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: Joey Bujold
  • 10. Tainted love by The Clash
    i love the vibe the music i should have put this number 4 but this is ok great song
  • 9. Anymore by Travis Tritts
    this was a beautiful song
  • 8. Its Still Rock And Roll To Me by Billy Joel
    great song best vibe, best background music, best lyrics it was an awesome song
  • 7. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    i love cyndis music she was great i wish i could of put it higher but its number 7 it was good
  • 6. You Really Got Me by Van Halen
    this was a really xool song they took it and said we can make it work and it did
  • 5. TNT by AC/DC
    i wish this song was longer it was awesome WoW
  • 4. Come To My Window by Melissa Etheridge
    great song and great lyrics
  • 3. Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler and Meatloaf
    this song had attitude and power and people still today are singing it and re-writting it
  • 2. Thriller by Michael Jackson
    it was a great song went platinum more then 4 times wow
  • 1. She Bop by Cyndi Lauper
    this song made female singers what they are today great song
By: MASTERUDY
  • 10. Too Shy by Kajagoogoo
    The Best Of The British Invasion
  • 9. Raspberry Berret by Prince And The Revolution
    groovy!
  • 8. What About Me by Saga
    Rules!
  • 7. Ode To Boy by Yaz
    Alison Moyet Vince Clarke Pure Energy!
  • 6. Medley's by Laurent Voulzy
    At It's Best!
  • 5. Steppin Out by Joe Jackson
    No One Like Joe Jackson
  • 4. Lay Your Hands On Me by Thompson Twins
    Unforgettable
  • 3. Sweet Sweet Baby by Erasure
    One Of The Best Electronic Songs Ever Period.
  • 2. In Love by Climmie Fisher
    Who Can Forget Them!
  • 1. Promises Promises by Naked Eyes
    One Of The Best Duo's Ever
Don't Forget The Joboxers,mr.mister,tanita Tikaram,elvis Costello,talking Heads
By: Rolando Granda
  • 10. You're In My Heart by Rod Steewart
  • 9. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
  • 8. You're My Inspiration by Chicago
  • 7. True Colors by Cindy Lauper
  • 6. Maniac Monday by Bangles
  • 5. If I Could Turn Back Time by Cher
  • 4. I'm Lost In Your Eyes by Debbie gibson
  • 3. All This Time by Tiffany
  • 2. Eternal Flame by Bangles
    Beatiful
  • 1. Like A Virgin by Madonna
    Great
By: NICOLAS SANTA
Please A Need Top 80s Of Billboard. Thak Niko
By: Alina Kang
  • 10. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears for Fears
    One of the songs that made me into an 80's music fanatic!
  • 9. Push it to the Limit by Scarface Soundtrack
    "I'm Tony Montana! You f**k with me, you f**k with the best!" That movie is too excellent to put into words. One great song from that movie!
  • 8. Endless Summer Nights by Richard Marx
    He has such a great voice..
  • 7. Foolish Heart by Journey
    Gosh I love this song! From beginning to end..:)
  • 6. True by Spandu Ballet
    I dunno..just great vocals and catchy beat...
  • 5. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    He's just a pop legend..can't leave him off the 80's list
  • 4. Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
    Wow..just such a beautiful song!
  • 3. Every Breath you Take by Police
    Whoa...those two songs kinda sound the same! I love sting!
  • 2. Take My Breath Away by Berlin
    How could you forget the movie "TopGun?!"
  • 1. Sunglasses at Night by Corey Hart
    The beat, the lyrics are so mesmerizing!!!! I love you..John:)
80's rock!
By: wayne
By: Mike
  • 10. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
    Eddie Money
  • 9. Rick Springfield by Jessies's Girl
  • 8. Duran Duran by Save A Prayer
    Reminds me of Pyramids
  • 7. Metalica by One
    Yet One Falls on the "And Justice For ALL" album... I strongly believe "Master of The Puppets" is the best
  • 6. The Cure by Six Different Ways
  • 5. Donnie Iris by Ah! Leah!
  • 4. I Ran by A Flock Of Seagulls
  • 3. Just What I Needed by The Cars
  • 2. 867 - 5309 by Tommy Tutone
  • 1. Take On Me by Ah - Ha
    Simply the best song from the 80's
Not in perfect order... THERE ARE MORE THEN 10 GREAT 80'S SONGS THESE JUST CAME TO MY MIND FIRST .. THE 80'S RULE!!!! BRING BACK MULLETS!!!!
By: Cherie
  • 10. Can't Fight This Feeling by Reo Speedwagon
    Last but not least. Oh this one I just loved!! Everytime I would hear it on the radio I would just HAVE to turn it up!!
  • 9. In The Air Tonight by Phil Collins
    Man what a great song!!!! Still is, ALWAYS will be. Timeless. This one reminds me of highschool football games and me and my friends walking around and flirting. **laugh** What fun!!!
