Best Songs of the 80s - Top 25

25. Spandau Ballet - True
24. Prince - Let's Go Crazy
23. Band-Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?
22. Guns n' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine
21. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger

20. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
19. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
18. Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right
17. The Police - Synchronicity II
16. a-Ha - Take On Me
15. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
14. Simple Minds - (Don't You) Forget About Me
13. The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
12. U2 - Pride (In the Name of Love)
11. Nena - 99 Red Balloons

10. Bon Jovi - Living on a Prayer
9. Human League - Don't You Want Me
8. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
7. Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
6. Van Halen - Jump
5. Big Country - In a Big Country
4. Michael Jackson - Beat It
3. Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind
2. Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
1. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

Best Songs of the 80s - Songs 26-50

50. Madonna - Like a Virgin
49. Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It
48. Modern English - I Melt With You
47. The Bangles - Walk Like and Egyptian
46. Icicle Works - Birds Fly (Whisper to a Scream)
45. Naked Eyes - Always Something To Remind Me
44. The B-52's - Love Shack
43. Phil Collins - Against All Odds
42. Pat Benetar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot
41. Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock - It Takes Two
40. Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
39. Kenny Loggins - Footloose
38. Huey Lewis and the News - Power of Love
37. Pet Shop Boys - What Have I Done to Deserve This
36. Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round
35. Bon Jovi - You Give Love a Bad Name
34. The Bangles - Hazy Shade of Winter
33. A Flock of Seagulls - I Ran
32. Duran Duran - Rio
31. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
30. Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night
29. Cameo - Word Up
28. Bryan Adams - Summer of '69
27. The Police - Every Breath You Take
26. New Order - Blue Monday

Best Songs of the 80s - Second Cuts

The next 71 songs cut from the initial list:

• Animotion - Obsession


• Bananarama - Venus


• Beastie Boys - Hey Ladies


• Berlin - Take My Breath Away


• Billy Idol - Mony Mony


• Billy Vera and the Beaters - At This Moment


• Blondie - Call Me


• Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart


• Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out for a Hero


• Bruce Springsteen - Born In the USA


• Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days


• Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?


• Culture Club - Karma Chameleon


• Dan Hartman - I Can Dream About You


• Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me


• Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough


• Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus


• Dire Straits - Money for Nothing


• Don Henley - Boys of Summer


• Duran Duran - The Reflex


• Echo and the Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar


• Eddie Murphy - Party All the Time


• Eurythmics - Here Comes the Rain Again


• Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams


• Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy


• Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Two Tribes


• Gary Numan - Cars


• General Public - Tenderness


• Huey Lewis and the News - Heart of Rock'n'Roll


• Joan Jett & the Blackhearts - I Love Rock and Roll


• Katrina & The Waves - Walking on Sunshine


• Kenny Loggins - Danger Zone


• Kool & The Gang - Celebration


• Madness - Our House


• Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride


• Mr. Mister - Broken Wings


• OMD - If You Leave


• Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer


• Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight


• Poison - Talk Dirty To Me


• Queen - Another One Bites the Dust


• Queen - Radio Ga Ga


• Quiet Riot - Cum On Feel the Noize


• R.E.M. - It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)


• Ray Parker Jr. - Ghostbusters


• REO Speedwagon - Can't Fight This Feeling


• Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible


• Robert Palmer - Addicted To Love


• Rockwell - Somebody's Watching Me


• Run DMC & Aerosmith - Walk This Way


• Scandal - The Warrior


• Steve Perry - Oh Sherrie


• Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World


• The Art of Noise/Tom Jones - Kiss


• The Clash - Rock the Casbah


• The Cure - Love Song


• The Pixies - Here Comes Your Man


• The Police - Don't Stand So Close to Me


• The Proclaimers - I'm Going To Be (500 Miles)


• The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm An Adult Now


• The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?


