THE BEST MUSIC EVER!
Music from the ‘80s has remained popular with people of all ages since the ‘80s. Surpassing other decades, the popular songs of the ‘80s feature a unique quality and a remarkable variety of music styles.
Since the ‘80s, music has gradually become more and more corporate and standardized, which is why the incredible music of the ‘80s eclipses and transcends popular music today. Furthermore, music is now categorized into genres to such an extreme degree that people are rarely exposed to different styles of music anymore.
This website focuses on the songs from the ‘80s that are still popular today, as well as the ‘80s songs that were not “popular” back then, but have become beloved classics: Check out the 100 songs on this list: THE BEST SONGS THAT WERE NOT POPULAR IN THE ‘80S.
‘80S PLAYLISTS ON SPOTIFY
Music from the ‘80s is much more than just the popular songs! For a comprehensive list of all the best ‘80s songs from all music genres, check out...
2,000 SONGS FROM ALL GENRES:
Rock
Hip-Hop
Country
Metal
R&B
New Wave
Reggae
Dance
New Age
Funk
Jazz
Ambient
Gangsta Rap
Blues
Folk
Inspirational
Soul
Electronic
Orchestral
Punk
Adult Contemporary
Showtunes
The ‘80s had the best music in all categories!!
This playlist features songs by all noteworthy ‘80s artists, including artists you may not be as familiar with, such as Iron Maiden, Enya, Eric B. & Rakim, The Smiths, Tracy Chapman, 10,000 Maniacs, New Order, De La Soul, The Clash, Willie Nelson, Indigo Girls, Luther Vandross, Metallica, Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark, Reba McEntire, The Cure, Ice-T, Depeche Mode, Black Sabbath, Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, Jungle Brothers, Erasure, Jane’s Addiction, and The Stone Roses (just to name a few).
And, of course this playlist also includes songs from the most popular artists, including Madonna, Prince, Journey, Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen, Def Leppard, Whitney Houston, Duran Duran, Van Halen, Elton John, Richard Marx, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Wonder, Mötley Crüe, U2, Dolly Parton, Tears For Fears, AC/DC, Daryl Hall & John Oates, The Police, Pink Floyd, Patti LaBelle, Eurythmics, Donna Summer, Cyndi Lauper, Pat Benatar, George Michael, Bryan Adams, R.E.M., Queen, Michael Jackson, and many more—all of the best artists from this decade of amazing music!
To listen to 2,000 of the best songs from the ‘80s (in a fun “custom order”), check out THE BEST ‘80S PLAYLIST EVER!
HOW WERE THESE SONGS RANKED?
To compile this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S, what I primarily wanted to measure was staying power: Which songs have sustained in popularity since the ‘80s?
First, I had to establish the criteria for inclusion on the list, or there would have been well over 10,000 songs from the ‘80s to narrow to 500. For a song to be eligible for inclusion on this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S, it must have entered the United States Billboard Top 40 between January 5, 1980 and November 30, 1989. (For the January 5, 1980 chart, all songs that were already on the chart and ascending were eligible. Songs that entered the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in a December are considered songs from the subsequent year).
THE U.S. BILLBOARD TOP 40
The “Top 40” comes from the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which is the music industry standard by which a song’s popularity is assessed in the United States. The Hot 100 has been published weekly by Billboard magazine since 1958. In the ‘80s, the Hot 100 was determined by radio airplay and retail sales data. Today the Hot 100 is determined using both retail and digital sales data, plus radio airplay data, and streaming activity data provided by online music platforms.
AMERICAN TOP 40
American Top 40 is a weekly radio program that airs internationally and features an ascending countdown of the Top 40 songs on the Hot 100 chart. American Top 40 was created by American disc jockey and radio host Casey Kasem, who hosted the program from its inauguration on July 4, 1970 until August 6, 1988.
Casey Kasem left American Top 40 to host a new syndicated radio music program called Casey's Top 40, which debuted on the weekend of January 21, 1989. He hosted that show for nine years, and then returned to American Top 40 on March 28, 1998, and hosted that show again until January 10, 2004. Casey Kasem passed away in 2014.
In the ‘80s, every week I and millions of people all over the world listened to Casey Kasem count down the most popular songs in the United States from 40 to 1.
20 CRITERIA FOR 2,196 SONGS
In the ‘80s, there were 2,208 songs that entered the American Top 40 chart. Twelve of those songs are not eligible to be included on this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S because even though they charted on American Top 40 in the ‘80s, these songs were originally released in the ‘60s or ‘70s, and are therefore not ‘80s songs.
Eight of these 12 songs are ineligible because they were descending the first chart of 1980 after reaching their peak popularity in 1979. These are songs from the ‘70s that were decreasing in popularity on the January 5, 1980 chart:
Babe — Styx
Half the Way — Crystal Gayle
Heartache Tonight — Eagles
No More Tears (Enough Is Enough) —
Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer
Pop Muzik — M
Still — The Commodores
Take the Long Way Home — Supertramp
You’re Only Lonely — J.D. Souther
(Click on a song title to play it on Spotify.)
Four of these 12 ineligible songs entered the American Top 40 chart in the ‘80s, but because they had been American Top 40 hits in the ‘60s, they were deemed ineligible for inclusion on this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S. These songs from the ‘60s are the exact same recordings that had been hits previously, not remakes or re-recordings:
Do You Love Me — The Contours
(an American Top 40 hit in 1962 and again in 1988)
Stand By Me — Ben E. King
(an American Top 40 hit in 1961 and again in 1986)
Twist and Shout — The Beatles
(an American Top 40 hit in 1964 and again in 1986)
What a Wonderful World — Louis Armstrong
(an American Top 40 hit in 1967 and again in 1988)
Excluding these 12 ineligible songs leaves 2,196 eligible songs for this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S.
The 2,196 songs were scored and ranked based on the following 20 categories, using United States data gathered through December 31, 2023:
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Retail Sales
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Digital Sales
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Radio Airplay
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Online Streaming
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Awards and Nominations
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Music Critics’ Lists
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Music Industry “Best Of” Lists
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Rankings On ‘80s Music Charts
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Rankings On Music Charts Since the ‘80s
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Uses and References In ‘80s Media
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Uses and References In Media Since the ‘80s
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Social Media Tracking of Song References
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Web Monitoring of Song References
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Video Hosting Website Views
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Cover Versions
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Attested Influence On Other Artists
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Music Video Plays
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Karaoke Demand
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Concert Performances
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Backlash (This category represents negative points for songs that decreased in popularity.)
Each song was scored based on these criteria, and that is how they were ranked, which is why you can be sure that this is the definitive list of ‘80s pop music.
BEST ‘80S SONGS THAT WERE NOT POPULAR IN THE ‘80S IN THE U.S.
Unfortunately, due to the criteria established (explained in the HOW WERE THESE SONGS RANKED? section), many beloved ‘80s songs were not eligible for inclusion on this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S. These 100 songs have become some of the most popular and iconic ‘80s songs. They are not on the list of the TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S because they did not enter the American Top 40 chart.
This Spotify playlist ranks 100 enduring ‘80s classics that were not “popular” in the ‘80s in the United States. (Please note that even though some of the songs on this list are featured on albums that were released in the ‘70s, these songs were released as singles in 1980, and are therefore ‘80s songs.)
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Three Little Birds — Bob Marley & The Wailers
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Should I Stay Or Should I Go — The Clash
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Last Christmas — Wham!
