My opinion, my taste, but after thorough research of the songs released in the 80s, these are the best.
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
The 80s began when I was five and ended when I was 15. As far as first-hand experience goes, the first few years were dictated by whatever my mother would play. The last few years were dictated by the style in junior high or early on in high school. But the overall appeal of 80s music came from my enjoyment of rock and university party music.
For the decade reviews, I gave the songs a hard and fast ranking. The year-by-year stuff were simply grouped.
Here in Part 2, we have Songs 151 through 200.
Part 1 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
200. It’s Raining Again – Supertramp (1982)
199. Fishin’ in the Dark – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1987)
Last heard at…any Buck and Doe in Rural Ontario…
198. Every Woman In the World – Air Supply (1981)
This one from the kings of romantic music…
197. Sweet Soul Sister – The Cult (1989)
196. Paul Revere – Beastie Boys (1986)
195. Up Where We Belong – Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes (1982)
194. California Girls – David Lee Roth (1985)
193. Don’t Go Back To Rockville – R.E.M. (1984)
192. Heaven – Bryan Adams (1984)
191. Time After Time – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
190. 99 Luftballons – Nena (1984)
189. Bamboleo – Gipsy Kings (1987)
188. Crazy Train – Ozzy Osbourne (1980)
The intro is Top 10. The rest of the song loses me by the end. The kickass intro gets this one onto the list.
187. Misunderstanding – Genesis (1980)
186. No Sleep Till Brooklyn – Beastie Boys (1986)
185. Rise – Public Image Ltd. (1986)
184. Lil’ Devil – The Cult (1987)
183. Last of the Red Hot Fools – The Jitters (1987)
A fun tune to sing, the chorus is really catchy
182. You May Be Right – Billy Joel (1980)
181. I Wish It Would Rain Down – Phil Collins (1989)
180. Girls Just Want To Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper (1983)
179. Girl You Know It’s True – Milli Vanilli (1989)
178. Gypsy Road – Cinderella (1988)
177. You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) – Dead or Alive (1984)
176. Desire – U2 (1988)
175. Beat It – Michael Jackson (1982)
174. Alive and Kicking – Simple Minds (1985)
173. Fairytale of New York – The Pogues (1987)
172. Eyes of a Stranger – Payolas (1982)
171. I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner (1984)
170. Sweet Jane – Cowboy Junkies (1989)
169. Wouldn’t It Be Good – Nik Kershaw (1984)
168. Panama – Van Halen (1984)
167. Runnin’ Down A Dream – Tom Petty (1989)
166. Uptown Girl – Billy Joel (1983)
165. Hold Me – Fleetwood Mac (1982)
164. Valotte – Julian Lennon (1984)
163. Groovy Kind of Love – Phil Collins (1988)
162. Can’t Fight This Feeling – REO Speedwagon (1984)
161. Head Like A Hole – Nine Inch Nails (1989)
160. Centerfield – John Fogerty (1985)
159. Sweetest Thing – U2 (1987)
158. Tom Sawyer – Rush (1981)
157. Superman – R.E.M. (1986)
156. Manic Monday – Bangles (1986)
155. Pass The Dutchie – Musical Youth (1982)
154. I Hate Myself For Loving You – Joan Jett (1988)
153. Fire Woman – The Cult (1989)
152. Nightshift – Commodores (1985)
151. Safety Dance – Men Without Hats (1983)
Here are songs 151 through 250…
151 | Safety Dance | – | Men Without Hats | 1983 |
152 | Nightshift | – | Commodores | 1985 |
153 | Fire Woman | – | The Cult | 1989 |
154 | I Hate Myself For Loving You | – | Joan Jett | 1988 |
155 | Pass The Dutchie | – | Musical Youth | 1982 |
156 | Manic Monday | – | Bangles | 1986 |
157 | Superman | – | R.E.M. | 1986 |
158 | Tom Sawyer | – | Rush | 1981 |
159 | Sweetest Thing | – | U2 | 1987 |
160 | Centerfield | – | John Fogerty | 1985 |
161 | Head Like A Hole | – | Nine Inch Nails | 1989 |
162 | Can’t Fight This Feeling | – | REO Speedwagon | 1984 |
163 | Groovy Kind of Love | – | Phil Collins | 1988 |
164 | Valotte | – | Julian Lennon | 1984 |
165 | Hold Me | – | Fleetwood Mac | 1982 |
166 | Uptown Girl | – | Billy Joel | 1983 |
167 | Runnin’ Down A Dream | – | Tom Petty | 1989 |
168 | Panama | – | Van Halen | 1984 |
169 | Wouldn’t It Be Good | – | Nik Kershaw | 1984 |