• Tiffany - I Think We're Alone Now


• Tone Loc - Wild Thing


• U2 - With Or Without You


• U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name


• Violent Femmes - American Music


• Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun


• Wang Chung - Everyboy Have Fun Tonight


• Wham - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go


• Whitesnake - Here I Go Again


• Yes - Owner of a Lonely Heart

Best Songs of the 1980s - First Cuts

In no particular order, the first 113 songs cut from my list of the Best Songs of the 1980s:

• ABC - When Smokey Sings


• a-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV


• Artists United Against Apartheid - Sun City


• Baltimora - Tarzan Boy


• Bananarama - I Heard a Rumor


• Billy Ocean - Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car


• Bobby McFerrin - Don't Worry, Be Happy


• Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark


• Bryan Adams - Heaven


• Christopher Cross - Arthur's Theme


• Corey Hart - Never Surrender


• Cutting Crew - (I Just) Died In Your Arms Tonight


• Dream Academy - Life IN a Northern Town


• Duran Duran - Union of the Snake


• Duran Duran - Wild Boys


• Echo and the Bunnymen - People Are Strange


• Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon


• Elton John - Sad Songs Say So Much


• Elton John - I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues


• Erasure - A Little Respect


• Fine Young Cannibals - Good Thing


• Genesis - Invisible Touch


• George Harrison - Got My Mind Set On You


• Glass Tiger - Don't Forget Me (When You're Gone)


• Grandmaster Flash and Mellie Mel - White Lines


• Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 - The Message


• Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song


• Greg Kihn Band - Jeopardy


• Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child


• Information Society - What's On Your Mind?


• INXS - Original Sin


• INXS - Devil Inside


• INXS - Need You Tonight


• INXS - What You Need


• INXS - New Sensation


• Irene Cara - Fame


• Irene Cara - Flashdance…Oh What a Feeling


• Joey Scarbury - Theme from "The Greatest American Hero"


• John Cougar - Hurts So Good


• John Cougar - Jack and Diane


• John Waite - Missing You


• Kim Carnes - Bette Davis Eyes


• Kim Mitchell - Go For Soda


• Kim Mitchell - Patio Lanterns


• Kurtis Blow - The Breaks


• Living Color - Cult of Personality


• Love and Rockets - Ball of Confusion


• Love and Rockets - So Alive


• Madonna - Borderline


• Madonna - Lucky Star


• Madonna - Crazy For You


• Men At Work - Down Under


• Men Without Hats - Pop Goes the World


• Men Without Hats - Safety Dance


• Michael Jackson - Rock With You


• Michael Jackson - Thriller


• Mick Jagger & David Bowie - Dancing in the Streets


• Morris Day & The Time - Jungle Love


• Mr. Mister - Kyrie


• New Order - Touched By the Hand Of God


• New Order - Round and Round


• New Order - True Faith


• New Order - 1963


• Pet Shop Boys - Domino Dancing


• Pet Shop Boys - Rent


• Pet Shop Boys - Suburbia


• Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities


• Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes


• Phil Collins - Sussudio


• Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn


• Power Station - Bang-A-Gong


• Prince - Kiss


• Prince - When Doves Cry


• Prince - 1999


• Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love


• R.E.M. - The One I Love


• R.E.M. - Stand


• Ratt - Round and Round


• REO Speedwagon - Keep On Loving You


• Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up


• Roxette - The Look


• Siouxsie and the Banshees - The Passenger


• Talk Talk - It's My Life


• Tears for Fears - Shout


• Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels


• The Bangles - Walkin' Down Your Street


• The Bangles - In Your Room


• The Bangles - Manic Monday


• The Cult - Fire Woman


• The Cult - Love Removal Machine


• The Cure - Just Like Heaven


• The Cure - Why Can't I Be You


• The Go-Gos - Our Lips Are Sealed


• The Go-Gos - Head Over Heels


• The Pixies - Debaser


• The Police - Roxanne


• The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket


• The Replacements - Alex Chilton


• The Smithereens - A Girl Like You


• The Vapors - Turning Japanese


• Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now


• Tiffany - Could've Been


• Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do With It?


• Tommy Tutone - Jenny (867-5309)


• Tracy Chapman - Fast Car


• U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday


• U2 - New Year's Day


• U2 - Desire


• U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I’m Looking For


• UB40 - Red, Red Wine


• XTC - Dear God


• Young MC - Bust a Move


• ZZ Top - Legs