THE TABLE
Using the table above, you may click on the headers to sort the 500 songs by rank, title, artist, and year. (Unfortunately, the table doesn’t display properly on some mobile devices.)
When sorting song titles or artists in the table, they will be alphabetized. (The four songs that begin with a parenthesis will be listed first, followed by the four songs that begin with numbers.)
Songs and artists that begin with A or The are alphabetized that way. (For example, you’ll find The Police and The Pretenders with the letter T, and A Flock Of Seagulls with the letter A.)
Solo artists are alphabetized by their first names. (For example, Bryan Adams is with the letter B, and Richard Marx is with the letter R.)
THE SEARCH BOX
The search box is in the top right corner of the table above. When you type a word or words into the search box, the table will collapse, revealing the search results, which you may then sort by clicking on the table headers. (NOTE: To get back to the full list of 500 songs after doing a search, you must clear the search box.)
To see all of an artist’s songs ranked in order, enter the artist’s name in the search box, and then, to sort the results by rank, click on the # at the top of the first column.
SORTING BY YEAR
To see songs from a specific year ranked in order, enter a year in the search box, and then sort the results by rank. The year indicates when each song entered the American Top 40. (Songs that entered the American Top 40 in December of any year are considered songs from the subsequent year.)
For more information on the American Top 40 and how these songs are ranked, click HERE.
For lists of the Top 10 songs of each year, click HERE.
FOR A NUMERICAL LIST OF THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S, CLICK HERE.
WHO HAS THE MOST SONGS ON THE LIST?
Is it Madonna, Prince, George Michael, Whitney Houston, or Michael Jackson? Click here to find out.
DETAILS ABOUT THE SONGS AND ARTISTS
For more information and interesting facts about the songs and the artists, plus other great ‘80s songs that didn’t make this TOP 500 list, and much more, check out THE MUSIC.
THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S
Detailed song descriptions are available on THE MUSIC page.
You may listen to this entire playlist on Spotify. Or click on a song title to play a specific song on Spotify.
Using the table above this list, you may sort the 500 songs by rank, title, artist, and year. You may also use a search box.
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Don’t Stop Believin’ — Journey
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Livin’ On a Prayer — Bon Jovi
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Billie Jean — Michael Jackson
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Don’t You (Forget About Me) — Simple Minds
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Another One Bites the Dust — Queen
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Every Breath You Take — The Police
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Take On Me — A-ha
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Sweet Child O’ Mine — Guns N’ Roses
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Everybody Wants To Rule the World — Tears For Fears
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Time After Time — Cyndi Lauper
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Back In Black — AC/DC
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I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) — Whitney Houston
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Eye Of the Tiger — Survivor
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Girls Just Want To Have Fun — Cyndi Lauper
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Another Brick In the Wall (Part II) — Pink Floyd
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Pour Some Sugar On Me — Def Leppard
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You Shook Me All Night Long — AC/DC
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Fast Car — Tracy Chapman
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Africa — Toto
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Summer of ‘69 — Bryan Adams
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Here I Go Again — Whitesnake
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With Or Without You — U2
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Kiss — Prince and the Revolution
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You Give Love a Bad Name — Bon Jovi
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I Love Rock ‘n Roll — Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
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Flashdance...What a Feeling — Irene Cara
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Like a Prayer — Madonna
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When Doves Cry — Prince and the Revolution
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Careless Whisper — Wham! featuring George Michael
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Purple Rain — Prince and the Revolution
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Beat It — Michael Jackson
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Welcome To the Jungle — Guns N’ Roses
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Total Eclipse Of the Heart — Bonnie Tyler
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Jump — Van Halen
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I Want To Know What Love Is — Foreigner
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Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) — Eurythmics
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Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go — Soft Cell
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Start Me Up — The Rolling Stones
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Don’t You Want Me — The Human League
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Heaven — Bryan Adams
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Under Pressure — David Bowie and Queen
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Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go — Wham!
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Jessie’s Girl — Rick Springfield
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Crazy Little Thing Called Love — Queen
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Walk This Way — Run-D.M.C.
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Jack & Diane — John Cougar
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Like a Virgin — Madonna
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In the Air Tonight — Phil Collins
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Dancing In the Dark — Bruce Springsteen
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Karma Chameleon — Culture Club
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Faith — George Michael
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Never Gonna Give You Up — Rick Astley
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Call Me — Blondie
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Celebration — Kool & the Gang
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Thriller — Michael Jackson
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Material Girl — Madonna
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Bette Davis Eyes — Kim Carnes
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Take My Breath Away — Berlin
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Right Here Waiting — Richard Marx
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Footloose — Kenny Loggins
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Keep On Loving You — REO Speedwagon
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Panama — Van Halen
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Funkytown — Lipps, Inc.