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Comfortably Numb — Pink Floyd
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Crazy Train — Ozzy Osbourne
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Boys Don’t Cry — The Cure
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Blue Monday — New Order
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It’s Raining Men — The Weather Girls
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About a Girl – Nirvana
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Into the Groove — Madonna
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It’s the End Of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) — R.E.M.
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Master Of Puppets — Metallica
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I Want Candy — Bow Wow Wow
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Straight Outta Compton — N.W.A.
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Sharp Dressed Man — ZZ Top
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Sunday Bloody Sunday — U2
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Rebel Yell — Billy Idol
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Just Can’t Get Enough — Depeche Mode
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Tom Sawyer — Rush
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Fight the Power — Public Enemy
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I Want To Break Free — Queen
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Forever Young — Alphaville
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Baby Can I Hold You — Tracy Chapman
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Still Loving You — Scorpions
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Could You Be Loved — Bob Marley & The Wailers
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Hey You — Pink Floyd
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The Trooper — Iron Maiden
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Love Will Tear Us Apart — Joy Division
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What I Like About You — The Romantics
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Blister In the Sun — Violent Femmes
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How Soon Is Now? — The Smiths
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Once In a Lifetime — Talking Heads
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Jane Says — Jane’s Addiction
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It’s Tricky — Run–D.M.C.
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Home Sweet Home — Mötley Crüe
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I Wanna Be Sedated — Ramones
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Talkin’ Bout a Revolution — Tracy Chapman
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I Wanna Rock — Twisted Sister
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Mad World — Tears For Fears
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London Calling — The Clash
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No One Like You — Scorpions
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Here Comes Your Man — Pixies
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End Of the Line — Traveling Wilburys
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Hallelujah — Leonard Cohen
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There She Goes — The La’s
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Tempted — Squeeze
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Closer To Fine — Indigo Girls
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Rockin’ In the Free World — Neil Young
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New Year’s Day — U2
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I Melt With You — Modern English
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Redemption Song — Bob Marley & The Wailers
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Dancing With Myself — Billy Idol
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Through the Fire — Chaka Khan
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Hot For Teacher — Van Halen
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Handle With Care — The Traveling Wilburys
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Trouble Me — 10,000 Maniacs
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She Sells Sanctuary — The Cult
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Situation — Yazoo [Note: Yazoo is known as Yaz in the U.S.]
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And She Was — Talking Heads
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I Am What I Am — Gloria Gaynor
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Burning Up — Madonna
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Peek-a-Boo — Siouxsie and the Banshees
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I Don’t Like Mondays — The Boomtown Rats
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Bad Reputation — Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
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Wouldn’t It Be Good — Nik Kershaw
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Learning To Fly — Pink Floyd
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Apache — The Sugarhill Gang
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Orange Crush — R.E.M.
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Meeting In the Ladies Room — Klymaxx
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Goodbye To You — Scandal
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Lunatic Fringe — Red Rider
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Shakin’ — Eddie Money
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Rockit — Herbie Hancock
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Fire Woman — The Cult
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Ain’t Nothin’ Goin’ On But the Rent — Gwen Guthrie
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Watermark — Enya
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Like the Weather — 10,000 Maniacs
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The Killing Moon — Echo & the Bunnymen
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Head Like a Hole — Nine Inch Nails
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Straight To Hell — Drivin N Cryin
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Mr. Brownstone — Guns N’ Roses
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If You Say My Eyes Are Beautiful — Jermaine Jackson & Whitney Houston
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Teen Age Riot — Sonic Youth
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Girls On Film — Duran Duran
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All At Once — Whitney Houston
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Bizarre Love Triangle — New Order
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White Lines (Don’t Do It) — Grandmaster Melle Mel
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Dear God — XTC
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Fire and Desire — Rick James and Teena Marie
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This Woman’s Work — Kate Bush
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Just Like Honey — The Jesus and Mary Chain
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So Many Men, So Little Time — Miquel Brown
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Crash — The Primitives
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Goodbye Horses — Q Lazzarus
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Strokin – Clarence Carter
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Enola Gay – Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark
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Let the River Run — Carly Simon
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Don’t Go — Yazoo [Note: Yazoo is known as Yaz in the U.S.]
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Run To the Hills — Iron Maiden
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Super Trouper — ABBA
CRUCIALLY ICONIC ‘80S SONGS
Fight the Power by Public Enemy
This song by American hip-hop group Public Enemy was released in 1989 at the request of American film director Spike Lee, to serve at the musical theme for his film Do the Right Thing. This song has become an enduring anthem about opposition to abusive authority, especially as it pertains to the civil rights of African-Americans, and the United States’ ongoing struggle with systemic racism.
Fight the Power is Public Enemy’s best-known song, and is highly regarded as one of the greatest songs of all-time. Public Enemy (now called Public Enemy Radio) is known for socially-conscious, harsh critiques that reflect the frustrations of the African-American community with the government, the media, and other power structures.
I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow
This song by English new wave group Bow Wow Wow is a 1982 remake of a 1965 song by American band The Strangeloves (click here). Both versions are well-known for using the Bo Diddley beat, popularized by American musician Bo Diddley, who influenced the integration of the blues with rock and roll music in the ‘60s. The Bo Diddley beat is a syncopated musical rhythm that combines elements of Afro-Cuban and Latin music into a dynamic rock beat, making the music sound more energetic.
Bow Wow Wow’s version of I Want Candy was the first and only single from their debut EP The Last of the Mohicans (a reference to their Mohawk hairstyles). The video was played in heavy rotation on American television channel MTV, which launched in 1981, but the song did not enter the American Top 40 chart, and peaked at #62. The song was a hit in the U.K., peaking at #9, and was also a hit in Belgium, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.
Bow Wow Wow formed in 1980, comprising former members of English post-punk band Adam and the Ants and 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on vocals. The band became popular for a danceable new wave sound, slightly risqué lyrics, and the unique banshee squeals of the teenage vocalist. In 2012, the band members split from Annabella Lwin, found a new singer, and continued to perform as Bow Wow Wow, all of which was done without the consent of Annabella Lwin. Since then, she has performed as Annabella Lwin of the original Bow Wow Wow.
WHY AREN’T THESE SONGS IN THE TOP 500?!
Fight the Power and I Want Candy are not on the list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S because they did not enter the American Top 40 chart, and are therefore ineligible for inclusion on that list (explained in the HOW WERE THESE SONGS RANKED? section).
However, because these songs have become enduring ‘80s classics, they are included on separate list: THE BEST SONGS THAT WERE NOT POPULAR IN THE ‘80S (above). On this list, Fight the Power is song #21, and I Want Candy is songs #13. The 100 (ranked) songs on this list are some of the most beloved ‘80s songs, despite the fact that they were not “popular” in the 1980s.
