THE BEST MUSIC EVER!
I have been an avid lover of ‘80s music since childhood. And I’m not the only one who loves this music: Songs from the ‘80s have consistently 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 pop songs from the ‘80s that are still popular today, but the ‘80s songs that were not “popular” back then are also totally awesome, and many of those songs have become beloved classics.
‘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 POP 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 POP 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 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). 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
There are 2,208 songs that charted on the Billboard Top 40 in the ‘80s. Twelve of those songs are not eligible to be included on this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S because even though they charted on the Billboard Top 40 in the ‘80s, these songs were actually hits 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 go to a video on YouTube, if one is available.)
Four of these 12 ineligible songs entered the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in the ‘80s, but because they had been Top 40 hits in the ‘60s, they were deemed ineligible for inclusion on this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S. These songs from the ‘60s are the exact same recordings that had been hits previously, not remakes or re-recordings:
(a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit in 1962 and again in 1988)
Stand By Me — Ben E. King
(a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit in 1961 and again in 1986)
Twist and Shout — The Beatles
(a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit in 1964 and again in 1986)
What a Wonderful World — Louis Armstrong
(a U.S. Billboard 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 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S.
The 2,196 songs were scored and ranked based on the following 20 categories, using United States data gathered through April 30, 2020:
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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.

ARTISTS WHO HAVE THE MOST SONGS ON THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S
1. MICHAEL JACKSON* – 14 songs
Billie Jean (#6), Beat It (#31), Thriller (#55), Man In the Mirror (#81), Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ (#167), The Way You Make Me Feel (#171), Rock With You (#214), P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (#223), Human Nature (#315), Bad (#322), Smooth Criminal (#409), Dirty Diana (#438), and his duet Paul McCartney, Say Say Say (#478); plus Rockwell’s Somebody’s Watching Me (#402), on which he performs vocals
2. MADONNA – 14 songs
Like a Prayer (#12), Like a Virgin (#28), Borderline (#46), Holiday (#60), Crazy For You (#122), Material Girl (#158), La Isla Bonita (#233), Papa Don’t Preach (#235), Lucky Star (#248), Open Your Heart (#257), Live To Tell (#276), Express Yourself (#280), Cherish (#453), and Dress You Up (#483)
3. PRINCE – 11 songs
When Doves Cry (#2), Little Red Corvette (#27), Purple Rain (#30), Kiss (#40), 1999 (#62), Let’s Go Crazy (#66), Raspberry Beret (#212), Sign O’ the Times (#287), U Got the Look (#321), and I Would Die 4 U (#330); plus Stevie Nicks’ Stand Back, 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 (#390)
4. PHIL COLLINS** – 9 songs
In the Air Tonight (#48), Against All Odds (Take a Look At Me Now) (#189), Another Day In Paradise (#331), and Sussudio (#383); plus his duet with Philip Bailey, Easy Lover (#183); 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 (#320) and Frida’s I Know There’s Something Going On (#430)
5. GEORGE MICHAEL** – 7 songs
Careless Whisper (#29), Faith (#51), Father Figure (#132), and One More Try (#188); plus two songs with Wham!: Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (#42) and Everything She Wants (#165); and his duet with Aretha Franklin, I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (#282)
6. LIONEL RICHIE* – 7 songs
All Night Long (All Night) (#68), Hello (#179), Say You, Say Me (#201), Stuck On You (#363), Truly (#368), and You Are (#377); plus his duet with Diana Ross, Endless Love (#91)
7. RICHARD MARX – 7 songs
Right Here Waiting (#109) 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 (#377); 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)
8. STEVE PERRY* – 6 songs
Oh Sherrie (#194); plus five songs with Journey: Don’t Stop Believin’ (#1), Faithfully (#56), Open Arms (#151), Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (#155), and Any Way You Want It (#211)
9. WHITNEY HOUSTON – 6 songs
I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) (#15), Saving All My Love For You (#120), How Will I Know (#125), Greatest Love Of All (#138), So Emotional (#168), and One Moment In Time (#258)
10. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN* – 6 songs