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Born In the U.S.A. — Bruce Springsteen
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Down Under — Men At Work
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Heaven Is a Place On Earth — Belinda Carlisle
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True — Spandau Ballet
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All Night Long (All Night) — Lionel Richie
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Free Fallin’ — Tom Petty
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Sexual Healing — Marvin Gaye
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Come On Eileen — Dexy’s Midnight Runners
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Don’t Dream It’s Over — Crowded House
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Every Rose Has Its Thorn — Poison
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Hungry Like the Wolf — Duran Duran
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Walk Like an Egyptian — The Bangles
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9 To 5 — Dolly Parton
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What’s Love Got To Do With It — Tina Turner
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(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life — Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
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Centerfold — J. Geils Band
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I Just Called To Say I Love You — Stevie Wonder
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Man In the Mirror — Michael Jackson
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Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now — Starship
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(I Just) Died In Your Arms — Cutting Crew
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Edge Of Seventeen — Stevie Nicks
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Can’t Fight This Feeling — REO Speedwagon
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You Make My Dreams — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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Need You Tonight — INXS
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Super Freak — Rick James
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Just the Two Of Us — Grover Washington, Jr.
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Drive — The Cars
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Endless Love — Diana Ross and Lionel Richie
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I’m So Excited — The Pointer Sisters
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Let’s Dance — David Bowie
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Let’s Go Crazy — Prince and the Revolution
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Paradise City — Guns N’ Roses
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Listen To Your Heart — Roxette
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Whip It — Devo
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Photograph — Def Leppard
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Love Is a Battlefield — Pat Benatar
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Hurts So Good — John Cougar
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Rock You Like a Hurricane — Scorpions
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The Final Countdown — Europe
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Faithfully — Journey
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Bust a Move — Young MC
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Hit Me With Your Best Shot — Pat Benatar
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Physical — Olivia Newton-John
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Gloria — Laura Branigan
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Heat Of the Moment — Asia
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Wanted Dead Or Alive — Bon Jovi
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I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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1999 — Prince
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Modern Love — David Bowie
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Just Like Heaven — The Cure
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The Boys Of Summer — Don Henley
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Little Red Corvette — Prince
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Love Shack — The B-52’s
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Push It — Salt-N-Pepa
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Saving All My Love For You — Whitney Houston
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Alone — Heart
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Fool In the Rain — Led Zeppelin
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We Belong — Pat Benatar
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I Ran (So Far Away) — A Flock Of Seagulls
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How Will I Know — Whitney Houston
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Broken Wings — Mr. Mister
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Any Way You Want It — Journey
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Manic Monday — The Bangles
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Walking On Sunshine — Katrina and the Waves
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Higher Love — Steve Winwood
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I’m Still Standing — Elton John
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Our House — Madness
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St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) — John Par
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Always Something There To Remind Me — Naked Eyes
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Raspberry Beret — Prince and the Revolution
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Red Red Wine — UB40
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Greatest Love Of All — Whitney Houston
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Let the Music Play — Shannon
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Take Me Home Tonight — Eddie Money
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La Isla Bonita — Madonna
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West End Girls — Pet Shop Boys
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These Dreams — Heart
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Pink Houses — John Cougar Mellencamp
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Sister Christian — Night Ranger
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The Living Years — Mike + the Mechanics
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Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic — The Police
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(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) — Beastie Boys
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It Takes Two — Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock
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Money For Nothing — Dire Straits
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Open Arms — Journey
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Do You Really Want To Hurt Me — Culture Club
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I Feel For You — Chaka Khan
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The Way It Is — Bruce Hornsby and the Range
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Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) — Journey
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Take It On the Run — REO Speedwagon
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Rock Of Ages — Def Leppard
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I’m Coming Out — Diana Ross
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Maneater — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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White Wedding — Billy Idol
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Heartbreaker — Pat Benatar
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Head Over Heels — Tears For Fears
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Rock the Casbah — The Clash
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Ride Like the Wind — Christopher Cross
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I’m On Fire — Bruce Springsteen
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Eyes Without a Face — Billy Idol
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Kickstart My Heart — Mötley Crüe
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Holiday — Madonna
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Invisible Touch — Genesis
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The Power Of Love — Huey Lewis and the News
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The Way You Make Me Feel — Michael Jackson
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Let’s Groove — Earth, Wind & Fire
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The Winner Takes It All — ABBA
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Father Figure — George Michael
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Abracadabra — Steve Miller Band
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Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) — Enya
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Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) — Christopher Cross
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That’s What Friends Are For — Dionne and Friends
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Hello — Lionel Richie
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All Out Of Love — Air Supply
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Break My Stride — Matthew Wilder
