My favorite songs of 1985

The year 1985 was the prototypical 80s year for me. An abundance of songs that I liked, but very few songs that I loved. In fact, that three songs given an ‘Awesome’ rating here I think I was being generous with the definition given the songs in prior years that hold that rating.

In 1985 we saw the supergroup USA for Africa come together for charity,. Later, in July, another charity event happens called Live Aid. And in September we had Farm Aid. Yes, superconcerts and superbands were trending in ’85…

David Bowie became the first major artist to have his entire catalog available on CDs. Whitney Houston debuts, David Lee Roth leaves Van Halen, and Michael Jackson destroys his relationship with Paul McCartney by outbidding McCartney for the Beatles publishing rights ($47 million).

Unlike most rankings, I haven’t been simply tossing these up in a numerical order. Because I know better than anybody that on some days, some songs kick more ass than other songs. A song that is ranked 14th today could very well rank 1st tomorrow, if it suddenly comes on the radio during the perfect moment and I start singing along. You understand. So I group them, instead of present a hard-and-fast order:

Awesome
Great
Solid
Not Bad

…with inter-group splitting.

18 Solid Songs from 1985

Never – Heart

Would I Lie to You?  – Eurythmics

We Don’t Need Another Hero  – Tina Turner

We Built This City  – Starship

We Are The World  – USA for Africa

The Power Of Love  – Jennifer Rush

The Boys of Summer  – Don Henley

R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.  – John Mellencamp

No One Is to Blame  – Howard Jones

Never Surrender  – Corey Hart

Lay Your Hands On Me  – Thompson Twins

Kyrie  – Mr. Mister

King For A Day  – Thompson Twins

Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody  – David Lee Roth

Don’t You (Forget About Me)  – Simple Minds

Crazy For You  – Madonna

Can’t Get There From Here  – R.E.M.

13 Great Songs from 1985

Nightshift  – Commodores

California Girls – David Lee Roth

Home Sweet Home  – Mötley Crüe

What About Love? – Heart

So Far Away – Dire Straits

Small Town  – John Mellencamp

Rain  – The Cult

Alive and Kicking  – Simple Minds

Walk Of Life  – Dire Straits

Lonely Ol’ Night  – John Mellencamp

Driver 8  – R.E.M.

Centerfield  – John Fogerty

Raspberry Beret  – Prince

4 Truly Awesome Songs from 1985

She Sells Sanctuary  – The Cult

Rock And Roll Girls – John Fogerty

One More Night  – Phil Collins

Money For Nothing  – Dire Straits

I put these songs on a YouTube playlist that you can enjoy here.

Follow all of my playlists on Spotify

Here is the full list of the best songs released and/or popularized in 1985:

