the song!
I miss the 80s!
By: Walt
  • 10. Summertime, Summertime by Nocera
    This was the song that got me into dance music
  • 9. C**ksucker Blues (slow version) by Rolling Stones
    Not sure of the actual recording date, but this never-officially-released Stones rarity got me hooked on rarities, bootlegs, obscure tracks etc. It was new to ME in '85, so I'm including it. If you insist on an actual '80s release, then make it "Down In The Hole"--another dark Stones song. Or "She was Hot". Or any of the slow sad songs from Tattoo You...Anyway, 5 years later I dispatched a friend to London to find CS Blues on CD. $35 was a steal for a full disc of unreleased alternate Stones cuts.
  • 8. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) by Eurhythmics
    Not really a cornerstone of my collection now, but when it came out it totally floored me.
  • 7. Kids In America by Kim Wilde
    Great, happy song, suitable for playing full blast in a convertible. Again, the life I wished I had. I had to make do with pretending my crappy Chevette on Woodward Ave was a topless Benz on Wilshire...California was only 5 years away and I wanted plenty of practise.
  • 6. Cruel Summer by Bananarama
    Just as any song with the word "dance" in the title is guaranteed to suck, so is any song about summer a guaranteed hit with me. The exotic rhythms, the wistful mood, the haunting female vocals--how could I NOT love this?
  • 5. Good Feeling by Violent Femmes
    This whole album sang my college years as if they'd been spying on me for material. I can't even guess how many sunrises I laughed at in those days.
  • 4. The Passenger by Siouxie
    Only pick ONE Siouxie song for this list?!
  • 3. When Doves Cry by Prince
    First time I heard this song one warm Detroit night and a jolt went down my spine. So hypnotic I nearly had to pull over. Probably the single best song of the decade.
  • 2. No Cure by Annabel Lamb
    A pretty song in a tragic way. Perfect for driving alone on a hot humid night, wishing you were driving toward a girl in another city.
  • 1. Tonight/This Town by Go Go's
    We're all dreamers--we're all whores. Discarded stars like worn out cars...I'd give it all for a life time like tonight...This album was the life I wanted to lead--cool-kids elite, invincible in their youth and beauty. And in California. Mind you, to my Midwestern 80s mind, ALL of CA was LA & San Diego. How wrong I was. BTW, these songs are in on particular order.
It was really hard to keep it to just 10. The very best music EVER came out then. So many groups and songs I had to leave out.
By: Huyp
  • 10. I Die: You Die by Tubeway Army
    Need I say more? Although, I'd rather have "Are 'Friends' Electric?" here, but it's from '79.
  • 9. Birthday by The Sugarcubes
    Whatever happened to the bloke?
  • 8. Breakout by Swing Out Sister
    Captures that sultry smooth sexy sound of the late 80's.
  • 7. Skip Deep by The Stranglers
    "When Punks Mature..."
  • 6. Rockit by Herbie Hancock
    Most 80's movie music seems to be based on this classic.
  • 5. William, It Was Really Nothing by The Smiths
    Short, sweet, and a little bit sad.
  • 4. Duel by Propaganda
    This is NOT Jewel, their slightly less not famous song. The mid-8 is 'arpeggio-tastic!!'
  • 3. Bedsitter by Soft Cell
    Marc Almond's bedsit actually had Madonna living in it at the time.
  • 2. Alone Again by The Damned
    A superbly 'Gothed-up' tune.
  • 1. Ghost Town by The Specials
    I live near Coventry, nothing changes.
There are many noticeable omissions from my list, but we could all shoot a Duran Duran-U2-Madonna-Eurythmics-Michael Jackson-Cure-Prince list from the hip. Also, these aren't in any particular order.
By: michael
  • 10. 18 And Life by Skid Row
    one of my fav. metal songs..skid row rocks!!!
