Top 222 songs of the 80s

Submitted by winalotta on Fri, 05/05/2006 - 12:59
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  1. Down in It- NIN
  2. New Year's Day- U2
  3. Back in Black- AC/DC
  4. China Girl- David Bowie
  5. Fight Like A Brave- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  6. Crazy Train- Ozzy Osbourne
  7. Welcome to the Jungle- Guns N Roses
  8. Jane Says- Jane's Addiction
  9. Just Like Heaven- The Cure
  10. Refugee- Tom Petty
  11. Every Breath You Take- The Police
  12. Paul Revere- Beastie Boys
  13. Chloe Dancer- Mother Love Bone
  14. Cult of Personality- Living Colour
  15. Tom Sawyer- Rush
  16. You Better You Bet- The Who
  17. Head Like A Hole- NIN
  18. Sunday Bloody Sunday- U2
  19. You Shook Me All Night- AC/DC
  20. Fight for Your Right to Party- Beastie Boys
  21. Don't Stand So Close to Me- The Police
  22. Don't You Forget About Me- Simple Minds
  23. Master of Puppets- Metallica
  24. Higher Ground- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  25. You've Got Another Thing Coming- Judas Priest
  26. Die, Die, Die My Darling- Misfits
  27. People Who Have Died- Jim Carroll Band
  28. It's the End of the World- REM
  29. How Soon is Now?- The Smiths
  30. Fascination Street- The Cure
  31. Running Down a Dream- Tom Petty
  32. Unchained- Van Halen
  33. Rapture- Blondie
  34. Rio- Duran Duran
  35. Love My Way- Psychedelic Furs
  36. With or Without You- U2
  37. Sultan of Swing- Dire Straits
  38. Devil Inside- Inxs
  39. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now- The Smiths
  40. Boys Don't Cry- The Cure
  41. TV Party- Black Flag
  42. Institutionalized- Suicidal Tendencies
  43. Blister in the Sun- Violent Femmes
  44. Limelight- Rush
  45. Mr. Crowley- Ozzy Osbourne
  46. I Hate Myself For Loving You- Joan Jett
  47. Sex (T'm A...)- Berlin
  48. Hit Me With Your Best Shot- Pat Benetar
  49. Blue Monday- New Order
  50. She's in Parties- Bauhaus
  51. What Difference Does it Make?- The Smiths
  52. People Are People- Depeche Mode
  53. Alive & Kicking- Simple Minds
  54. Boys Don't Cry- The Cure
  55. Darling Nikki- Prince
  56. Hysteria- Def Leppard
  57. AC/DC- Hells Bells
  58. Fade to Black- Metallica
  59. She's So Cold- Rolling Stones
  60. Rock the Casbah- The Clash
  61. Gimme, Gimme, Gimme- Black Flag
  62. I Saw Your Mommy- Suicidal Tendencies
  63. Love Bites- Def Leppard
  64. Knock Me Down- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  65. The One I Love- REM
  66. Love Song- Cure
  67. Dear God- XTC
  68. Ball of Confusion- Love & Rockets
  69. Pigs in Zen- Jane's Addiction
  70. For Those About to Rock- AC/DC
  71. Dude Looks Like A Lady- Aerosmith
  72. Magic Johnson- Red Hot Chili Peppers
  73. Ted Just Admit It- Jane's Addiction
  74. Rebel Yell- Billy Idol
  75. Paradise City- Guns N Roses
  76. Roxanne- The Police
  77. My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)- The Ramones
  78. I Still Haven't found What I Am Looking For- U2
  79. Kiss Off- Violent Femmes
  80. Mixed Emotions- Rolling Stones
  81. Sweet Soul Sister- The Cult
  82. Modern Love- David Bowie
  83. Radio Free Europe- REM
  84. New Sensation- Inxs
  85. Killing an Arab- The Cure
  86. A Girl Like You- Smithereens
  87. Heartbreaker- Pat Benetar
  88. Only A Memory- Smithereens
  89. She's Crafty- Beastie Boys
  90. Devo- Whip It
  91. I'm Going Straight to Hell- Drivin'N'Cryin
  92. Hungry Like the Wolf- Duran Duran
  93. The Mayor of Simpleton- XTC
  94. Living After Midnight- Judas Priest
  95. Where the Streets Have No Names- U2
  96. Dead Man's Party- Oingo Boingo
  97. Go- Tones on Tails
  98. The KKK Took My Baby Away- The Ramones
  99. Waiting for a Girl Like You- Foreigner
  100. The Metro- Berlin
  101. Hey Ladies- Beastie Boys
  102. Hold Me Now- Thompson Twins
  103. Another One Bites the Dust- Queen
  104. My Best Friends Girl- The Cars
  105. Breaking the Law- Judas Priest
  106. I Hate Myself for Loving You- Joan Jett
  107. Janie's Got a Gun- Aerosmith
  108. Add it Up- Violent Femmes
  109. Pretty is as Pretty Does- Guadacanal Diary