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Danger Zone — Kenny Loggins
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Easy Lover — Philip Bailey and Phil Collins
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Addicted To Love — Robert Palmer
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Sunglasses At Night — Corey Hart
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Brass In Pocket (I’m Special) — The Pretenders
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I Won’t Back Down — Tom Petty
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Never Tear Us Apart — INXS
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Against All Odds — Phil Collins
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Sledgehammer — Peter Gabriel
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Missing You — John Waite
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Out Of Touch — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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Dr. Feelgood — Mötley Crüe
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One — Metallica
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Rapper’s Delight — The Sugarhill Gang
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If I Could Turn Back Time — Cher
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Ain’t Nobody — Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
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Cum On Feel the Noize — Quiet Riot
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That’s All — Genesis
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Your Love — The Outfield
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Say You, Say Me — Lionel Richie
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She Drives Me Crazy — Fine Young Cannibals
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We Are the World — USA For Africa
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Patience — Guns N’ Roses
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Lovesong — The Cure
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The Stroke — Billy Squier
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Uptown Girl — Billy Joel
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She Works Hard For the Money — Donna Summer
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Pump Up the Jam — Technotronic
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True Colors — Cyndi Lauper
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Who Can It Be Now? — Men At Work
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Islands In the Stream — Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
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Relax — Frankie Goes To Hollywood
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Rock With You — Michael Jackson
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Smooth Operator — Sade
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Another Day In Paradise — Phil Collins
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Smooth Criminal — Michael Jackson
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Kokomo — The Beach Boys
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We’re Not Gonna Take It — Twisted Sister
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It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me — Billy Joel
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Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away — Chicago
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Straight Up — Paula Abdul
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Conga — Miami Sound Machine
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867-5309/Jenny — Tommy Tutone
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Glory Days — Bruce Springsteen
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Kiss On My List — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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We Got the Beat — The Go-Go’s
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Crazy For You — Madonna
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Up Where We Belong — Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
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Burning Down the House — Talking Heads
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Holding Back the Years — Simply Red
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Part-Time Lover — Stevie Wonder
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Word Up! — Cameo
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Papa Don’t Preach — Madonna
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Do They Know It’s Christmas? — Band Aid
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Dude (Looks Like a Lady) — Aerosmith
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Every Time You Go Away — Paul Young
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You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) — Dead Or Alive
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Waiting For a Girl Like You — Foreigner
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Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ — Michael Jackson
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Upside Down — Diana Ross
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99 Luftballoons — Nena
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Maniac — Michael Sembello
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Sailing — Christopher Cross
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Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run) — Billy Ocean
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I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues — Elton John
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You’re the Inspiration — Chicago
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Run To You — Bryan Adams
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Cruel Summer — Bananarama
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Glory Of Love — Peter Cetera
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The Tide Is High — Blondie
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Stand Back — Stevie Nicks
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Shout — Tears For Fears
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Here Comes the Rain Again — Eurythmics
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If You Leave — Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark
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Rock This Town — Stray Cats
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One Moment In Time — Whitney Houston
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The One I Love — R.E.M.
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We Didn’t Start the Fire — Billy Joel
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Tell It To My Heart — Taylor Dayne
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Cult Of Personality — Living Colour
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Hold Me Now — Thompson Twins
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Round and Round — Ratt
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Young Turks — Rod Stewart
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We Built This City — Starship
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All Through the Night — Cyndi Lauper
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Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) — Soul II Soul
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Hungry Eyes — Eric Carmen
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Nothin’ But a Good Time — Poison
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Electric Avenue — Eddy Grant
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The Flame — Cheap Trick
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The Rose — Bette Midler
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Working For the Weekend — Loverboy
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Hysteria — Def Leppard
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Live To Tell — Madonna
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Kyrie — Mr. Mister
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Nightshift — The Commodores
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On My Own — Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald
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Borderline — Madonna
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I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) — Aretha Franklin & George Michael
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Don’t Stand So Close To Me — The Police
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Baby, Come To Me — Patti Austin and James Ingram
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Baby, I Love Your Way / Freebird Medley — Will To Power
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Oh Sherrie — Steve Perry
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Owner Of a Lonely Heart — Yes
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Running Up That Hill — Kate Bush
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Love Bites — Def Leppard
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Gypsy — Fleetwood Mac
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Nasty — Janet Jackson
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Got My Mind Set On You — George Harrison
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Voices Carry — ‘Til Tuesday
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Pump Up the Volume — M|A|R|R|S
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You Can Call Me Al — Paul Simon
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Making Love Out Of Nothing At All — Air Supply
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Everything She Wants — Wham!