Born In the U.S.A. (#32), Dancing In the Dark (#76), Glory Days (#225), I’m On Fire (#228), Hungry Heart (#332), and Brilliant Disguise (#418)
11. DURAN DURAN** – 6 songs
Hungry Like the Wolf (#33), Rio (#232), A View To a Kill (#270), The Reflex (#285), Save a Prayer (#410), and Union Of the Snake (#471)
12. TOTO – 6 songs
Africa (#34) and Rosanna (#388); 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’ (#374)
13. DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES* – 6 songs
I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (#69), Kiss On My List (#102), Maneater (#159), Out Of Touch (#192), You Make My Dreams (#206), and Private Eyes (#310)
14. STEVIE WONDER* – 6 songs
I Just Called To Say I Love You (#100) and Part-Time Lover (#300); plus his duet with Paul McCartney, Ebony and Ivory (#267); and 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)
15. ELTON JOHN – 6 songs
I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues (#247), Candle In the Wind (Live 1986) (#356), Sad Songs (Say So Much) (#396), Little Jeannie (#408), and I’m Still Standing (#417); plus Dionne and Friends’ That’s What Friends Are For) (#178) [Note: This version of Candle In the Wind was recorded live in Australia in 1986, and entered the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1987. It peaked at #6 in early-1988. The original version, which was not released as a single, is on Elton John’s 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Elton John and his long-time collaborator Bernie Taupin originally wrote this song about American singer/actress Marilyn Monroe (whose real name was Norma Jeane Mortenson). In 1997, they rewrote the lyrics and released a new version, Candle In the Wind 1997, as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, a member of the British royal family known for her charitable work, who died in a car crash in 1997. Elton John performed the song at Princess Diana’s funeral (click here). The 1997 version is one of the best-selling singles of all-time.]
16. JOURNEY – 5 songs
Don’t Stop Believin’ (#1), Faithfully (#56), Open Arms (#151), Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (#155), and Any Way You Want It (#211)
17. BON JOVI – 5 songs
Livin’ On a Prayer (#3), You Give Love a Bad Name (#50), Wanted Dead Or Alive (#110), I’ll Be There For You (#364), and Bad Medicine (#405)
18. CYNDI LAUPER* – 5 songs
Time After Time (#5), Girls Just Want To Have Fun (#10), All Through the Night (#181), True Colors (#210), and She Bop (#497)
19. DEF LEPPARD – 5 songs
Pour Some Sugar On Me (#7), Photograph (#52), Rock Of Ages (#157), Love Bites (#288), and Hysteria (#498)
20. U2** – 5 songs
With Or Without You (#16), Pride (In the Name Of Love) (#103), I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (#111), Where the Streets Have No Name (#137), and Desire (#416)
21. STEVIE NICKS – 5 songs
Stand Back (#59) and Edge Of Seventeen (#135); plus three songs with Fleetwood Mac: Gypsy (#429), Sara (#444), and Little Lies (#485)
22. BELINDA CARLISLE – 5 songs
Heaven Is a Place On Earth (#84) and Mad About You (#428); plus three songs with The Go-Go’s: We Got the Beat (#113), Our Lips Are Sealed (#221), and Vacation (#327)
23. PETER CETERA – 5 songs
Glory Of Love (#251) and his duet with Amy Grant, The Next Time I Fall (#342); plus three songs with Chicago: Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away (#241), You’re the Inspiration (#354), and Hard Habit To Break (#451)
24. THE POLICE – 4 songs
Every Breath You Take (#8), Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic (#147), King Of Pain (#317), and Don’t Stand So Close To Me (#379)
25. GUNS N’ ROSES – 4 songs
Sweet Child O’ Mine (#19), Welcome To the Jungle, (#41), Paradise City (#127), and Patience (#326)
26. TEARS FOR FEARS – 4 songs
Everybody Wants To Rule the World (#21), Head Over Heels (#162), Shout (#208), and Sowing the Seeds Of Love (#422)
27. JOHN (COUGAR) MELLENCAMP – 4 songs
Jack & Diane (#24), Pink Houses (#99), Hurts So Good (#101), and Small Town (#382)
28. BRYAN ADAMS – 4 songs
Summer of ’69 (#36), Heaven (#64), Run To You (#249), and Straight From the Heart (#484)
29. PAT BENATAR – 4 songs
Love Is a Battlefield (#38), Hit Me With Your Best Shot (#106), We Belong (#123), and Heartbreaker (#186)
30. TOM PETTY – 4 songs
Free Fallin’ (#86), I Won’t Back Down (#306), and Don’t Come Around Here No More (#209) with the Heartbreakers; plus Roy Orbison’s You Got It (#445), on which he performs backing vocals and acoustic guitar
31. THE POINTER SISTERS* – 4 songs
I’m So Excited (#131), Slow Hand (#397), Jump (For My Love), (#415), and Automatic (#486) [Note: I’m So Excited was a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit twice in the ‘80s. The original version entered the U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1982. A slightly remixed 1984 version was the bigger hit.]