ARTISTS WHO HAVE THE MOST SONGS ON THE LIST OF THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S
1. MICHAEL JACKSON* – 14 songs
Billie Jean (#3), Beat It (#31), Thriller (#55), Man In the Mirror (#81), The Way You Make Me Feel (#171), Rock With You (#214), Smooth Criminal (#217), Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (#241), Human Nature (#315), Bad (#322), P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (#347), Dirty Diana (#438), and Say Say Say (#455) with Paul McCartney; plus Rockwell’s Somebody’s Watching Me (#402), on which he performs vocals
2. MADONNA – 13 songs
Like a Prayer (#27), Like a Virgin (#47), Material Girl (#56), La Isla Bonita (#141), Holiday (#168), Crazy For You (#228), Papa Don’t Preach (#235), Live To Tell (#276), Borderline (#280), Open Your Heart (#371), Express Yourself (#412), Lucky Star (#436), and Cherish (#489)
3. PRINCE – 11 songs
Kiss (#23), When Doves Cry (#28), Purple Rain (#30), Let’s Go Crazy (#95), 1999 (#113), Little Red Corvette (#117), Raspberry Beret (#135), I Would Die 4 U (#330), U Got the Look (#399), and Sign O’ the Times (#486); plus Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back (#253), on which he plays synthesizers; but not including songs by other artists that Prince wrote: The Bangles’ Manic Monday (#128), Chaka Khan’s I Feel for You (#153), and Sheila E.’s The Glamorous Life (#447)
4. PHIL COLLINS** – 9 songs
In the Air Tonight (#48), Easy Lover (#183) with Philip Bailey, Against All Odds (#189), Another Day In Paradise (#216), and Sussudio (#383); plus two songs with Genesis: Invisible Touch (#169) and That’s All (#199); and songs on which he performs backing vocals and drums: Howard Jones’ No One Is To Blame (#363) and Frida’s I Know There’s Something Going On (#494)
5. GEORGE MICHAEL** – 7 songs
Careless Whisper (#29) [credited to Wham! featuring George Michael], Faith (#51), Father Figure (#174), I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (#281) with Aretha Franklin, and One More Try (#304); plus two songs with Wham!: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (#42) and Everything She Wants (#296)
6. RICHARD MARX – 7 songs
Right Here Waiting (#59) and Hold On To the Nights (#311); plus three songs on which he performs backing vocals: John Parr’s St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) (#133), and two of Lionel Richie’s songs: All Night Long (All Night) (#68) and You Are (#471); plus two of Whitney Houston’s songs on which he performs backing vocals and guitar: Saving All My Love For You (#120) and Greatest Love Of All (#138)
7. LIONEL RICHIE* – 7 songs
All Night Long (All Night) (#68), Endless Love (#91) with Diana Ross, Hello (#179), Say You, Say Me (#201), Stuck On You (#306), Truly (#368), and You Are (#471)
8. WHITNEY HOUSTON – 6 songs
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (#12), Saving All My Love For You (#120), How Will I Know (#125), Greatest Love Of All (#138), One Moment In Time (#258), and So Emotional (#344)
9. DEF LEPPARD – 6 songs
Pour Some Sugar On Me (#16), Photograph (#99), Rock Of Ages (#157), Hysteria (#275), Love Bites (#288), and Animal (#500)
10. TOTO – 6 songs
Africa (#19) and Rosanna (#297); plus songs on which most members of the band perform: Michael Jackson’s Beat It (#31), John Parr’s St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion) (#133), Michael Jackson’s Human Nature (#315), and Michael McDonald’s I Keep Forgettin’ (#319)
11. STEVIE WONDER* – 6 songs
I Just Called To Say I Love You (#80), Part-Time Lover (#233); and Ebony and Ivory (#397) with Paul McCartney; plus Dionne and Friends’ That’s What Friends Are For (#178); and songs on which he plays harmonica: Chaka Khan’s I Feel For You (#153) and Elton John’s I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues (#247)
12. STEVIE NICKS – 6 songs
Edge Of Seventeen (#84) and Stand Back (#253); plus four songs with Fleetwood Mac: Gypsy (#289), Little Lies (#339), Everywhere (#389), and Sara (#413)
13. DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES* – 6 songs
You Make My Dreams (#86), I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (#112), Maneater (#159), Out Of Touch (#192), Kiss On My List (#226), and Private Eyes (#310)
14. ELTON JOHN – 6 songs
I’m Still Standing (#131), I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues (#247), Sad Songs (Say So Much) (#396), Little Jeannie (#408), and Candle In the Wind (Live 1986) (#476); plus Dionne and Friends’ That’s What Friends Are For) (#178)
15. STEVE PERRY* – 6 songs
Oh Sherrie (#285); plus five songs with Journey: Don’t Stop Believin’ (#1), Faithfully (#104), Any Way You Want It (#127), Open Arms (#151), and Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (#155)
16. JOURNEY – 5 songs
Don’t Stop Believin’ (#1), Faithfully (#104), Any Way You Want It (#127) Open Arms (#151), and Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (#155)
17. BON JOVI – 5 songs
Livin’ On a Prayer (#2), You Give Love a Bad Name (#24), Wanted Dead Or Alive (#110), Bad Medicine (#313), and I’ll Be There For You (#364)
18. CYNDI LAUPER* – 5 songs
Time After Time (#10), Girls Just Want To Have Fun (#14), True Colors (#210), All Through the Night (#267), and She Bop (#497)
19. U2** – 5 songs
With Or Without You (#22), Pride (In the Name Of Love) (#94), I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (#111), Where the Streets Have No Name (#137), and Desire (#349)
20. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN* – 5 songs
Dancing In the Dark (#49), Born In the U.S.A. (#64), I’m On Fire (#165), Glory Days (#225), and Hungry Heart (#332)
21. BELINDA CARLISLE – 5 songs
Heaven Is a Place On Earth (#66) and Mad About You (#470); plus three songs with The Go-Go’s: We Got the Beat (#227), Our Lips Are Sealed (#373), and Vacation (#418)
22. PETER CETERA – 5 songs
Glory Of Love (#251) and The Next Time I Fall (#409) with Amy Grant; plus three songs with Chicago: Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away (#221), You’re the Inspiration (#248), and Hard Habit To Break (#451)
23. QUEEN – 4 songs
Another One Bites the Dust (#5), Under Pressure (#41) with David Bowie, Crazy Little Thing Called Love (#44), and Radio Ga Ga (#495)
24. THE POLICE – 4 songs
Every Breath You Take (#6), Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (#147), Don’t Stand So Close To Me (#282), and King Of Pain (#317)
25. GUNS N’ ROSES – 4 songs
Sweet Child O’ Mine (#8), Welcome To the Jungle, (#32), Paradise City (#96), and Patience (#204)
26. TEARS FOR FEARS – 4 songs
Everybody Wants To Rule the World (#9), Head Over Heels (#162), Shout (#254), and Sowing the Seeds Of Love (#422)
27. BRYAN ADAMS – 4 songs
Summer of ’69 (#20), Heaven (#40), Run To You (#249), and Straight From the Heart (#354)
28. JOHN (COUGAR) MELLENCAMP – 4 songs
Jack & Diane (#46), Hurts So Good (#101), Pink Houses (#144), and Small Town (#329)
29. TOM PETTY – 4 songs
Free Fallin’ (#69), I Won’t Back Down (#187), and Don’t Come Around Here No More (#380) with the Heartbreakers; plus Roy Orbison’s You Got It (#334), on which he performs backing vocals and acoustic guitar
30. DURAN DURAN** – 4 songs
Hungry Like the Wolf (#74), Rio (#382), A View To a Kill (#411), and The Reflex (#419)
31. TINA TURNER* – 4 songs
What’s Love Got To Do With It (#77), Private Dancer (#448), We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) (#477), and Better Be Good To Me (#490)
32. PAT BENATAR – 4 songs
Love Is a Battlefield (#100), Hit Me With Your Best Shot (#106), We Belong (#123), and Heartbreaker (#161)
33. HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS* – 4 songs
The Power Of Love (#170), Stuck With You (#407), Do You Believe In Love (#417), and I Want a New Drug (#430)
34. BILLY JOEL* – 4 songs
Uptown Girl (#207), It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me (#220), We Didn’t Start the Fire (#260), and The Longest Time (#333)
35. CHICAGO – 4 songs
Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away (#221), You’re the Inspiration (#248), Hard Habit To Break (#451), and Look Away (#464)
36. AEROSMITH – 4 songs
Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (#237), Love In an Elevator (#395), and Angel (#444); plus Walk This Way (#45) with Run-D.M.C. [Note: Aerosmith bandmembers Steven Tyler and Joe Perry perform with Run-D.M.C on this remake of Aerosmith’s original Walk This Way, which was an American Top 40 hit in 1977.]