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Rosanna — Toto
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Hey Nineteen — Steely Dan
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The Look Of Love — ABC
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Beds Are Burning — Midnight Oil
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Escape (The Pina Colada Song) — Rupert Holmes
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Sirius / Eye In the Sky — The Alan Parsons Project
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Why Can’t This Be Love? — Van Halen
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One More Try — George Michael
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Eternal Flame — The Bangles
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Stuck On You — Lionel Richie
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Cherish — Kool & the Gang
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She’s Like the Wind — Patrick Swayze
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Rock Me Amadeus — Falco
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Private Eyes — Daryl Hall and John Oates
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Hold On To the Nights — Richard Marx
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Living In America — James Brown
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Bad Medicine — Bon Jovi
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Chariots Of Fire - Titles — Vangelis
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Human Nature — Michael Jackson
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When I Think of You — Janet Jackson
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King Of Pain — The Police
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Der Kommissar — After the Fire
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I Keep Forgettin’ — Michael McDonald
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Cars — Gary Numan
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Waiting For a Star To Fall — Boy Meets Girl
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Bad — Michael Jackson
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You Keep Me Hangin’ On — Kim Wilde
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Jump (For My Love) — The Pointer Sisters
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Too Shy — Kajagoogoo
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Burnin’ For You — Blue Öyster Cult
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La Bamba — Los Lobos
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Caught Up In You — .38 Special
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Small Town — John Cougar Mellencamp
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I Would Die 4 U — Prince and the Revolution
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Twilight Zone — Golden Earring
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Hungry Heart — Bruce Springsteen
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The Longest Time — Billy Joel
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You Got It — Roy Orbison
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The Safety Dance — Men Without Hats
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Talk Dirty To Me — Poison
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Let’s Hear It For the Boy — Deniece Williams
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Give It To Me Baby — Rick James
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Little Lies — Fleetwood Mac
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The Sweetest Taboo — Sade
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The Look — Roxette
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She Blinded Me With Science — Thomas Dolby
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The Promise — When In Rome
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So Emotional — Whitney Houston
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Wishing Well — Terence Trent D’Arby
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Against the Wind — Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band
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P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) — Michael Jackson
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I Think We’re Alone Now — Tiffany
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Desire — U2
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I Can Dream About You — Dan Hartman
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Venus — Bananarama
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Legs — ZZ Top
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Luka — Suzanne Vega
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Straight From the Heart — Bryan Adams
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Mr. Roboto — Styx
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Looking For a New Love — Jody Watley
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Southern Cross — Crosby, Stills, & Nash
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Goody Two Shoes — Adam Ant
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Rhythm Of the Night — Debarge
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Theme From The Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not) — Joey Scarbury
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The Lady In Red — Chris de Burgh
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Lady — Kenny Rogers
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No One Is To Blame — Howard Jones
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I’ll Be There For You — Bon Jovi
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Morning Train (Nine To Five) — Sheena Easton
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Woman — John Lennon
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The Heat Is On — Glenn Frey
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Truly — Lionel Richie
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Lost In Love — Air Supply
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Angel Of the Morning — Juice Newton
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Open Your Heart — Madonna
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Queen Of Hearts — Juice Newton
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Our Lips Are Sealed — The Go-Go’s
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Dance Hall Days — Wang Chung
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Let My Love Open the Door — Pete Townshend
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Freeway Of Love — Aretha Franklin
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Back On the Chain Gang — The Pretenders
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You Might Think — The Cars
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In Your Eyes — Peter Gabriel
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Don’t Come Around Here No More — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
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Walk Of Life — Dire Straits
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Rio — Duran Duran
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Sussudio — Phil Collins
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Don’t Get Me Wrong — The Pretenders
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I Hate Myself For Loving You — Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
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Wild Thing — Tone Lōc
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Harden My Heart — Quarterflash
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On the Radio — Donna Summer
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Everywhere – Fleetwood Mac
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My Prerogative — Bobby Brown
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Ghostbusters — Ray Parker Jr.