32. AEROSMITH – 4 songs
Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (#237), Love In an Elevator (#395), and Angel (#412); 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 a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit in 1977.]
33. MICHAEL MCDONALD – 4 songs
I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You're Near) (#374); plus his duet with Patti LaBelle, On My Own (#268); and 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 (#217)
34. HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS* – 4 songs
The Power Of Love (#170), Do You Believe In Love (#324), I Want a New Drug (#376), and Stuck With You (#407)
35. BILLY JOEL* – 4 songs
It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me (#220), Uptown Girl (#227), We Didn’t Start the Fire (#318), and The Longest Time (#333)
36. CHICAGO – 4 songs
Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away (#241), Look Away (#275), You’re the Inspiration (#354), and Hard Habit To Break (#451) [Note: Hard to Say I’m Sorry was released as a radio edit single that fades before the Get Away portion of the song starts. On the album Chicago 16, Hard to Say I’m Sorry segues into Get Away as one song. The full song is also featured in the 1982 film Summer Lovers, but the film’s soundtrack includes only the radio edit, without the Get Away portion of the song. On this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S, Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away is one of four instances of two merged songs that I felt should not be separated. The others are Soft Cell’s Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go at #37, INXS’s Need You Tonight / Mediate at #87, and The Alan Parsons Project’s Sirius / Eye In the Sky at #334. In each case, the first song segues seamlessly into the second song on the original recording, and the band’s intention is for the songs to be a medley.]
37. JANET JACKSON – 4 songs
Nasty (#290), When I Think of You (#316), Miss You Much (#349), and What Have You Done For Me Lately (#403)
38. QUEEN – 3 songs
Another One Bites the Dust (#17), Crazy Little Thing Called Love (#70), and Under Pressure (#44) with David Bowie
39. CULTURE CLUB** – 3 songs
Karma Chameleon (#23), Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (#97), and Time (Clock Of the Heart) (#433)
40. WHAM! – 3 songs
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (#42) and Everything She Wants (#165); Careless Whisper (#29) is credited to Wham! featuring George Michael
41. VAN HALEN – 3 songs
Jump (#43), Panama (#141), and Why Can’t This Be Love? (#352)
42. DAVID BOWIE – 3 songs
Let’s Dance (#93), Modern Love (#114), and Under Pressure (#44) with Queen
43. EURYTHMICS – 3 songs
Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (#49), Here Comes the Rain Again (#255), and Would I Lie To You? (#393)
44. BLONDIE – 3 songs
Call Me (#53), The Tide Is High (#73), and Rapture (#304)
45. REO SPEEDWAGON – 3 songs
Keep On Loving You (#61), Can’t Fight This Feeling (#118), and Take It On the Run (#156)
46. KENNY LOGGINS* – 3 songs
Footloose (#72), Danger Zone (#182), and I’m Alright (#434)
47. THE BANGLES – 3 songs
Walk Like an Egyptian (#75), Manic Monday (#128), and Eternal Flame (#406)
48. TINA TURNER* – 3 songs
What’s Love Got To Do With It (#77), Better Be Good To Me (#401), and Private Dancer (#448)
49. INXS – 3 songs
Need You Tonight / Mediate (#87), Never Tear Us Apart (#260), and What You Need (#386) [Note: Need You Tonight segues into Mediate on INXS’s album Kick, with no break between the songs. Need You Tonight was released separately as a single. The video features both songs together, just like on the album; the video is titled Need You Tonight / Mediate. On this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S, Need You Tonight / Mediate is one of four instances of two merged songs that I felt should not be separated. The others are Soft Cell’s Tainted Love / Where Did Our Love Go at #37, Chicago’s Hard To Say I’m Sorry / Get Away at #241, and The Alan Parsons Project’s Sirius / Eye In the Sky at #334. In each case, the first song segues seamlessly into the second song on the original recording, and the band’s intention is for the songs to be a medley.]
