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Oct 26, 2023 · We've attempted the ridiculously hard (but not in any way a chore) task of picking the very best 1980s songs ever. Here are our 100 picks - are your favourites in there? UB40 - 'Red Red Wine'
- 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.
- 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 · 200. Listen on Apple Music. The original 808s and heartbreak. "I Cry (Night After Night)" might not be Egyptian Lover's most famous anthem (that would be "Egypt Egypt" ), but it remains one of...
- Pitchfork
- Take On Me. 2,135 votes. "Take On Me," the iconic 1980s synth-pop anthem by Norwegian band A-ha, is a high-energy love song that captures the essence of youthful passion and adventure.
- Beat It. 1,801 votes. Michael Jackson's invigorating anthem, "Beat It," combines a driving beat, blistering guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen, and empowering lyrics to create an unstoppable force in 80s pop culture.
- Thriller. 1,718 votes. Michael Jackson's legendary opus, "Thriller," enthralls listeners with its ominous synth lines, infectious dance beats, and masterful storytelling.
- Africa. 1,386 votes. Toto's "Africa" envelops listeners in a lush, evocative soundscape, masterfully fusing ethereal harmonies and earthy rhythms. As an enigmatic tribute to a distant continent, the song quickly became an irresistible 80s favorite.
And with all the bold new sounds the decade brought about, it’s perhaps no surprise that today’s modern-pop giants—including The Weeknd, Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, and Ed Sheeran—continue to delve into its riches in search of musical inspiration. Dive in for a celebration of a decade of decadence. 199 Songs, 14 hours, 53 minutes. Featured Artists .
Mar 26, 2017 · 19. ‘Atmosphere’. The song that John Peel played after announcing Ian Curtis’s death is unbearably close and brooding, but allows the occasional shaft of light. Stephen Morris’s pattering ...