  • 8. We Built This City by Starship
    Oh this one just made me wanna dance and dance!!!!
  • 7. Making Love Out Of Nothing At All by Air Supply
    This song was at #2 for two weeks in 1983. I get aggravated when I hear people put them down, I thought they were just GREAT!! I used to sing this song at the top of my lungs! **Laughs**
  • 6. Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler
    Was definately a hit!
  • 5. I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight by Cutting Crew
    Brings back memories of strawberry wine. **grin**
  • 4. La Isla Bonita by Madonna
    ***GRIN*** I used to REALLY let my imagination soar to this one! I was a HUGE romantic back then.......still am but the kids kinda keep my feet on the ground. **pout**
  • 3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears
    A very catchy tune. Me and a bunch of friends used to ride our 3 wheelers on the levee, on the beaches and at Fort Jackson and this tune always brings back those extremely fun memories!
  • 2. Broken Wings by Mr Mister
    Another great song !! I just love the way this man can sing. I used to sit on the rocks by the river with my headphones on and sing my heart out, watching the ships go by. **Sigh** Not a care in the world.
  • 1. The Search Is Over by Survivor
    I just love this song !!! I miss the 80's like hell. I was born in 1970 so I was lucky enough to be a teen then. This song always lifts me up.
I just wanna say that I sometimes wish I could turn back the hands of time and re-live that era........I also wish I could put ALL of my favorite hits from that time. There are so many artist I haven't mentioned. Like Billy Idol, Heart,Scorpions,Stevie Nicks,Journey,Foreigner,Duran Duran............God I could go on forever. Anyway THANKYOU for this site. It definately brought back many memories and gave me many smiles. And that's a good thing!! Cherie J.B. South Louisiana 06/22/03
By: Harris
  • 10. You Are by Lionel Richie
  • 9. Carribean Queen by Billy Ocean
  • 8. If I Could by 1927
  • 7. Atlantis is Calling ( SOS for Love ) by Modern Talking
  • 6. Maria Magdalena by Sandra
  • 5. Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge
  • 4. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
  • 3. I remember You by Skid Row
  • 2. Dream ( Dumio ) by Robert Grace
  • 1. You Set My Heart On Fire by Evans & Fisher
    Definitely #1 80's Danceable tune with good ryhthm
By: Cyndi_Fan
  • 10. Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes
    A sexy one hit wonder for Kim.
  • 9. She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
    Weird, but I love it!
  • 8. Xanadu by Olivia Newton John
  • 7. Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
    Awesome video!
  • 6. Sweet Dreams by The Eurythmics
    This is *the* ultimate 80s song.
  • 5. Rebel Yell by Billy Idol
    This is just one damn rockin' 80s tune.
  • 4. Barely Holdin' On by Lee Aaron
    This video is so "metal 80s", ya can't help but love it. Lee looks great in it too.
  • 3. Kiss Me Deadly by Lita Ford
    Lita=The epitome of sexy.
  • 2. New Moon On Monday by Duran Duran
    So catchy and the video is pretty funky,too.
  • 1. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
    Cyndi Lauper just rocks. This song, which is pretty catchy btw, is the ultimate anthem for girls all over. Forget the Spice Girls, Cyn did "grrl power" first!
By: Jane
  • 10. Miss Me Blind by Culture Club
    All the songs from Culture Club are the bomb!!
  • 9. This Place Hotel by The Jacksons
    I think people have forgotten how awesome this song was!
  • 8. Free World by Jesse Johnson's Revue
  • 7. Night to Remember by Shalimar
  • 6. She's Strange by Cameo
  • 5. Turn Your Love Around by George Benson
  • 4. Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
    The bus driver used to play the radio and inevitably this song would come on - brings back memories!
  • 3. And the Beat Goes On by The Whispers
  • 2. Off the Wall by Michael Jackson
    I didn't think much of "Off the Wall" at the time, but looking back now, I realize that's an AWESOME album!
  • 1. The Look of Love by ABC
By: Gerwin Tuason
  • 10. The Hurting/ Ideas As Opiates by Tears for Fears
    There are so many tracks i like from Roland and Kurt (especially from this album), but these two still haunts me.
  • 9. (I'm looking for) Cracks in the Pavement by Duran Duran
    "... it's full of chopsticks, I don't like it!!!" Love that line.
  • 8. Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams
    What is this Canadian doing on my list? Listen to the song yourself and you'll know why...;)
  • 7. Pretty Boy / Master and Servant by Depeche Mode
    These songs made me sweat a lot on the dancefloor.
  • 6. Cum on Feel the Noise by Quiet Riot
    I remember me and my class dudes put our right hands on our chests everytime we hear it anywhere...
  • 5. The More You Live, The More You Love by A Flock of Seagulls
    This just gotta be on my list... Roll the roach!!!