50. HEART – 3 songs
These Dreams (#89), Alone (#121), and Never (#380)
51. DIANA ROSS* – 3 songs
Upside Down (#160), I’m Coming Out (#269), and her duet with Lionel Richie, Endless Love (#91)
52. POISON – 3 songs
Every Rose Has Its Thorn (#96), Talk Dirty To Me (#336), and Nothin’ But a Good Time (#372)
53. THE GO-GO’S – 3 songs
We Got the Beat (#113), Our Lips Are Sealed (#221), and Vacation (#327)
54. DON HENLEY – 3 songs
The Boys of Summer (#116) and Dirty Laundry (#414); plus I Can’t Tell You Why (#489) with the Eagles
55. THE CARS – 3 songs
Drive (#152), Shake It Up (#239), and You Might Think (#424)
56. CHAKA KHAN – 3 songs
I Feel For You (#153); plus Ain’t Nobody (#348) with Rufus; and Steve Winwood’s Higher Love (#130), on which she performs vocals
57. THE PRETENDERS – 3 songs
Brass In Pocket (I’m Special) (#161), Back On the Chain Gang (#421), and Don’t Get Me Wrong (#440)
58. CHRISTOPHER CROSS – 3 songs
Ride Like the Wind (#164), Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) (#177), and Sailing (#245)
59. BILLY IDOL – 3 songs
Eyes Without a Face (#166), White Wedding (#252), and Mony Mony (#266) [Note: White Wedding was originally released as a single in 1982, but it did not enter the U.S. Billboard Top 40. In 1983, it was re-released and became a Top 40 hit. It was again re-released in 1985, but failed to enter the Top 40.] [Note: Billy Idol’s original version of Mony Mony was released in 1981, but it did not enter the U.S. Billboard Top 40. In 1987, this live version of the song became a U.S. Billboard Top 40 hit.]
