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- 5 min
- Rob Sheffield
- Biz Markie, ‘Just a Friend’ Lighters up for the late, great Biz Markie, one of the most beloved music heroes of the Eighties or any other decade. The Diabolical One.
- Nena, ’99 Luftballons’ A German girl sings about nuclear apocalypse in a perky New Wave bop about the end of the world. Yet it’s also a doomy teen romance, at a time when half the hits on the radio were about the end of the world.
- My Bloody Valentine, ‘Feed Me With Your Kiss’ The dawn of the shoegaze era. My Bloody Valentine give an early taste of their power on their debut album, Isn’t Anything: Irish guitar madman Kevin Shields’ tremolo overdrive and feedback-loop noise, Belinda Butcher’s breathy vocals, awesome power-klutz drumming.
- Bobby Brown, ‘My Prerogative’ The sound of New Jack Swing. Bobby Brown dishes the dirt on celebrity gossip, as the young Harlem prodigy Teddy Riley soups up a beat that would rule the radio for the next few years.
- Tom Eames
- UB40 - 'Red Red Wine' UB40 - Red Red Wine (Official Video) You might not have realised it, but Neil Diamond first recorded this song back in 1967. UB40 feud: Reggae band's complicated history and why the Campbell brothers fell out.
- Phil Collins - 'Another Day in Paradise' Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise (Official Music Video) This ballad saw Phil Collins sing the tune from a third-person perspective, looking at a man crossing the street to ignore a homeless woman, imploring listeners not to turn a blind eye to those in need.
- Culture Club - 'Karma Chameleon' Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (Official Music Video) This was the song that made Boy George an even bigger star around the world.
- Rick Astley - 'Never Gonna Give You Up' Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (Official Music Video) If there's one song from the Stock, Aitken and Waterman era that has stood the test of time, it's Rick Astley's international number one smash.
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ by Whitney Houston. In 1987, Houston was still very much a fresh-faced siren with the crystal-clear voice and a world of possibilities at her feet.
- The Perfect Kiss’ by New Order. Sure, the album version of ‘The Perfect Kiss’ (on 1985’s ‘Low Life’) is also an excellent song; a glitzy, funky display from a ’80s seminal pop bands at the height of their powers.
- Modern Love’ by David Bowie. Bowie was all over the place during the ’80s: duetting with Jagger, clambering into spandex for Labyrinth, getting buried alive for Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and ultimately embarking on a midlife crisis that resulted in a worrying beard and Tin Machine.
- Once in a Lifetime’ by Talking Heads. You really have Brian Eno to thank for ‘Once In A Lifetime’. Under his guidance, Talking Heads pieced together snippets of jam sessions and the beginning of a song titled ‘Right Start’ to (unbeknown to them) create a moment in music history.
- Don’t You Want Me – The Human League. This Human League hit was released as the fourth single from their album, Dare. Its lyrics describe a disagreement between two individuals, in which one of them is bitter about helping the other gain popularity.
- Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat. “Small Town Boy” is the debut single from British synth-pop group Bronski Beat, released in 1984. The song is based on a young man’s naivety about the world due to his sheltered life.
- Relax – Frankie Goes To Hollywood. As you can see, the 80s were filled with synth-pop hits, and this one also proved successful! “Relax” is believed to be an overtly sexual song, describing the frustrations of delayed pleasure in the bedroom.
- Beat It – Michael Jackson. This MJ hit talks about a man who avoids violence by walking away from a fight. “Beat It” is also featured on our best songs to wake up to playlist.
Aug 23, 2015 · From house to hip-hop, college rock to techno, bubblegum pop to post-punk, heavy metal to hardcore—here are our favorite tracks of the 1980s. By Pitchfork. August 23, 2015. Welcome to our...
- Pitchfork
Apr 4, 2024 · From the synth-pop hooks of A-ha's Take On Me to the enduring anthems of artists like Michael Jackson and Queen, the decade produced hits that have transcended time. This list, ranked by fans like you, celebrates the most iconic tracks that defined the 1980s.
Dive in for a celebration of a decade of decadence. 199 Songs, 14 hours, 53 minutes. Featured Artists . Toto. Whitney Houston. Queen. Fleetwood Mac. Michael Jackson. Bon Jovi. Journey. a-ha. Guns N' Roses. AC/DC.