  • 4. Suicide Blonde by INXS
    Sleek groove... Brilliant phasing!
  • 3. Should I Stay or Should i Go by The Clash
    Wham! Bang!!!
  • 2. New Year's Day by U2
    It blew my mind the first time I heard it... It still brings a lot of "flashback trips." Yeah, Baby!!!
  • 1. The One I Love by REM
    The Definitive REM Song. I associate this one a lot with the 80s
There so many other songs i would have put on the list like, Walk on the Wild Side, State of the Nation, The Authority Song, Private Idaho, Catch Me I'm falling, I Eat Cannibals, Don't you Want Me, Down Under, Head Over Heels, Two Minute Warning, White Wedding, Burning Flame... YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN... The 80s is a renaissance era in music. Ask Le Bon...
By: Catsarah
  • 10. I'm Not In Love by 10cc
    love that synthesiser
  • 9. 99 Red Balloons by Nena
  • 8. On The Wings Of Love by Jeffrrey Osborne
  • 7. Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr
    Who ya gonna call?
  • 6. Opposites Attract by Paula Abdul
    Me and you, Dustin
  • 5. Heaven Is A Place On Earth by Belinda Carlisle
    If only....
  • 4. Club Tropicana by Wham!
    Tenerife '88 - classic!
  • 3. I Think We're Alone Now by Tiffany
    The beating of my heart is the only sound, Dustin
  • 2. Take On Me by Aha
    Classic
  • 1. Waiting For A Star To Fall by Boy Meets Girl
    This is one of my favourites - reminds me of my first love, Dustin. Has anyone heard from him? I know he loves 80s music.
By: Tom
By: HalynnRay
  • 10. Like a Prayer by Madonna
  • 9. Electric Avenue by Eddy Grant
  • 8. One Night In Bangkok by Murry Head
  • 7. Sun Glasses At Night by Cory Hart
  • 6. Lady In Red by Chris De Burgh
  • 5. Everybody Want's You by Billy Squire
  • 4. T'Pau by Heart and Soul
  • 3. Dead Mans Party by Oingo Boingo
  • 2. Sister Christian by Night Ranger
    This was the first 80's song that I can remember. I was very young in the 80's. It's pretty cool.
  • 1. Toy Soldiers by Martika
    I had never heard this song before, until latley thanks to free internet radio.
Taco...Puttin on the Ritz, Belinda Carslile...Heaven is a Place on Earth I was a very young child in the 80's my brothers were both teens in the 80's and their taste in music was a huge influence on me.
By: Mark Harper
  • 10. Road to Nowhere by Talking Heads
    The art-rock visionaries bring us an anthem of mislogic we can truly understand.
  • 9. Material Girl by Madonna
    Kitsch dish. Somehow this song managed to tell truth about Madonna's intentions while winking at us in a way that we just went along with it.
  • 8. The Killing Moon by Echo & the Bunnymen
    Haunting imagery.
  • 7. Train in Vain by The Clash
    A great roller-skating song.
  • 6. Brilliant Disguise by Bruce Springsteen
    Chilling, especially what came right after its release: Bruce's divorce.
  • 5. Let's Go Crazy by Prince
    Quintessential Prince, which, the by way, is quintessential '80s. Just try not to dance to this one.
  • 4. Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
    In "Big Time," everything is getting bigger: Gabe's mind, heart, even the bulge in his big, big, big, big ... But Sledgehammer drove the point home in an even bigger way.
  • 3. Under the Milky Way by The Church
    Waxing wistful 'neath the stars. Who among us doesn't carry romantic regrets from the '80s? This song comes up with a favorite phrase from the time: "loveless fascination."
  • 2. Pride (In the Name of Love) by U2
    This song embodies the social conscience of rock in the '80s, one of the era's strengths. And it still makes hair stand up on my arms.
  • 1. Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police
    So many great Police songs "Every Breath," "Don't Stand So Close," "Wrapped Around Your Finger" ... this one just rings right.
By: Josh
  • 10. Quit by Septic Death
    Some more "kill yourself" sentiment. Where have all the suicide songs gone?
  • 9. Praise of Death by Slayer
    A classic "kill yourself" number.
  • 8. Sacred Love by Bad Brains
  • 7. Drunk with Power by Discharge
    Hearing Discharge on Maximum Rock n Roll on KPFA, beamed up to my crappy radio in the middle of the night... well, it was a life changing experience.
  • 6. Millions of Dead Cops by MDC
    Millions of ways to annoy one's parents.
  • 5. You Are (the Government) by Bad Religion
    Unfortunately, Bad Religion bears some blame for inspiring the current glut of vapid melodic power punk that's foisted on us these days. But I'm not going to hold it against them. This song has a lot to do with why.
  • 4. Riding With Mary by X
    Okay so maybe X ain't so "hardcore," but I gotta give SoCal some more love. X forever!