60. PHILIP BAILEY– 3 songs
Easy Lover (#183), his duet with Phil Collins; plus Let’s Groove (#313) with Earth, Wind & Fire; and Stevie Wonder’s Part-Time Lover (#300), on which he performs backing vocals
61. THOMAS DOLBY – 3 songs
She Blinded Me With Science (#187); plus Belinda Carlisle’s Heaven Is a Place On Earth (#84), on which he performs keyboards; and Foreigner’s Waiting For a Girl Like You (#240), on which he performs synthesizers
62. AIR SUPPLY – 3 songs
All Out Of Love (#253), Making Love Out Of Nothing At All (#329), and Lost In Love (#369)
63. GLENN FREY – 3 songs
The Heat Is On (#367); plus I Can’t Tell You Why (#489) with the Eagles; and Bob Seger’s Against the Wind (#436), on which he performs harmony vocals
64. FLEETWOOD MAC – 3 songs
Gypsy (#429), Sara (#444), and Little Lies (#485)
ARTISTS WHO HAVE TWO SONGS ON THE LIST
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Rick Springfield: Jessie’s Girl (#18) and Don’t Talk To Strangers (#472)
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AC/DC: You Shook Me All Night Long (#22) and Back In Black (#83)
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Irene Cara: Flashdance...What a Feeling (#26) and Fame (#469)
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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 (#47) and Who Can It Be Now? (#302)
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Kool & the Gang**: Celebration (#54) and Cherish (#307)
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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 (#338)
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Rick James: Super Freak (#88) and Give It To Me Baby (#381)
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Laura Branigan: Gloria (#108) and Self Control (#495)
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The Cure: Just Like Heaven (#115) and Lovesong (#301)
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Paula Abdul: Straight Up (#117) and Cold Hearted (#319)
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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 (#344)
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Eddie Money: Take Me Home Tonight (#140) and Kenny Loggins’ I’m Alright (#434)
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Pet Shop Boys: West End Girls (#142) and What Have I Done To Deserve This? (#458) with Dusty Springfield
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Dire Straits: Money For Nothing (#150) and Tina Turner’s Private Dancer (#448)
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Genesis: Invisible Touch (#169) and That’s All (#199)
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Dolly Parton: 9 To 5 (#185) and Islands In the Stream (#373) with Kenny Rogers
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Peter Gabriel: Sledgehammer (#190) and In Your Eyes (#243)
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Sheena Easton: Morning Train (Nine To Five) (#204) and Prince’s U Got the Look (#321)
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James Ingram*: Baby, Come To Me (#217) with Patti Austin, and Michael Jackson’s P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (#223)
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Frida: The Winner Takes It All (#222) with ABBA, and I Know There’s Something Going On (#430)
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Wang Chung: Everybody Have Fun Tonight (#238) and Dance Hall Days (#447)
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Bobby Brown: My Prerogative (#246) and Every Little Step (#459)
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Bananarama**: Cruel Summer (#250) and Venus (#351)
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R.E.M.: The One I Love (#259) and Stand (#389)
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Boy Meets Girl: Waiting For a Star To Fall (#261) and Deniece Williams’ Let’s Hear It For the Boy (#337)
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Paul McCartney: Ebony and Ivory (#267) with Stevie Wonder, and Say Say Say (#478) with Michael Jackson
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Bette Midler*: The Rose (#273) and Wind Beneath My Wings (#365)
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Patti LaBelle: On My Own (#279) with Michael McDonald, and New Attitude (#446)
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Aretha Franklin: I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) (#282) with George Michael, and Freeway Of Love (#295)
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Donald Fagen: Hey Nineteen (#298) with Steely Dan, and I.G.Y (What a Beautiful World) (#494)
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George Harrison: Got My Mind Set On You (#291) and Tom Petty’s I Won’t Back Down (#306)
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Juice Newton: Queen Of Hearts (#294) and Angel Of the Morning (#370)
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Kim Wilde: You Keep Me Hangin’ On (#323) and Kids In America (#473)
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Bob Seger: Shakedown (#335) and Against the Wind (#436) with the Silver Bullet Band
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John Lennon: (Just Like) Starting Over (#347) and Watching the Wheels (#487)
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The Alan Parsons Project: Sirius / Eye In the Sky (#334)
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Dan Hartman: I Can Dream About You (#350) and James Brown’s Living In America (#312)
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Kenny Rogers*: Lady (#362) and Islands In the Stream (#373) with Dolly Parton
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Pete Townshend: Let My Love Open the Door (#375) and You Better, You Bet (#480) with The Who
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Sade: Smooth Operator (#378) and The Sweetest Taboo (#427)
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Milli Vanilli: Girl You Know It’s True (#392) and Blame It On the Rain (#496)
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Paul Simon*: You Can Call Me Al (#411) and Late In the Evening (#437)
* These artists were a part of USA For Africa’s We Are the World (#112) which is not included in these song totals.
** These artists were a part of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? (#236), 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 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S.