37. MICHAEL MCDONALD – 4 songs
On My Own (#279) with Patti LaBelle, and I Keep Forgettin’ (#319); plus two songs on which he performs backing vocals: Christopher Cross’ Ride Like the Wind (#164), and James Ingram and Patti Austin’s Baby, Come To Me (#283)
38. FLEETWOOD MAC – 4 songs
Gypsy (#289), Little Lies (#339), Everywhere (#389), and Sara (#413)
39. JANET JACKSON – 4 songs
Nasty (#290), When I Think of You (#316), What Have You Done For Me Lately (#403), and Miss You Much (#466)
40. WHAM! – 3 songs
Careless Whisper (#29) [credited to Wham! featuring George Michael], Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (#42), and Everything She Wants (#296)
41. VAN HALEN – 3 songs
Jump (#34), Panama (#62), and Why Can’t This Be Love? (#303)
42. EURYTHMICS – 3 songs
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (#36), Here Comes the Rain Again (#255), and Would I Lie To You? (#491)
43. DAVID BOWIE – 3 songs
Under Pressure (#41) with Queen, Let’s Dance (#93), and Modern Love (#114)
44. CULTURE CLUB** – 3 songs
Karma Chameleon (#50), Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (#152), and Time (Clock Of the Heart) (#472)
45. BLONDIE – 3 songs
Call Me (#53), The Tide Is High (#252), and Rapture (#453)
46. KOOL & THE GANG** – 3 songs
Celebration (#54), Cherish (#307), and Get Down On It (#440)
47. KENNY LOGGINS* – 3 songs
Footloose (#60), Danger Zone (#182), and I’m Alright (Theme From “Caddyshack”) (#434)
48. REO SPEEDWAGON – 3 songs
Keep On Loving You (#61), Can’t Fight This Feeling (#85), and Take It On the Run (#156)
49. POISON – 3 songs
Every Rose Has Its Thorn (#73), Nothin’ But a Good Time (#270), and Talk Dirty To Me (#336)
50. THE BANGLES – 3 songs
Walk Like an Egyptian (#75), Manic Monday (#128), and Eternal Flame (#305)
51. INXS – 3 songs
Need You Tonight / Mediate (#87), Never Tear Us Apart (#188), and What You Need (#482)
52. THE CARS – 3 songs
Drive (#90), You Might Think (#378), and Shake It Up (#478)
53. DIANA ROSS* – 3 songs
Endless Love (#91) with Lionel Richie, I’m Coming Out (#158), and Upside Down (#242)
54. THE POINTER SISTERS* – 3 songs
I’m So Excited (#92), Jump (For My Love) (#324), and Slow Hand (#473)
55. DON HENLEY – 3 songs
The Boys of Summer (#116) and Dirty Laundry (#414); plus I Can’t Tell You Why (#427) with the Eagles
56. HEART – 3 songs
Alone (#121), These Dreams (#143), and Never (#479)
57. DIRE STRAITS – 3 songs
Money For Nothing (#150), Walk Of Life (#381), and Tina Turner’s Private Dancer (#448)
58. CHAKA KHAN – 3 songs
I Feel For You (#153); plus Ain’t Nobody (#197) with Rufus; and Steve Winwood’s Higher Love (#130), on which she performs vocals
59. THE PRETENDERS – 3 songs
Brass In Pocket (I’m Special) (#186), Back On the Chain Gang (#377), and Don’t Get Me Wrong (#384)
60. CHRISTOPHER CROSS – 3 songs
Ride Like the Wind (#164), Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (#177), and Sailing (#245)
61. BILLY IDOL – 3 songs
White Wedding (#160), Eyes Without a Face (#166), and Mony Mony (Live) (#401)
62. AIR SUPPLY – 3 songs
All Out Of Love (#180), Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (#295), and Lost In Love (#369)
63. PHILIP BAILEY – 3 songs
Easy Lover (#183) with Phil Collins; plus Let’s Groove (#172) with Earth, Wind & Fire; and Stevie Wonder’s Part-Time Lover (#233), on which he performs backing vocals
64. KENNY ROGERS* – 3 songs
Islands In the Stream (#212) with Dolly Parton, Lady (#362), and Coward Of the County (#498)
65. THE GO-GO’S – 3 songs
We Got the Beat (#227), Our Lips Are Sealed (#373), and Vacation (#418)
66. THOMAS DOLBY – 3 songs
She Blinded Me With Science (#342); plus Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is a Place On Earth (#66), on which he performs keyboards; and Foreigner’s Waiting For a Girl Like You (#240), on which he performs synthesizers
67. GLENN FREY – 3 songs
The Heat Is On (#367); plus I Can’t Tell You Why (#427) with the Eagles; and Bob Seger’s Against the Wind (#346), on which he performs harmony vocals
* These artists were a part of We Are the World (#203) by USA For Africa, which is not included in these song totals.
** These artists were a part of Do They Know It’s Christmas? (#236) by Band Aid, which is not included in these song totals.
The ranking of the artists with the same number of songs is based on which artist has the highest-ranking song on the list of the THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S.