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Girl You Know It’s True — Milli Vanilli
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Train In Vain (Stand By Me) — The Clash
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Don’t Worry, Be Happy — Bobby McFerrin
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Love In an Elevator — Aerosmith
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Sad Songs (Say So Much) — Elton John
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Ebony and Ivory — Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder
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Keep Your Hands To Yourself — The Georgia Satellites
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U Got the Look — Prince
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Somebody’s Baby — Jackson Browne
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Mony Mony (Live) — Billy Idol
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Somebody’s Watching Me — Rockwell
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What Have You Done For Me Lately — Janet Jackson
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Human — The Human League
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Mickey — Toni Basil
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I Can’t Wait — Nu Shooz
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Stuck With You — Huey Lewis and the News
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Little Jeannie — Elton John
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The Next Time I Fall — Peter Cetera and Amy Grant
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Only In My Dreams — Debbie Gibson
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A View To a Kill — Duran Duran
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Express Yourself — Madonna
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Sara — Fleetwood Mac
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Dirty Laundry — Don Henley
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I’ve Never Been To Me — Charlene
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Everybody Have Fun Tonight — Wang Chung
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Do You Believe In Love — Huey Lewis and the News
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Vacation — The Go-Go’s
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The Reflex — Duran Duran
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Sweet Love — Anita Baker
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People Are People — Depeche Mode
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Sowing the Seeds Of Love — Tears For Fears
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Something About You — Level 42
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Genius Of Love — Tom Tom Club
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One Thing Leads To Another — The Fixx
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One Night In Bangkok — Murray Head
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I Can’t Tell You Why — Eagles
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Cold Hearted — Paula Abdul
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Steppin’ Out — Joe Jackson
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I Want a New Drug — Huey Lewis and the News
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Fame — Irene Cara
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Kids In America — Kim Wilde
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You Dropped a Bomb On Me — The Gap Band
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I’m Alright (Theme From “Caddyshack”) — Kenny Loggins
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Self Control — Laura Branigan
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Lucky Star — Madonna
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Late In the Evening — Paul Simon
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Dirty Diana — Michael Jackson
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Let It Whip — The Dazz Band
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Get Down On It – Kool & the Gang
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It’s My Life — Talk Talk
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Come Dancing — The Kinks
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Into the Night — Benny Mardones
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Angel — Aerosmith
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What I Am — Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
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Lovergirl — Teena Marie
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The Glamorous Life — Sheila E.
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Private Dancer — Tina Turner
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You Got It (The Right Stuff) — New Kids On the Block
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Always On My Mind — Willie Nelson
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Hard Habit To Break — Chicago
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Shake You Down — Gregory Abbott
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Rapture — Blondie
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Roll With It — Steve Winwood
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Say Say Say — Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson
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Alive and Kicking — Simple Minds
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Love Come Down — Evelyn “Champagne” King
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Every Little Step — Bobby Brown
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Always On My Mind – Pet Shop Boys
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Pass the Dutchie – Musical Youth
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True Faith — New Order
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(Just Like) Starting Over — John Lennon
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Give Me the Night — George Benson
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Look Away — Chicago
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Wind Beneath My Wings — Bette Midler
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Miss You Much — Janet Jackson
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Life In a Northern Town — The Dream Academy
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Shakedown — Bob Seger
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Send Me an Angel — Real Life
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Mad About You — Belinda Carlisle
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You Are — Lionel Richie
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Time (Clock Of the Heart) — Culture Club
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Slow Hand — The Pointer Sisters
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Holding Out For a Hero — Bonnie Tyler
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America — Neil Diamond
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Candle In the Wind (Live 1986) — Elton John
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We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) — Tina Turner
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Shake It Up — The Cars
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Never — Heart
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Head To Toe — Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
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Jeopardy — The Greg Kihn Band
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What You Need — INXS
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Jungle Love — The Time
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New Attitude — Patti LaBelle
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Buffalo Stance — Neneh Cherry
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Sign O’ the Times — Prince
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You Better, You Bet — The Who
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Chains Of Love — Erasure
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Cherish — Madonna
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Better Be Good To Me — Tina Turner
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Would I Lie To You? — Eurythmics
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Freeze-Frame — J. Geils Band
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How ‘Bout Us — Champaign
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Radio Ga Ga – Queen
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Puttin’ On the Ritz — Taco
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She Bop — Cyndi Lauper
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Coward Of the County – Kenny Rogers
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Only Time Will Tell – Asia
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Animal — Def Leppard
For songs 501 to 700, click HERE.