INCREDIBLE VARIETY
On this list of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S, not only will you find the pop 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 popular U.S. Billboard 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
The Who
Cameo
Erasure
Mötley Crüe
Roy Orbison
Guns N’ Roses
Eagles
The Sugarhill Gang
Steely Dan
Dolly Parton
Kenny G
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
Rufus
Yes
Kate Bush
The Clash
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
AC/DC
Willie Nelson
Pink Floyd
Marvin Gaye
Aretha Franklin
John Lennon
Blue Öyster Cult
Ratt
LL Cool J
Bette Midler
Bob Seger
Neil Diamond
Joe Jackson
De La Soul
Styx
Dusty Springfield
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.
Smokey Robinson
Adam Ant
Talking Heads
Dionne Warwick
Donald Fagen
Joe Cocker
Musical Youth
Van Halen
Crosby, Stills, & Nash



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 U.S. Billboard Top 40, peaking 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 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S because they did not enter the U.S. Billboard Top 40, 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. 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.
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 POP 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 U.S. Billboard Top 40, and they are therefore not “pop” songs.
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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Kickstart My Heart — Mötley Crüe
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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 [Note: This song is often miscredited.]
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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


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 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S:
1984 – 65 songs (13.0%)
1985 – 61 songs (12.2%)
1983 – 60 songs (12.0%)
1982 – 53 songs (10.6%)
1987 – 51 songs (10.2%)
1986 – 50 songs (10.0%)
1981 – 43 songs (8.6%)
1989 – 41 songs (8.2%)
1988 – 38 songs (7.6%)
1980 – 38 songs (7.6%)

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 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S. Click on a song title to go to a video on YouTube (if one is available). Click HERE to play the Top 500 songs plus these 200 songs on Spotify!
501. Alive and Kicking — Simple Minds
502. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) — Rupert Holmes
503. She’s Like the Wind —
Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser
504. Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car — Billy Ocean
505. Wrapped Around Your Finger — The Police
506. You Give Good Love — Whitney Houston
507. Train In Vain (Stand By Me) — The Clash
508. I Want Your Sex — George Michael
509. Love Come Down — Evelyn “Champagne” King
510. Rhythm Is Gonna Get You —
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine
511. Talking In Your Sleep — The Romantics
512. Shining Star — The Manhattans
513. Too Hot — Kool & the Gang
514. Amanda — Boston
515. Lost In Your Eyes — Debbie Gibson
516. I Hate Myself For Loving You —
Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
517. Never Knew Love Like This Before — Stephanie Mills
518. Don’t Do Me Like That —
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
519. Endless Summer Nights — Richard Marx
520. Sleeping Bag — ZZ Top
521. The Look — Roxette
522. Say It Isn’t So — Daryl Hall and John Oates
523. Ladies’ Night — Kool & the Gang
524. Wild Wild Life — Talking Heads
525. Holding Out For a Hero — Bonnie Tyler
526. I’ve Got a Rock N’ Roll Heart — Eric Clapton
527. Sara — Starship
528. Tonight, Tonight, Tonight — Genesis
529. Solid — Ashford and Simpson
530. Woman — John Lennon
531. He’s So Shy — The Pointer Sisters
532. Joanna — Kool & the Gang
533. Things Can Only Get Better — Howard Jones
534. Is There Something I Should Know? — Duran Duran
535. Let’s Go All the Way — Sly Fox
536. Ain’t Even Done With the Night — John Cougar
537. Who’s That Girl — Madonna
538. Cruisin’ — Smokey Robinson
539. On the Radio — Donna Summer
540. While You See a Chance — Steve Winwood
541. What About Love? — Heart
542. Land Of Confusion — Genesis