170 | Sweet Jane | – | Cowboy Junkies | 1989 |
171 | I Want to Know What Love Is | – | Foreigner | 1984 |
172 | Eyes of a Stranger | – | Payolas | 1982 |
173 | Fairytale of New York | – | The Pogues | 1987 |
174 | Alive and Kicking | – | Simple Minds | 1985 |
175 | Beat It | – | Michael Jackson | 1982 |
176 | Desire | – | U2 | 1988 |
177 | You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) | – | Dead or Alive | 1984 |
178 | Gypsy Road | – | Cinderella | 1988 |
179 | Girl You Know It’s True | – | Milli Vanilli | 1989 |
180 | Girls Just Want To Have Fun | – | Cyndi Lauper | 1983 |
181 | I Wish It Would Rain Down | – | Phil Collins | 1989 |
182 | You May Be Right | – | Billy Joel | 1980 |
183 | Last of the Red Hot Fools | – | The Jitters | 1987 |
184 | Lil’ Devil | – | The Cult | 1987 |
185 | Rise | – | Public Image Ltd. | 1986 |
186 | No Sleep Till Brooklyn | – | Beastie Boys | 1986 |
187 | Misunderstanding | – | Genesis | 1980 |
188 | Crazy Train | – | Ozzy Osbourne | 1980 |
189 | Bamboleo | – | Gipsy Kings | 1987 |
190 | 99 Luftballons | – | Nena | 1984 |
191 | Time After Time | – | Cyndi Lauper | 1983 |
192 | Heaven | – | Bryan Adams | 1984 |
193 | Don’t Go Back To Rockville | – | R.E.M. | 1984 |
194 | California Girls | – | David Lee Roth | 1985 |
195 | Up Where We Belong | – | Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes | 1982 |
196 | Paul Revere | – | Beastie Boys | 1986 |
197 | Sweet Soul Sister | – | The Cult | 1989 |
198 | Every Woman In the World | – | Air Supply | 1981 |
199 | Fishin’ in the Dark | – | Nitty Gritty Dirt Band | 1987 |
200 | It’s Raining Again | – | Supertramp | 1982 |
201 | Cherry Bomb | – | John Mellencamp | 1987 |
202 | Edge of Seventeen | – | Stevie Nicks | 1981 |
203 | Head Over Heels | – | The Go-Go’s | 1984 |
204 | Hold Me Now | – | Thompson Twins | 1983 |
205 | Home Sweet Home | – | Mötley Crüe | 1985 |
206 | Hungry Heart | – | Bruce Springsteen | 1980 |
207 | I Love A Rainy Night | – | Eddie Rabbitt | 1980 |
208 | Summer of ’69 | – | Bryan Adams | 1984 |
209 | Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) | – | Eurythmics | 1982 |
210 | Any Way You Want It | – | Journey | 1980 |
211 | Volare | – | Gipsy Kings | 1989 |
212 | Dude (Looks Like A Lady) | – | Aerosmith | 1987 |
213 | American Dream | – | Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young | 1988 |
214 | Wild Wild Life | – | Talking Heads | 1986 |
215 | Crash | – | The Primitives | 1986 |
216 | Pictures of Matchstick Men | – | Camper Van Beethoven | 1989 |
217 | Drive | – | The Cars | 1984 |
218 | Centerfold | – | J. Geils Band | 1981 |
219 | Hell’s Bells | – | AC/DC | 1980 |
220 | Janie’s Got A Gun | – | Aerosmith | 1989 |
221 | Nobody Told Me | – | John Lennon | 1984 |
222 | Pink Houses | – | John Mellencamp | 1984 |
223 | 38 Years Old | – | The Tragically Hip | 1989 |
224 | Love In An Elevator | – | Aerosmith | 1989 |
225 | Pop Goes the World | – | Men Without Hats | 1987 |
226 | Freeze-Frame | – | J. Geils Band | 1981 |
227 | So Far Away | – | Dire Straits | 1985 |
228 | The One That You Love | – | Air Supply | 1981 |
229 | Heart And Soul | – | T’Pau | 1987 |
230 | Woman | – | John Lennon | 1980 |
231 | Rooty Toot Toot | – | John Mellencamp | 1987 |
232 | Under Pressure | – | Queen | 1981 |
233 | Used To Love Her | – | Guns N’ Roses | 1988 |
234 | Driver 8 | – | R.E.M. | 1985 |
235 | Heart And Soul | – | Huey Lewis & the News | 1983 |
236 | Who Made Who | – | AC/DC | 1986 |
237 | When the Weight Comes Down | – | The Tragically Hip | 1989 |
238 | One | – | Metallica | 1988 |
239 | Elvira | – | The Oak Ridge Boys | 1981 |
240 | I Just Called To Say I Love You | – | Stevie Wonder | 1984 |
241 | Throwing It All Away | – | Genesis | 1986 |
242 | Limelight | – | Rush | 1981 |
243 | Lonely Ol’ Night | – | John Mellencamp | 1985 |
244 | Karma Chameleon | – | Culture Club | 1983 |
245 | Shout | – | Tears for Fears | 1984 |
246 | Wasn’t That A Party | – | The Irish Rovers | 1980 |
247 | Walk This Way | – | Run-D.M.C. | 1986 |
248 | All Night Long | – | Lionel Richie | 1983 |
249 | Cold Shot | – | Stevie Ray Vaughan | 1984 |
250 | Holiday Road | – | Lindsey Buckingham | 1983 |
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