  • 9. Jump by Van Halen
    van halen's best song..1984 was a classic album but not as good as their first
  • 8. Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds
    not a fan of the new wave stuff but a great song none the less
  • 7. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses
    awesome ballad..slash goes off on the solo
  • 6. Living On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    excellent song...bon jovi's best
  • 5. Thriller by Michael Jackson
    what can i say..he's the king of pop and this had the greatest music video of all time
  • 4. Nothing But A Good Time by Poison
    this song was at the height of the glam/heavy metal era...great party song
  • 3. Every Breath You Take by The Police
    excellent song..this song made sting a star
  • 2. Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
    this song remained at the top for a long time..great song
  • 1. Welcome To The Jungle by Guns 'N' Roses
    gosh!!!!..this song rocks, i love it..by far the best song of the 80's
i miss heavy metal music..sure nirvana was great and all but metal/hair bands didn't have to go away ..i miss 10 minute solos and long hair..i dont miss the spandex and make-up but i do miss their music and it would be great to see new hair metal bands come in and take over
By: stuie
  • 10. Boys Of Summer by Don Henley
    'Got your hair gelled back, and your sunglasses on baby.' nuff said.
  • 9. Turning Japanese by The Vapours
    Great riffs all the way through, allegedly about masterbation, making it even better if it is.
  • 8. Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns 'N' Roses
    One of the all time rock classics. Who could forget Slash's hair?
  • 7. You Spin Me Right Round (Like A Record) by Dead Or Alive
    It is a funky song even though the lead singer has completely lost the plot
  • 6. Rush Hour by Jane Weidlin
    It's just such a rush. Think she was in Wilson Phillips (dirty word), this redeemed her if she was.
  • 5. Take On Me by A-Ha
    The most distiguishable opening to any song ever, and what a video, made me want to jump in to a comic too.
  • 4. Close To Me by The Cure
    Absolute Genius. The video in the cuboard is brilliant.
  • 3. Modern Love by David Bowie
    A Classic from King Dave, no matter what decade its from.
  • 2. Somewhere In My heart by Aztec Camera
    'Summer in the City and the air is still', most memorable opening line on the decade.
  • 1. Every Breath You Take by The Police
    Back when Sting wrote Great Songs. This is one of the greatest. ever.
An appology to Fergal Sharkey, A Good Heart these days is even harder to find, but the boys of summer pushed you out of the top 10#. Award for the most bizarre song goes to Prefab Sprout for 'Alberkerque'. What was all that about??
By: Pedro
  • 10. Back In Black by AC/DC
    One of the best riffs ever
  • 9. Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
    He coundn't be out of any 80's list
  • 8. Rainbow In The Dark by Dio
    I just love this pop metal hits
  • 7. Miles Away by Winger
    Great rythm
  • 6. Love Ain't No Stranger by Whitesnake
    I guess that's Whitesnake's biggest hit. Heavy guittars, great melody
  • 5. Good Enough by Cindy Lauper
    The soung is greate, the movie is great. Well, Goonies are good enough
  • 4. Your Love by Outfield
    I just wanna use your love tonight... The gittars and the vocal are very distinctive
  • 3. Take On Me by A-HA
    Very dancy, it's benning is a riff that crows into your brain
  • 2. Shot In The Dark by Ozzy Osbourne
    This is the de facto Ozzy's pop hit. A great song
  • 1. Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    This is the kind of song that can bring you up in minute. Besides, I just love the rebel stile that Jon Bon Jovi used to look to the camera on this video.
By: Hugo Lopez
  • 10. Fall On Me by REM
    Great Stipe!!! Don't stop singing!
  • 9. Voices Carry by 'Til Tuesday
    The most beautiful melody
  • 8. The Perfect Kiss by New Order
    What a symphony!!!
  • 7. Where The Streets Have No Name by U2
    Inmejorable, thanks U2!
  • 6. A Forest by The Cure
    Great masters!!!
  • 5. Space Age Love Song by A Flock Of Seagulls
    Inmensa!!