543. Walk Of Life — Dire Straits
544. She’s a Bad Mama Jama — Carl Carlton
545. Only the Lonely — The Motels
546. Sisters Are Doin’ It For Themselves —
Eurythmics and Aretha Franklin
547. Urgent — Foreigner
548. Stray Cat Strut — The Stray Cats
549. Tell Her About It — Billy Joel
550. Oh Sheila — Ready For the World
551. In Too Deep — Genesis
552. Sign Your Name — Terence Trent D’Arby
553. She’s a Beauty — The Tubes
554. Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone) —
Cinderella
555. Tomorrow People — Ziggy Marley
and The Melody Makers
556. Devil Inside — INXS
557. Giving You the Best That I Got — Anita Baker
558. Everyday I Write the Book — Elvis Costello
559. R.O.C.K. In the U.S.A. — John Cougar Mellencamp
560. Don’t Know Much — Linda Ronstadt
and Aaron Neville
561. Rhythm Nation — Janet Jackson
562. Piano In the Dark — Brenda Russell
with Joe Esposito
563. We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) —
Tina Tuner
564. That Girl — Stevie Wonder
565. Give Me the Night — George Benson
566. Heaven — Warrant
567. Runaway — Bon Jovi
568. Do That To Me One More Time — Captain & Tennille
569. Armageddon It — Def Leppard
570. Woman In Love — Barbra Streisand
571. Poison — Alice Cooper
572. Together Forever — Rick Astley
573. Party All the Time — Eddie Murphy
574. Hands To Heaven — Breathe
575. I Love You — Climax Blues Band
576. Me So Horny — 2 Live Crew
577. Hold On Loosely — .38 Special
578. Notorious — Duran Duran
579. Tuff Enuff — The Fabulous Thunderbirds
580. The Warrior — Scandal
581. The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) —
The Greg Kihn Band
582. Hazy Shade Of Winter — The Bangles
583. Nikita — Elton John
584. Games People Play – The Alan Parsons Project
585. Turn Up the Radio — Autograph
586. Didn’t We Almost Have It All — Whitney Houston
587. Tunnel Of Love — Bruce Springsteen
588. Forever Young — Rod Stewart
589. Wild Wild West — The Escape Club
590. Dancing On the Ceiling — Lionel Richie
591. Too Late For Goodbyes — Julian Lennon
592. Tarzan Boy — Baltimora
593. Tonight I Celebrate My Love —
Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack
594. Rock Steady — The Whispers
595. Come Go With Me — Exposé
596. Never Surrender — Corey Hart
597. I’ll Always Love You — Taylor Dayne
598. Don’t Mean Nothing — Richard Marx
599. Take Me Home — Phil Collins
600. Burning Heart — Survivor
601. You Are My Lady — Freddie Jackson
602. On the Road Again — Willie Nelson
603. Animal — Def Leppard
604. All Those Years Ago — George Harrison
605. New Sensation — INXS
606. Keep On Movin’ — Soul II Soul
607. Miss Me Blind — Culture Club
608. All I Need Is a Miracle — Mike + the Mechanics
609. Shattered Dreams — Johnny Hates Jazz
610. Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) — Glass Tiger
611. On the Wings Of Love — Jeffrey Osbourne
612. Seventeen — Winger
613. Forever Your Girl — Paula Abdul
614. I Love a Rainy Night — Eddie Rabbit
615. Oh No — The Commodores
616. What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) —
Information Society
617. In a Big Country — Big Country
618. Cuts Like a Knife — Bryan Adams
619. Take Your Time (Do It Right) — S.O.S. Band
620. Simply Irresistible — Robert Palmer
621. Crush On You — The Jets
622. Steal Away — Robbie Dupree
623. Will You Still Love Me? — Chicago
624. Control — Janet Jackson
625. Master Blaster (Jammin’) — Stevie Wonder
626. The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known) —
Juice Newton
627. 18 and Life — Skid Row
628. Born To Be My Baby — Bon Jovi
629. True Blue — Madonna
630. So Alive — Love and Rockets
631. Heart and Soul — Huey Lewis and the News
632. Seasons Change — Exposé
633. When I See You Smile — Bad English
634. Always On My Mind — Pet Shop Boys
635. Shadows Of the Night — Pat Benatar
636. Guilty — Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb
637. Under the Milky Way — The Church
638. All I Need — Jack Wagner
639. Hip To Be Square — Huey Lewis and the News
640. Somewhere Out There —
Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
641. Perfect Way — Scritti Politti
642. Foolin’ — Def Leppard
643. Lost In Emotion — Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
644. Two Hearts — Phil Collins
645. I Miss You — Klymaxx
646. Everywhere — Fleetwood Mac