ARTISTS WHO HAVE TWO SONGS ON THE LIST
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Simple Minds: Don’t You (Forget About Me) (#4) and Alive and Kicking (#456)
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AC/DC: Back In Black (#11) and You Shook Me All Night Long (#17)
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Joan Jett & the Blackhearts: I Love Rock ‘n Roll (#25) and I Hate Myself For Loving You (#385)
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Irene Cara: Flashdance...What a Feeling (#26) and Fame (#431)
-
Foreigner: I Want To Know What Love Is (#35) and Waiting For a Girl Like You (#240)
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The Human League: Don’t You Want Me (#39) and Human (#404)
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Men At Work: Down Under (#65) and Who Can It Be Now? (#211)
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Dolly Parton: 9 To 5 (#76) and Islands In the Stream (#212) with Kenny Rogers
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Jennifer Warnes: (I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life (#78) with Bill Medley, and Up Where We Belong (#229) with Joe Cocker
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J. Geils Band: Centerfold (#79) and Freeze-Frame (#492)
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Starship: Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (#82) and We Built This City (#266)
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Rick James: Super Freak (#88) and Give It To Me Baby (#338)
-
Roxette: Listen To Your Heart (#97) and The Look (#341)
-
Laura Branigan: Gloria (#108) and Self Control (#435)
-
Asia: Heat Of the Moment (#109) and Only Time Will Tell (#499)
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The Cure: Just Like Heaven (#115) and Lovesong (#205)
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Mr. Mister: Broken Wings (#126) and Kyrie (#277)
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Steve Winwood: Higher Love (#130) and Roll With It (#454)
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Eddie Money: Take Me Home Tonight (#140) and Kenny Loggins’ I’m Alright (Theme From “Caddyshack”) (#434)
-
Pet Shop Boys: West End Girls (#142) and Always On My Mind (#459)
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The Clash: Rock the Casbah (#163) and Train In Vain (Stand By Me) (#393)
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Mötley Crüe: Kickstart My Heart (#167) and Dr. Feelgood (#193)
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Genesis: Invisible Touch (#169) and That’s All (#199)
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Frida: The Winner Takes It All (#173) with ABBA, and I Know There’s Something Going On (#494)
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Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer (#190) and In Your Eyes (#379)
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Donna Summer: She Works Hard For the Money (#208) and On the Radio (#388)
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Sade: Smooth Operator (#215) and The Sweetest Taboo (#340)
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Paula Abdul: Straight Up (#222) and Cold Hearted (#428)
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Bananarama**: Cruel Summer (#250) and Venus (#351)
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Bette Midler*: The Rose (#273) and Wind Beneath My Wings (#465)
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Patti LaBelle: On My Own (#279) with Michael McDonald, and New Attitude (#484)
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Aretha Franklin: I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (#281) with George Michael, and Freeway Of Love (#376)
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James Ingram*: Baby, Come To Me (#283) with Patti Austin, and Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (#347)
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George Harrison: Got My Mind Set On You (#291) and Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down (#187)
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Paul Simon*: You Can Call Me Al (#294) and Late In the Evening (#437)
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The Alan Parsons Project: Sirius / Eye In the Sky (#302)
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Boy Meets Girl: Waiting For a Star To Fall (#321) and Deniece Williams’ Let’s Hear It For the Boy (#337)
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Kim Wilde: You Keep Me Hangin’ On (#323) and Kids In America (#432)
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Bob Seger: Against the Wind (#346) with the Silver Bullet Band, and Shakedown (#468)
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Dan Hartman: I Can Dream About You (#350) and James Brown’s Living In America (#312)
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Sheena Easton: Morning Train (Nine To Five) (#365) and Prince’s U Got the Look (#399)
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John Lennon: Woman (#366) and (Just Like) Starting Over (#462)
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Juice Newton: Angel Of the Morning (#370) and Queen Of Hearts (#372)
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Wang Chung: Dance Hall Days (#374) and Everybody Have Fun Tonight (#416)
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Pete Townshend: Let My Love Open the Door (#375) and You Better, You Bet (#487) with The Who
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Bobby Brown: My Prerogative (#390) and Every Little Step (#458)
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Paul McCartney: Ebony and Ivory (#397) with Stevie Wonder, and Say Say Say (#455) with Michael Jackson
* These artists were a part of We Are the World (#203) by USA For Africa, which is not included in these song totals.
** These artists were a part of Do They Know It’s Christmas? (#236) by Band Aid, which is not included in these song totals.
The ranking of the artists with the same number of songs is based on which artist has the highest-ranking song on the list of the THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S.
INCREDIBLE VARIETY
On this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S, not only will you find the popular artists you expect, such as Michael Jackson, Prince, and Madonna, but you will also find artists you might not expect (listed below), who also had American Top 40 hits in the ‘80s. You’ll find this kind of variety in popular music only in the ‘80s.
Led Zeppelin
Enya
James Brown
Beastie Boys
The Kinks
Kenny Rogers
Diana Ross
Metallica
Tracy Chapman
Erasure
Mötley Crüe
Roy Orbison
Guns N’ Roses
Eagles
The Sugarhill Gang
Steely Dan
Dolly Parton
Depeche Mode
Anita Baker
R.E.M.
Grateful Dead
Rick James
Paul Simon
Sade
The Rolling Stones
Salt-N-Peppa
The Beach Boys
New Order
Cher
Yes
The Clash
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
AC/DC
Willie Nelson
Pink Floyd
Marvin Gaye
Aretha Franklin
John Lennon
Blue Öyster Cult
Ratt
Bette Midler
Bob Seger
Neil Diamond
Styx
Los Lobos
Jackson Browne
ZZ Top
Tom Tom Club
Earth, Wind & Fire
Suzanne Vega
Steve Miller Band
Whitesnake
Midnight Oil
The Cure
Juice Newton
Run-D.M.C.
Adam Ant
Talking Heads
Dionne Warwick
Joe Cocker
Van Halen
Kate Bush
The Who
Crosby, Stills, & Nash
SONG TOTALS BY YEAR
Here is the breakdown of the number of songs from each year that are on the list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S:
1984 – 66 songs (13.2%)
1985 – 62 songs (12.2%)
1983 – 58 songs (11.8%)
1982 – 53 songs (10.8%)
1986 – 49 songs (9.6%)
1987 – 47 songs (9.4%)
1981 – 42 songs (8.4%)
1980 – 42 songs (8.4%)
1988 – 41 songs (8.2%)
1989 – 40 songs (8.0%)
SONGS 501 TO 700: THE 200 SONGS THAT ALMOST MADE THE LIST
Here are the 200 songs (ranked from 501 to 700) that almost made the list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S.
Click HERE to play THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S plus these 200 songs on Spotify!
It’s noteworthy to mention the artists who have three or more songs among songs 501 to 700:
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Phil Collins has an additional six songs (including three songs with Genesis).
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Tom Petty has five additional songs (including four songs with the Heartbreakers and one of those with Stevie Nicks).
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The following artists have three additional songs among songs 501 to 700: Don Henley (including one song with the Eagles), Huey Lewis and the News, Duran Duran, Stevie Wonder, Kool & the Gang, Madonna, Bryan Adams, John (Cougar) Mellencamp, Whitney Houston, and Def Leppard.