  • 3. California Uber Alles by Dead Kennedys
    or maybe I shoulda picked "Holiday in Cambodia." You decide.
  • 2. Sacrifice by Flipper
    Maybe I'm sentimental, but this song just rules. I listened to it before Gulf War 2 started, just to see if it held up, and it sent shivers up my spine! As long as this country is run by war-mad leaders, there will always be a place for this song.
  • 1. Rise Above by Black Flag
    The lyrics come across as pretty adolescent now... but now that I think about it, they were adolescent then too. It's just that I was an adolescent at the time. To put it another way, this is a classic ode to adolescent frustration.
I love new wave as much as any other aging genX-er (even though I hated it at the time), but this list goes out to anyone who was a punk rocker in the 80s. Especially that hardy breed who lived out in the burbs, was harassed at school by jocks and teachers, and had to travel hours just to see a cool show or go to a decent record store. Those were the good old days. I guess this is a "hardcore punk only" list, so I ought to apologize to my ex-girlfriends (and my wife) for not including any death rock. and oh yeah, sorry if this list is a little west coast-centric.
By: Rachael
Honorable Mention... Duran Duran- Hungry Like the Wolf Alice Cooper- No More Mr Nice Guy Guns N Roses- Sweet Child O Mine Tears For Fears- Shout
By: michela
  • 10. Love Is Stronger Than Pride by Sade
    a song tightly connected to my A-level exams, that is to a borderline in life... borderlines are ends and beginnings at the same time
  • 9. Faith by George Michael
    only a representative song, chosen more or less by draw, from an extraordinary year
  • 8. The Wild Boys by Duran Duran
    not a must... only an extraordinary source of energy!
  • 7. True Faith by New Order
    everytime I hear it, I go to London (in my dreams, waiting to go in the reality...)
  • 6. I've Been Losing You by A-ha
    this song marked the end of a friendship that was no more and reminds me of the marvellous sense of freedom I felt
  • 5. I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston
    a beautiful evening in Spain with a beautiful boy
  • 4. Let Her Fall by Then Jerico
    this song helped me out of a very, very, dark hour of depression
  • 3. Big In Japan by Alphaville
    this song changed my life and my personality to a myself I like much more than I liked what I was before
  • 2. into the groove by Madonna
    this song reminds me of a great, great, great holiday with friends and without parents
  • 1. Highly Strung by Spandau Ballet
    I started to be one of many SB fans when I heard this song... moreover, Tony Hadley was a man I would have married!
there are many, many, many song I could have chosen... it was hard to choose only 10 of them!!!
By: Bridgette Marie
  • 10. Flashdance What A Feeling by Irene Cara
    Again, easily one of the greatest 80's songs of all time. Not many people view faster faced songs as beautiful, but this one definitely is. Its one of those songs can that can be arranged fast or slow and still sound beautiful.
  • 9. 18 & Life by Skid Row
    Excellent message, beautiful vocals, all around great track.
  • 8. If You Leave by OMD
    This song was used excellently in the Pretty In Pink movie (one of the best 80's movies in my opinion). Such a beautiful song.
  • 7. Careless Whisper by Wham
    Some may feel this is a sappy song, but everybody secretly likes it right? My fave part is the sax solos.
  • 6. Holiday by Madonna
    her first single and easily still one of her best. One of those songs you can hear a million times and never get tired of.
  • 5. Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson
    Amazing song that still sounds excellent today. Michael is one of the very very few black artists who can actually do some kick ass rock music. When P Diddy trys to be rock it so does not work, sorry Puffy.
  • 4. All Through The Night by Cyndi Lauper
    People dont mention this song enough, but they should cause its brilliant. You know how they say certain smells or sounds can bring back memories? Well this song in particular brings me back to my childhood and hanging out with my friends and absolutely idolizing Cyndi lauper! (who I still love by the way).
  • 3. Little Red Corvette by Prince
    The man is a genius, but this is definitely my all time fave by him! A wonderful example of 80's rock, Prince gained a caucasion fanbase with this one which has some excellent synthisizer work as well as guitar (and again, can relate to the lyrics).
  • 2. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
    MJ has done lots of brilliant music, however this is his signature song and the song that demonstrated what Rock/R&B/Pop musicians have to live up to and will be imitating for many years to come.
  • 1. Against All Odds by Phil Collins
    This song is not only my favorite ballad song of all time, but the song that I believe best sums up everything that love is or ever will be (I can highly relate to the lyrics), plus even the music without the lyrics is phenonmenal and haunting.
To be honest with you, these songs arent in any strict order cause I love 80's music way too much and that would be just way to hard to do!

Previous List or Next List

We also have pages on this topic devoted to the 70s and 90s

Do You Have a List to Share?

Please check out the Top Ten Music Songs submission page.