Awesome – 1	Money For Nothing	–	Dire Straits
Awesome – 1	One More Night	–	Phil Collins
Awesome – 1	Rock and Roll Girls	–	John Fogerty
Awesome – 4	She Sells Sanctuary	–	The Cult
Great – 5	Raspberry Beret	–	Prince
Great – 5	Centerfield	–	John Fogerty
Great – 5	Driver 8	–	R.E.M.
Great – 5	Lonely Ol’ Night	–	John Mellencamp
Great – 5	Walk Of Life	–	Dire Straits
Great – 10	Alive and Kicking	–	Simple Minds
Great – 10	Rain	–	The Cult
Great – 10	Small Town	–	John Mellencamp
Great – 10	So Far Away	–	Dire Straits
Great – 10	What About Love?	–	Heart
Great – 10	Home Sweet Home	–	Mötley Crüe
Great – 10	California Girls	–	David Lee Roth
Great – 10	Nightshift	–	Commodores
Solid – 18	Can’t Get There From Here	–	R.E.M.
Solid – 18	Crazy For You	–	Madonna
Solid – 18	Don’t You (Forget About Me)	–	Simple Minds
Solid – 18	Just A Gigolo / I Ain’t Got Nobody	–	David Lee Roth
Solid – 18	King For A Day	–	Thompson Twins
Solid – 18	Kyrie	–	Mr. Mister
Solid – 18	Lay Your Hands On Me	–	Thompson Twins
Solid – 18	Never Surrender	–	Corey Hart
Solid – 18	No One Is to Blame	–	Howard Jones
Solid – 18	R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.	–	John Mellencamp
Solid – 18	The Boys of Summer	–	Don Henley
Solid – 18	The Power Of Love	–	Jennifer Rush
Solid – 18	We Are The World	–	USA for Africa
Solid – 18	We Built This City	–	Starship
Solid – 18	We Don’t Need Another Hero	–	Tina Turner
Solid – 18	Would I Lie to You?	–	Eurythmics
Solid – 18	Never	–	Heart
Solid – 35	I’m Your Man	–	Wham!
Solid – 35	One Night Love Affair	–	Bryan Adams
Solid – 35	A Criminal Mind	–	Gowan
Solid – 35	A View To A Kill	–	Duran Duran
Solid – 35	Addicted To Love	–	Robert Palmer
Solid – 35	Don’t Come Around Here No More	–	Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Solid – 35	Head Over Heels	–	Tears for Fears
Solid – 35	Everybody Wants To Rule The World	–	Tears for Fears
Solid – 35	Stay in the Light	–	Honeymoon Suite
Not Bad – 44	Loverboy	–	Billy Ocean
Not Bad – 44	In Between Days	–	The Cure
Not Bad – 44	Say You, Say Me	–	Lionel Richie
Not Bad – 44	You’re a Strange Animal	–	Gowan
Not Bad – 44	Situation Critical	–	Platinum Blonde
Not Bad – 44	Tears Are Not Enough	–	Northern Lights
Not Bad – 44	Broken Wings	–	Mr. Mister
Not Bad – 44	Close To Me	–	The Cure
Not Bad – 44	Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)	–	Pet Shop Boys
Not Bad – 44	Part-Time Lover	–	Stevie Wonder
Not Bad – 44	Rhythm Of The Night	–	DeBarge
Not Bad – 44	Take Me Home	–	Phil Collins
Not Bad – 44	These Dreams	–	Heart
Not Bad – 44	Walking On Sunshine	–	Katrina & the Waves
Not Bad – 44	West End Girls	–	Pet Shop Boys
Not Bad – 44	What You Need	–	INXS
Not Bad – 44	Behind the Waterfall	–	David Lanz and Paul Speer
Not Bad – 44	Cherish	–	Kool & the Gang
Not Bad – 44	Conga	–	Miami Sound Machine
Not Bad – 44	Holding Back The Years	–	Simply Red
Not Bad – 44	Let’s Go All The Way	–	Sly Fox
Not Bad – 44	Nikita	–	Elton John
Not Bad – 44	Some Like It Hot	–	The Power Station
Not Bad – 44	St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)	–	John Parr
Not Bad – 44	Take On Me	–	a-ha
Not Bad – 44	The Greatest Love Of All	–	Whitney Houston
Not Bad – 44	The Power of Love	–	Huey Lewis & the News
Not Bad – 44	Things Can Only Get Better	–	Howard Jones
Not Bad – 44	Who’s Holding Donna Now	–	DeBarge
Not Bad – 73	Lovin’ Every Minute of It	–	Loverboy
Not Bad – 73	Black Cars	–	Gino Vannelli
Not Bad – 73	Crying Over You	–	Platinum Blonde
Not Bad – 73	A Good Heart	–	Feargal Sharkey
Not Bad – 73	All I Need Is A Miracle	–	Mike + the Mechanics
Not Bad – 73	All She Wants to Do Is Dance	–	Don Henley
Not Bad – 73	And She Was	–	Talking Heads
Not Bad – 73	Be Near Me	–	ABC
Not Bad – 73	Brand New Lover	–	Dead or Alive
Not Bad – 73	Dancing in the Street	–	David Bowie and Mick Jagger
Not Bad – 73	Everytime You Go Away	–	Paul Young
Not Bad – 73	Goonies R Good Enough	–	Cyndi Lauper
Not Bad – 73	How Will I Know	–	Whitney Houston
Not Bad – 73	Into The Groove	–	Madonna
Not Bad – 73	Life In A Northern Town	–	The Dream Academy
Not Bad – 73	Real American	–	Rick Derringer
Not Bad – 73	Rough Boy	–	ZZ Top
Not Bad – 73	Something About You	–	Level 42
Not Bad – 73	Sussudio	–	Phil Collins
Not Bad – 73	That’s What Friends Are For	–	Dionne & Friends
Not Bad – 73	The Old Man Down The Road	–	John Fogerty
Not Bad – 73	The Whole Of The Moon	–	The Waterboys
Not Bad – 73	You Belong To The City	–	Glenn Frey
Not Bad – 73	You’re Only Human (Second Wind)	–	Billy Joel
Not Bad – 73	Your Love	–	The Outfield
Not Bad – 73	Rock Myself To Sleep	–	April Wine
Not Bad – 73	Forever Man	–	Eric Clapton
Not Bad – 73	Silent Running	–	Mike + the Mechanics
Not Bad – 73	There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)	–	Eurythmics
Not Bad – 73	Don’t Lose My Number	–	Phil Collins
Not Bad – 73	Oh Sheila	–	Ready For The World
Not Bad – 73	Sanctify Yourself	–	Simple Minds
Not Bad – 73	Trapped	–	Bruce Springsteen
Not Bad – 73	Sunset Grill	–	Don Henley
Not Bad – 73	All You Zombies	–	The Hooters
Not Bad – 73	Saving All My Love For You	–	Whitney Houston
Not Bad – 73	No More Lonely Nights	–	Paul McCartney
Not Bad – 73	Voices Carry	–	Til Tuesday
Not Bad – 73	Oh Yeah	–	Yello
Not Bad – 73	Cry	–	Godley & Creme

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