501. Talking In Your Sleep – The Romantics
502. Land Of Confusion – Genesis
503. Stand — R.E.M.
504. Gimme All Your Lovin’ – ZZ Top
505. What Have I Done To Deserve This? —
Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield
506. The Long Run – Eagles
507. Hip To Be Square – Huey Lewis and the News
508. Save a Prayer — Duran Duran
509. Me Myself and I — De La Soul
510. I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World) – Donald Fagen
511. On the Road Again – Willie Nelson
512. Secret Lovers — Atlantic Starr
513. Burning Heart – Survivor
514. Together Forever – Rick Astley
515. If You Don’t Know Me By Now – Simply Red
516. Refugee – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
517. Do That To Me One More Time – Captain & Tennille
518. Runaway – Bon Jovi
519. We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off –
Jermaine Stewart
520. 18 and Life – Skid Row
521. A Little Respect – Erasure
522. Lean On Me — Club Nouveau
523. Master Blaster (Jammin’) – Stevie Wonder
524. When I See You Smile – Bad English
525. C’est La Vie — Robbie Nevil
526. Give It Up – KC and the Sunshine Band
527. Woman In Love – Barbra Streisand
528. Poison – Alice Cooper
529. Hold On Loosely - .38 Special
530. Shattered Dreams – Johnny Hates Jazz
531. Cruisin’ – Smokey Robinson
532. Is This Love – Whitesnake
533. Watching the Wheels – John Lennon
534. Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen
535. Never Say Goodbye – Bon Jovi
536. Magic – Olivia Newton-John
537. Being With You – Smokey Robinson
538. Big Log – Robert Plant
539. Obsession – Animotion
540. Automatic – The Pointer Sisters
541. Don’t Talk To Strangers – Rick Springfield
542. On the Wings Of Love – Jeffrey Osborne
543. Once Bitten Twice Shy – Great White
544. Dress You Up – Madonna
545. Cherry Bomb – John (Cougar) Mellencamp
546. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car – Billy Ocean
547. Wrapped Around Your Finger – The Police
548. You Give Good Love – Whitney Houston
549. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You –
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
550. In Too Deep – Genesis
551. If Ever You’re In My Arms Again – Peabo Bryson
552. Sign Your Name – Terence Trent D’Arby
553. Who’s Crying Now – Journey
554. Please Don’t Go – KC and the Sunshine Band
555. Shining Star – The Manhattans
556. Close My Eyes Forever – Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne
557. Too Hot – Kool & the Gang
558. Amanda – Boston
559. Lost In Your Eyes – Debbie Gibson
560. She’s a Bad Mama Jama – Carl Carlton
561. Love Song – Tesla
562. Never Knew Love Like This Before – Stephanie Mills
563. Don’t Do Me Like That –
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
564. While You See a Chance – Steve Winwood
565. Endless Summer Nights – Richard Marx
566. Say It Isn’t So – Daryl Hall and John Oates
567. Ladies’ Night – Kool & the Gang
568. Never Too Much – Luther Vandross
569. I Need Love – LL Cool J
570. Union Of the Snake – Duran Duran
571. Blame It On the Rain – Milli Vanelli
572. Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves –
Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
573. Don’t Know Much – Linda Ronstadt and Aaron Neville
574. Too Late For Goodbyes – Julian Lennon
575. Tarzan Boy – Tarzan Boy
576. Tonight I Celebrate My Love –
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
577. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going –
Billy Ocean
578. When I’m With You – Sheriff
579. Juke Box Hero – Foreigner
580. The Search Is Over – Survivor
581. Good Thing – Fine Young Cannibals
582. I Can’t Drive 55 – Sammy Hagar
583. Heart and Soul – T’Pau
584. Shadows Of the Night – Pat Benatar
585. Guilty – Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb
586. Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) – Cinderella
587. Under the Milky Way – The Church
588. Foolin’ – Def Leppard
589. Kiss Me Deadly – Lita Ford
590. When the Children Cry – White Lion
591. The Breakup Song – The Greg Kihn Band
592. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free – Sting
593. Point Of No Return – Exposé
594. The Best – Tina Turner
595. Wild Wild Life – Talking Heads
596. I’ve Got a Rock N’ Roll Heart – Eric Clapton
597. Sara – Starship
598. You Are My Lady – Freddie Jackson
599. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight – Genesis
600. Solid – Ashford & Simpson
601. He’s So Shy – The Pointer Sisters
602. Joanna – Kool & the Gang
603. Things Can Only Get Better – Howard Jones
604. Spirits In the Material World – The Police
605. All I Need Is a Miracle – Mike + the Mechanics
606. You Can’t Hurry Love – Phil Collins
607. Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty
608. Take Your Time (Do It Right) – The S.O.S. Band
609. Girls, Girls, Girls – Mötley Crüe
610. You Got It All – The Jets
611. New Sensation – INXS
612. Biggest Part Of Me – Ambrosia
613. Carrie – Europe
614. Dancing On the Ceiling – Lionel Richie
615. Songbird – Kenny G
616. I Love a Rainy Night – Eddie Rabbitt
617. Everybody Wants You – Billy Squier
618. What About Love? – Heart
619. The End Of the Innocence – Don Henley
620. Do I Do – Stevie Wonder
621. Seventeen – Winger
622. Just Once – Quincy Jones
623. Longer – Dan Fogelberg
624. Don’t Make Me Over – Sybil
625. I Remember You – Skid Row
626. I Wonder If I Take You Home –
Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force
627. It’s a Sin – Pet Shop Boys
628. It’s Only Love – Bryan Adams and Tina Turner
629. Saturday Love – Cherrelle
630. Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around – Stevie Nicks
and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
631. Let’s Go All the Way – Sly Fox
632. Ain’t Even Done With the Night –
John (Cougar) Mellencamp
633. Who’s That Girl – Madonna
634. Only the Lonely – The Motels
635. Urgent – Foreigner
636. Stray Cat Strut – Stray Cats
637. Tell Her About It – Billy Joel
638. I Won’t Forget You – Poison
639. Metal Health (Bang Your Head) – Quiet Riot
640. Leader Of the Band – Dan Fogelberg
641. Oh Sheila – Ready For the World
642. She’s a Beauty – The Tubes
643. Tomorrow People –
Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers
644. Devil Inside – INXS
645. Giving You the Best That I Got – Anita Baker
646. Everyday I Write the Book – Elvis Costello
647. R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A. – John (Cougar) Mellencamp
648. The Heart Of Rock and Roll –
Huey Lewis and the News
649. Piano In the Dark – Brenda Russell
650. That Girl – Stevie Wonder
651. Heaven – Warrant
652. Armageddon It – Def Leppard
653. Hands To Heaven – Breathe
654. I Love You – Climax Blues Band
655. Coming Around Again – Carly Simon
656. Notorious – Duran Duran
657. Tuff Enuff – The Fabulous Thunderbirds
658. The Warrior – Scandal
659. Hazy Shade Of Winter – The Bangles
660. Nikita – Elton John
661. Games People Play – The Alan Parsons Project
662. Turn Up the Radio – Autograph
663. Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston
664. All She Wants To Do Is Dance – Don Henley
665. Forever Young – Rod Stewart
666. Heart and Soul – Huey Lewis and the News
667. Rock Steady – The Whispers
668. Never Surrender – Corey Hart
669. Lay Your Hands On Me – Thompson Twins
670. Fallen Angel – Poison
671. Take Me Home – Phil Collins
672. Heartbreaker – Dionne Warwick
673. All Those Years Ago – George Harrison
674. Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) – Glass Tiger
675. In a Big Country – Big Country
676. Cuts Like a Knife – Bryan Adams
677. One More Night – Phil Collins
678. Here and Now – Luther Vandross
679. Never Gonna Let You Go – Sergio Mendes
680. Foolish Beat – Debbie Gibson
681. We’ve Got Tonight –
Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton
682. Rocket – Def Leppard
683. Where Do Broken Hearts Go – Whitney Houston
684. Your Wildest Dreams – The Moody Blues
685. I Wanna Be Your Lover – Prince
686. You May Be Right – Billy Joel
687. Always – Atlantic Starr
688. Cool Change – Little River Band
689. Keep On Movin’ – Soul II Soul
690. NeverEnding Story – Limahl
691. True Blue – Madonna
692. Xanadu – Olivia Newton-John and
Electric Light Orchestra
693. Somebody – Bryan Adams
694. Tusk – Fleetwood Mac
695. What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) –
Information Society
696. The Waiting – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
697. Jane – Jefferson Starship
698. Toy Soldiers – Martika
699. 19 – Paul Hardcastle
700. Don’t Mean Nothing – Richard Marx
SONG DESCRIPTIONS
Below is an alphabetical listing of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S. Song descriptions are added periodically.