647. To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before —
Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
648. Mercedes Boy — Pebbles
649. Suddenly Last Summer — The Motels
650. Downtown Train — Rod Stewart
651. I Wanna Be Your Lover — Prince
652. In the Mood — Robert Plant
653. When Smokey Sings — ABC
654. If Ever You’re In My Arms Again — Peabo Bryson
655. We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off —
Jermaine Stewart
656. Only Time Will Tell — Asia
657. One More Night — Phil Collins
658. Anything For You —
Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
659. Kiss Me Deadly — Lita Ford
660. Tender Love — Force MDs
661. Promises, Promises — Naked Eyes
662. Is This Love — Whitesnake
663. Turn Your Love Around — George Benson
664. Rocket — Def Leppard
665. Where Do Broken Hearts Go — Whitney Houston
666. Hold Me — Fleetwood Mac
667. Who’s Crying Now — Journey
668. High On You — Survivor
669. Silent Running — Mike + the Mechanics
670. Don’t Wanna Lose You — Gloria Estefan
671. Double Dutch Bus — Frankie Smith
672. Coward Of the County — Kenny Rogers
673. Gimme All Your Lovin’ — ZZ Top
674. You Got Lucky — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
675. Big Love — Fleetwood Mac
676. Please Don’t Go — KC and the Sunshine Band
677. Two Of Hearts — Stacey Q
678. When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going —
Billy Ocean
679. When I’m With You — Sheriff
680. Wasted On the Way — Crosby, Stills, and Nash
681. On the Dark Side —
John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band
682. I Can’t Stand It — Eric Clapton
683. Supersonic — J.J. Fad
684. Lonely Ol’ Night — John Cougar Mellencamp
685. Never Gonna Let You Go — Sergio Mendes
686. Some Like It Hot — The Power Station
687. Be Near Me — ABC
688. Wait — White Lion
689. Dreams — Van Halen
690. Juke Box Hero — Foreigner
691. Satisfied — Richard Marx
692. The Search Is Over — Survivor
693. Invincible (Theme From The Legend
Of Billie Jean) — Pat Benatar
694. Foolish Beat — Debbie Gibson
695. Good Thing — Fine Young Cannibals
696. Somebody — Bryan Adams
697. Sweet Freedom — Michael McDonald
698. Spirits In the Material World — The Police
699. I Can’t Drive 55 — Sammy Hagar
700. Head Over Heels — The Go-Go’s

PLAY THE SONGS & VIDEOS!
Below is an alphabetical listing of THE TOP 500 POP SONGS OF THE 1980S.
Click on the title of a song to watch a video on YouTube!
(Some videos are not available due to copyright issues.)
In most cases, you will be directed to the original music video from the ‘80s. On our Facebook page, when a song is posted, a very detailed description about the song and artist with other interesting information is included, and then added to this list below. New facts and information will continue being added to the songs on this list!
1999 by Prince — Song #62
867-5309/Jenny by Tommy Tutone — Song #198
9 To 5 by Dolly Parton — Song #185
99 Luftballoons by Nena — Song #173
Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band — Song #175
Addicted To Love by Robert Palmer — Song #184
Africa by Toto
Song #34
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 has surged in popularity in the past few years. If this list of THE TOP 500 POP 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 U.S. Billboard Top 40 in 1983, displacing Australian rock band Men at Work’s Down Under (song #47 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 #263 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 #241; and American blue-eyed soul musician Michael McDonald’s I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near), song #374.
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 charted on the U.S. Billboard Top 40, 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 #388 on this list), was the lead single from Toto IV, and peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Top 40. 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 U.S. Billboard Top 40. 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: Hurts So Good at #101, and Jack & Diane at #24; 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 #267 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 #455 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