  110. Can't Promise You the World- Drivin'N'Cryin'
  111. Wasted- Black Flag
  112. Holiday in Cambodia- Dead Kennedys
  113. Money for Nothing- Dire Straits
  114. Message in a Bottle- The Police
  115. The Perfect Drug- NIN
  116. Buring the Inside- Ministry
  117. Rancid- Timebomb
  118. Mudhoney- Touch Me I'm Sick
  119. Stumbling Man- Tad
  120. Never Say Never- Void
  121. Back on the Chain Gang- The Pretenders
  122. What I Am- Edie Brickell
  123. White Wedding- Billy Idol
  124. Lips Like Sugar- Echo & the Bunnymen
  125. Don't Go Back to Rockville- REM
  126. Take the Skinheads Bowling- Camper Van Beethoven
  127. Punk Rock Girl- Dead Milkmen
  128. If You Leave- OMD
  129. Simply Irresistable- Robert Palmer
  130. Against All Odds- Phil Collins
  131. I'll Be You- The Replacements
  132. Pretty in Pink- Psychedelic Furs
  133. What You Need- Inxs
  134. For Whom the Bells Toll- Metallica
  135. Peek-a-boo= Siouxie & the Banshees
  136. Men Without Hats- Safety Dance
  137. Fire Woman- The Cult
  138. Kill the Poor- Dead Kennedys
  139. Don't You Want Me- Human League
  140. Who Can it Be Now?- Men at Work
  141. Bad Reputation- Joan Jett
  142. Sweet Child O Mine- Guns N Roses
  143. Heart of Glass- Blondie
  144. Hurts so Good- John Cougar Mellencamp
  145. Hot for Teacher- Van Halen
  146. Pop Song 89- REM
  147. Invincible- Pat Benetar
  148. Murray Head- One Night in Bangkok
  149. Don't Be Cruel- Cheap Trick
  150. Toy Soldiers- Martika
  151. I Melt With You- Modern English
  152. Bad to the Bone- George Thorogood
  153. Ball of Confusion- Genesis
  154. Pretty Persuasion- REM
  155. Lullaby- The Cure
  156. Major Tom- Peter Shilling
  157. Down Under- Men at Work
  158. I Won't Back Down- Tom Petty
  159. Eyes Without a Face- Billy Idol
  160. Fall on Me- REM
  161. Free Falling- Tom Petty
  162. Shot in the Dark- Ozzy Osbourne
  163. Smoking in the Boys Room- Motley Crue
  164. Flesh for Fantasy- Billy Idol
  165. Once in a Lifetime- Talking Heads
  166. Rock You Like A Hurricane- Scorpions
  167. Call Me- Blondie
  168. Smack My Bitch Up- The Prodigy
  169. Bitchin Camaro- Dead Milkmen
  170. Lay Your Hands on Me- Thompson Twins
  171. Rag Doll- Aerosmith
  172. Burning Down the House- Talking Heads
  173. Close My Eyes Forever- Ozzy Osbourne & Lita Ford
  174. Round & Round- Ratt
  175. Crazy, Crazy Nights- Kiss
  176. Shout at the Devil- Motley Crue
  177. Pour Some Sugar On Me- Def Leppard
  178. Our House- Madness
  179. So Alive- Love & Rockets
  180. Eurythmics- Sweet Dreams
  181. 18 & Life- Skid Row
  182. Honeysuckle Blue- Drivin"N'Cryin"
  183. Who Can it Be Now- Men at Work
  184. Midnight Oil- Beds Are Burning
  185. Always Saturday- Guadacanal Diary
  186. You May Be Right- Billy Joel
  187. Girls on Film- Duran Duran
  188. Every Day I Write in the Book- Elvis Costello
  189. Another One Bites the Dust- Queen
  190. The Reflex- Duran Duran
  191. Kick Start My Heart- Motley Crue
  192. Turning Japanese- The Vapors
  193. Here I Go Again- Whitesnake
  194. Little Lies- Fleetwood Mac
  195. Tainted Love- Soft Cell
  196. Urgent- Foreigner
  197. Human- Human League
  198. Wild Wild Life- Talking Heads
  199. Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears for Fears
  200. Armagedden It- Def Leppard
  201. Addicted to Love- Robert Palmer
  202. Destination Unknown- Missing Persons
  203. Mr. Mister- Broken Wings
  204. Heat of the Moment- Asia
  205. Stand- The Alarm
  206. Allentown- Billy Joel
  207. Sad Songs- Elton John
  208. Love in an Elevator- Aerosmith
  209. Drive- The Cars
  210. Eurythmics- Would I Lie to You?
  211. Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
  212. Jack & Diane- John Cougar Mellancamp
  213. In Your Eyes- Peter Gabriel
  214. J. Giels Band- Centerfold
  215. Desperate But Not Serious- Adam Ant
  216. Mama's Boy- The Ramones
  217. Good Night Siagon- Billy Joel
  218. Youth Gone Wild- Skid Row
  219. We're Not Gonna Take It- Twisted Sister
  220. Cum On Feel the Noise- Quiet Riot
  221. Legs- ZZ Top
  222. Girls, Girls, Girls- Motley Crue
Author Comments: 