1999 by Prince — Song #113
867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone — Song #224
9 To 5 by Dolly Parton — Song #76
99 Luftballoons by Nena — Song #243
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band — Song #175
Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer — Song #184
Africa by Toto
Song #19
Right now, this song is playing on a never-ending loop somewhere in Africa. In 2019, a sound installation powered by solar batteries was set up by Namibian artist Max Siedentopf, in an undisclosed location in the Namib Desert (the world’s oldest desert, roughly 55 to 80 million years old), to play the song for eternity. Africa is a timeless pop staple that surged in popularity in the late-2010s and early-2020s. If this list of THE TOP 500 POPULAR SONGS OF THE 1980S measured popularity only since 2017, this song would probably be #1! Africa is the subject of many internet memes, entire Reddit pages, and relentless millennial pop culture references. It is one of the most streamed and digitally downloaded songs of the past few years. According to Billboard magazine, “Internet culture has kind of taken it and really shot it into the stratosphere...people started bonding over their love of this song.” Many recent pop culture moments (detailed below) have spiked Africa’s popularity to an astonishing degree.
When asked why the song is experiencing such a wild resurgence, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather said, “I haven’t a f*cking clue and you can quote me on that, but it’s got a great groove. I mean it’s a happy thing. The message of the song doesn’t have anything to do with, ‘Oo baby I love you,’ so there’s no depression there. It’s not political, so there’s no depression there. It’s a fantasy song. It’s like a Disneyland song or whatever. We just went in there and had fun and made this record... People latch onto it. It’s kitschy enough and the lyrics are weird enough that people will remember it.”
Africa was recorded by American rock band Toto, and is featured on the band’s fourth studio album Toto IV. Released as the album’s third single, Africa hit #1 on the American Top 40 chart in 1983, displacing Australian rock band Men at Work’s Down Under (song #65 on this list), another ode to a continent. Africa was a major hit in Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, Italy, Germany, South Africa, and Switzerland.
Toto formed in 1977. The band broke up in 2008, but then got back together in 2010, and disbanded again in 2019. Toto’s musical style combines elements of pop, jazz, soul, R&B, and rock. The original six members were reputable session musicians, hired for recording sessions and live performances for a variety of artists, which is how they met and decided to form their own band. Members of Toto worked with American jazz rock band Steely Dan (whose Hey Nineteen is song #298 on this list), American soft rock duo Seals and Crofts, American pop duo Sonny and Cher (Cher’s If I Could Turn Back Time is song #196 on this list), and American blue-eyed soul singer Boz Scaggs. Four of the Toto guys are featured on Michael Jackson’s Thriller album, including two songs on this list: Human Nature, song #315 [see the description of that song for details] and Beat It, song #31. Toto band members also perform on English singer John Parr’s St. Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion), song #133; American rock band Chicago’s Hard to Say I’m Sorry / Get Away, song #221; and American blue-eyed soul musician Michael McDonald’s I Keep Forgettin’, song #319.
The six original Toto members were David Paich (keyboards and vocals); brothers Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Steve Porcaro (keyboards and vocals); Steve Lukather (guitars and vocals); David Hungate (bass guitar); and Bobby Kimball (lead vocals). Mike Porcaro (bass guitar) joined his brothers’ band in 1982. Six additional members were added over the years, as members left and re-joined, and a few of them died. Why the band is named “Toto” depends on which members of the band you ask. In the early ‘80s, some of them said that the band was named after Toto the dog from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. But Jeff Porcaro apparently wrote the word “Toto” on the band’s first demo tapes, in order to distinguish them from other bands who worked in the same studio. And some band members say that “Toto” came from the Latin phrase in toto, which means “all-encompassing” or “in total,” with the significance being that the band members brought together many different styles of music from their extensive experience with other musicians.
Africa was written by David Paich (who performs lead vocals on the song) and Jeff Porcaro, neither of whom had ever been to Africa when they wrote the song. According to Jeff Porcaro, the song is about “a white boy...trying to write a song on Africa, but since he’s never been there, he can only tell what he’s seen on TV or remembers in the past.” David Paich said, “At the beginning of the ‘80s I watched a late-night documentary on TV about all the terrible death and suffering of the people in Africa. It both moved and appalled me and the pictures just wouldn’t leave my head. I tried to imagine how I’d feel about if I [were] there and what I’d do.” Because he’d never been to the continent himself, he based the song’s landscape descriptions on an article in venerable American magazine National Geographic: “I was a big reader of National Geographic. I’ve just always kind of been fascinated with Africa. I just kind of romanticized this story about a social worker that was over there, that falls in love and...is having kind of a paradox, trying to tear himself away from Africa to actually have a life.” David Paich attended Catholic school as a child, where several of his teachers did missionary work in Africa. Their missionary work became the inspiration behind the famous line, “I bless the rains down in Africa.”
But some of the Toto guys were not fans of the song originally. Steve Lukather said, “I thought it was the worst song on the album. It didn’t fit, the lyrics made no sense, and I swore that if it was a hit record, I’d run naked down Hollywood Boulevard! That’s how good I am at picking singles! I mean, I love the song now but, to be honest with you, at the time I thought it was really the oddball song on the album. It almost didn’t make the record, and it was a #1 worldwide single, and still gets played everywhere today. No matter where I go in the world, people know that song. It’s bizarre!” Steve Porcaro described the song as a dumb experiment with goofy lyrics that were just temporary placeholders, particularly the line about the Serengeti: “As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti.” Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa, located in Tanzania. The Serengeti is an ecosystem, a geographical region in Africa that spans both Tanzania and Kenya. The Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro are both located in the northern part of Tanzania, but you can’t actually see Kilimanjaro from the Serengeti, which is about 200 miles (320 km) away.
Toto has released 14 studio albums, seven live albums, one soundtrack album (for the 1984 film Dune, written and directed by David Lynch), 19 compilation albums, and 65 singles. Only 10 of those singles entered the American Top 40 chart, and all except one of those 10 are from the ‘80s. Africa is featured on Toto IV, the band’s fourth (and most commercially and critically successful) album, released in 1982. Rosanna (which is song #297 on this list), was the lead single from Toto IV, and peaked at #2 on the American Top 40 chart. The second single was Make Believe, which peaked at #30. Africa was the third single, and the final single released from Toto IV was I Won’t Hold You Back, which peaked at #10 on the American Top 40 chart. Toto’s other hit songs in the United States are 1978’s Hold the Line, 1980’s 99, 1984’s Stranger In Town, 1986’s I’ll Be Over You, 1986’s Without Your Love, and 1988’s Pamela.
Toto IV was the final album with the original Toto lineup, and it received seven Grammy nominations in 1983, winning five of them, including Album of the Year. The other nominees for Album of the Year were American rock musician John (Cougar) Mellencamp’s American Fool, which features two songs on this list: Jack & Diane at #46 and Hurts So Good at #101; American pop musician Billy Joel’s The Nylon Curtain; American jazz/rock musician Donald Fagen’s The Nightfly; and English pop musician Paul McCartney’s Tug of War, which features his duet with American R&B/pop musician Stevie Wonder, Ebony and Ivory, song #397 on this list. Toto also won 1983’s Record of the Year (which is awarded to the artist, producer, and others who were involved in the actual recording of the song), but not for Africa—The winner of Record of the Year was Rosanna. The other nominees were English jazz/pop musician Joe Jackson’s Steppin’ Out, song #429 on this list; Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s Ebony and Ivory; American country singer/guitarist Willie Nelson’s Always on My Mind, song #450; and Greek composer Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire, song #314. Rosanna was also nominated for Song of the Year (which is awarded to the songwriters), but lost to Willie Nelson’s Always on My Mind. The other nominees were Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder’s Ebony and Ivory, American rock band Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger, song #13 on this list; and Donald Fagen’s I.G.Y. (What a Beautiful World), which did not make this list, but came close at #510. Toto was nominated for a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1979, but lost to American disco group A Taste of Honey.