  • 4. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out by The Smiths
    Perfect
  • 3. If You Leave by OMD
    Beautiful. Too much feeling.
  • 2. The Killing Moon by Echo And The Bunnymen
    Pure feeling, always makes me cry. I will always listen to.
  • 1. Vienna by Ultravox
    The 80's Symbol of Music!!!
Gypsy (Fleetwood Mac), Ice Age - Atmosphere - Ceremony (Joy Division)
By: Crystal
  • 10. Paul Revere by Beastie Boys
    This is one of the very very few rap songs I actually like.
  • 9. Angel Of The Morning by Juice Newton
    This is much better than the new Shaggy version
  • 8. Angel Eyes by Steelheart
    the guitar on this song was incredible
  • 7. Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
    Boy George!! This song always got stuck in my head.
  • 6. Angel by Aerosmith
    This was a beautiful song and video
  • 5. Fly To The Angels by Slaughter
    This was a great great song and still is.
  • 4. Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
    This is a classic!
  • 3. Celebrate by Kool and the Gang
    when I was a kid we used to jump up and down to this song!
  • 2. Don't Know What You Got ( Till It's Gone) by Cinderella
    Tom K's voice sends shivers down my spine every time...and those lips!
  • 1. I'll Be There For You by Bon Jovi
    This was a wonderful breakup song to get mad and cry to
By: Jay
By: Brandon P.
  • 10. Rock of Ages by Def Leppard
    This song gets you pumped up for anything.
  • 9. Beat It by Michael Jackson
    The King of Pop. The greatest performer ever.
  • 8. Armaggeddon It by Def Leppard
    Again, Def Leperd
  • 7. You Give Love A Bad Name by Bon Jovi
  • 6. Cum On Feel The Noize by Quiet Riot
    This makes your house shake when you play it.
  • 5. Jump by Van Halen
    Back when they were good. With David Lee.
  • 4. Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
    Have no idea what they are saying. But it is a great song.
  • 3. Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
    Best Ballad of all time.
  • 2. Photograph by Def Leppard
    What can I say. Def Leperd. Best band ever.
  • 1. Livin On A Prayer by Bon Jovi
    Best rock song ever written.
People think that I am stupid for liking 80's rock. But I think it is the best. There was never a better time for rock. p.s. Def Leperd is the greatest.
By: Peter Manalo
By: Giuliano
  • 10. The Reflex by Duran Duran
  • 9. Hand On Your Heart by Kylie Minogue
  • 8. Imagination by Belouis Some
  • 7. Sexshooter by Apollonia 6
  • 6. Nothing Can Divide Us by Jason Donovan
  • 5. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side by The Smiths
  • 4. Into The Groove by Madonna
  • 3. Apollo 9 by Adam Ant
  • 2. You Keep Me Hangin' On by Kim Wilde
  • 1. Calling Your Name by Marilyn
By: Dan Hills
  • 10. Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
    OZZY!!! OZZY!!! He puts the fun back in disfunctional!
  • 9. 19 by Paul Hardcastle
    Whatever happened to this guy?
  • 8. Still Loving You by Scorpions
    Gotta have some Scorpions in here!
  • 7. Train In Vain by The Clash
    Should I Stay or Should I Go was a close second...
  • 6. Subdivisions by Rush
    Definately hard to pick just ONE song from these guys!
  • 5. Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) by Dramarama
    Let's hear it for the one hit wonders!
  • 4. Send Me An Angel by Real Life
    Gotta love the intro...
  • 3. Dear God by XTC
    Great tune!
  • 2. Bringin' On The Heartbreak by Def Leppard
    My favorite Def Leppard song
  • 1. Blasphemous Rumors by Depeche Mode
    Surprised I didn't see this one in here already.
These are my top ten. It was pretty hard narrowing it down to just ten. These songs remind me of my golden years... before the wife... kids... body aches and pains... The realization that I'm not immortal.
By: mario eliessetch

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