I grew up in the 80's. I graduated high school in 1991. So, I remember the 80's well. There was a lot of really cheesy music in the 80's, but there was great music as well. Some of the best punk and metal bands were putting out great music in the 80's. I also like a lot of the alternative music put out in the 80s.

Many of the great bands of the 90's actually started in the 80's. Nine Inch Nails, Pretty Hate Machine actually came out in 1989. The Peppers, Beastie Boys, and Jane's Addiction asl had great albums in the 80's.

I did not put any Madonna or Wham or any really cheesy 80's music. I also did not put in the bubble gum pop music known from the 80's liked Video Killed the Radio Star, Mickey, or anything by the Go-Go's. They also liked cheesy sappy love songs by John Waite and the dude from General Hospital.....I'm blanking on his name right now. None of those types of songs are on this list either. Alot of my friends liked this music. I did not. At that time I was wearing out my AC/DC and Ozzy tapes. When I went over to my friends houses I would have to endure the "chick" music.

Most of these songs rock and/or have really great lyrics that make them memorable. These are the songs that I turn up when I hear them on the radio.

ztifrs05/06/2006

This is a good list. I have been trying to compile a list of 80's song for my i-Pod -- some great additions here!

winalotta05/08/2006

Great! I am glad its helpful :o)

Martin198302/25/2007

Heart of Glass and Message in a Bottle are actually from 1979, and Roxanne is from 1978. Plus Another One Bites The Dust is in your list twice. I know it's good, but hey...
And though you didn't put it in your list, you did mention it, and Video Killed the Radio Star is also from 1979. :)

winalotta12/29/2007

I remember listening to it in the 80's and think of these songs with that era. It is one year off.... come on.

TheGeek10/04/2011

WTF?? A lot of these songs are not from the 80's at all. NIN was 90's for crying out loud!