Africa has been covered by many artists. The most well-known cover is by American alternative rock band Weezer in 2018, after a teenager’s viral Twitter campaign (@WeezerAfrica) implored the band to do the cover for nearly six months with tweets like, “It’s about time you bless the rains down in Africa,” and the hashtag #WeezerCoverAfrica. Before covering Africa, Weezer covered Toto’s Rosanna (click here) as a way of trolling fans clamoring for Africa. Ultimately, the band gave in to fans’ demand, and Weezer’s version of Africa (click here) peaked at #1 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart. Weezer’s video for Africa is a mirror-image parody of their 1994 debut single Undone – The Sweater Song. The parody features American musical comedian “Weird Al” Yankovic as Weezer’s frontman Rivers Cuomo, with his band members replacing Weezer. “Weird Al” is known for his lampoons of hit songs. On January 1, 2019, Weezer performed Africa live on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve (click here). In response to Weezer’s cover of Africa, Toto did a cover of Weezer’s 2001 song Hash Pipe (click here for Toto’s version).
Other artists who have covered Africa include experimental collaboration Zo! and Tigallo (featuring American rapper Phonte) in 2008 (click here); American musician Scott Bradlee’s jazz-oriented collective Postmodern Jukebox in 2011 (click here); American Christian rock band Relient K in 2011 (click here); English comedy lounge band The Lounge Kittens in 2016 (click here); American musical comedy duo Ninja Sex Party in 2017 (click here); American soul musician CeeLo Green in 2018 (click here); and jazz vocalist Robyn Adele Anderson, who did a bluegrass version in 2019 (click here).
The following songs contain samples or interpolations of Africa:
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1992’s Steady Me by German pop singer Sandra
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1999’s New World by American rapper Nas
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1999’s Tempo Critico by Italian rap group Sacre Scuole
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2002’s Heart of Man by American rapper Xzibit
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2003’s Murder Reigns by American rapper Ja Rule
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2007’s Anything by American pop singer JoJo
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2008’s Africa by Lebanese-Canadian pop singer Karl Wolf featuring Culture
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2009’s The 12 Days of Christmas by American a cappella group Straight No Chaser (which became one of the very first viral videos and made the group famous)
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2010’s Huey Newton by American rapper Wiz Khalifa featuring Curren$y
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2010’s vaporwave-genre song A1 by experimental electronic musician Chuck Person, aka Oneohtrix Point Never
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2011’s Fight for You by American pop singer Jason Derulo
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2011’s How I Feel by American rapper Lil B
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2012’s Keep Ballin by American rapper Red Café
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2013’s Reloaded by American rapper Rich Homie Quan
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2016’s Africa by Swedish production duo Bacall & Malo featuring Nigerian singer Prince Osito
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2017’s Be Right Back! by American rapper Ezri
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2018’s Ocean To Ocean by American rapper Pitbull featuring Rhea
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2019’s Selfish by Belgian DJ and record producer Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, with Kosovo-Albanian singer Era Istrefi
Africa has been featured in quite a few television shows, including the very first episode of Stranger Things; Scrubs (click here); Family Guy (click here); Community (with American actress Betty White: click here); and South Park (in two episodes of its 20th season: click here and here). In 2013, American pop singer Justin Timberlake and American talk show host Jimmy Fallon performed it in a sketch on The Tonight Show (click here). In 2013, Africa was used by CBS during coverage of the funeral of South African president Nelson Mandela, which even the Toto guys thought was inappropriate: David Paich stated publicly that CBS should have used actual South African music instead.
Ain’t Nobody by Rufus featuring Chaka Khan
Song #197
Michael Jackson almost recorded this song for the Thriller album! Producer Quincy Jones wanted Ain’t Nobody, and he almost got it. Rufus keyboardist David Wolinski wrote the song, and the other members of the group didn’t like it, but they recorded it anyway, to be included as a bonus track on the band’s 1983 live album Stompin’ at the Savoy, which was to be the group’s final album because the band members had decided to split up. David Wolinski wanted the song to be released as the album’s first single, and threatened to pull the song from the album and give it to Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson if the band did not agree. Executives at Warner Bros. Records and the band ultimately agreed, and Ain’t Nobody was released in November 1983; it reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart and #22 on the American Top 40 chart. The song was also included on the soundtrack for the 1984 breakdancing film Breakin’, and is featured in a sequence in the film (click here).
Rufus was an American funk band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1970. Rufus had 10 American Top 40 hits, including 1974’s Tell Me Something Good (written by Stevie Wonder) and 1975’s Sweet Thing. Chaka Khan joined as lead vocalist in 1972, and quickly became the focus of the band’s image. Chaka Khan became so popular that Rufus became “Rufus featuring Chaka Khan,” one of the most influential funk bands of the 1970s, with four consecutive #1 albums on the U.S. Billboard R&B album chart, and five #1 songs on the R&B singles chart. Chaka Khan signed a solo contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1978, but she remained part of the band until 1982. Chaka Khan’s real name is Yvette Marie Stevens. At the age of 14, she joined the Black Panthers, one of the most influential political organization of the 1960s. Known as the Queen of Funk, Chaka Khan has won 10 Grammy Awards, including two as a member of Rufus—both in the category of Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals: Tell Me Something Good and Ain’t Nobody.
Ain’t Nobody has been covered several times, and some of these versions became dance hits around the world. Examples include British singer Jaki Graham’s 1994 version (click here); Jamaican singer/songwriter Diana King’s 1995 version (click here); a 1996 interpolation of the song (click here) for the soundtrack of the film Beavis and Butt–Head Do America by American rapper LL Cool J; Richard X vs. Liberty X’s 2003 song Being Nobody, which combines the lyrics of Ain’t Nobody with the music of Being Boiled by The Human League (whose Human and Don’t You Want Me are songs #404 at #39, on this list, respectively); and the most successful cover of the song, German DJ Felix Jaehn’s 2015 worldwide hit Ain’t Nobody (Loves Me Better) featuring vocals by English singer Jasmine Thompson.
In 2018, Ain’t Nobody was adopted by fans of Nottingham Forest Football Club (a professional football club based in Nottinghamshire, England), and the song has previously been used by supporters of Arsenal Football Club, Wales national football team, and West Ham United Football Club. Chaka Khan has two more songs on this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S: Her biggest solo hit I Feel For You (written by Prince and featuring Stevie Wonder on harmonica), is song #153, and she sings with Steve Winwood on Higher Love, song #130.
Alive and Kicking by Simple Minds – Song #456
All Night Long by Lionel Richie — Song #68
All Out Of Love by Air Supply — Song #180
All Through the Night by Cyndi Lauper — Song #267
Alone by Heart — Song #121
Always On My Mind by Willie Nelson — Song #450
Always On My Mind by Pet Shop Boys – Song #459
Always Something There To Remind Me by Naked Eyes — Song #134
America by Neil Diamond — Song #475
Angel by Aerosmith — Song #444
Angel Of the Morning by Juice Newton — Song #370
Animal by Def Leppard — Song #500
Another Brick In the Wall (Part II) by Pink Floyd — Song #15
Another Day In Paradise by Phil Collins — Song #216