The Classic POP Songs of the 80s
85First of all, let me start by saying that there are many great and many horrible songs from this decade but we won't be paying any attention to them. These are the classics. Okay. What does that mean? Define a classic. Well, I can't. it's just something I can feel. The boundaries are not defined but THESE are the ones I throw in the CLASSIC 80s pile because they exemplify the decade. They aren't BETTER than the others they are just categorized in my mind this way.
As David Bowie once said, "I am a DJ, I am what I play" and today I'm playing my youth. Born in 1971 so I was 12 years old when the year 1983 rolled around. 1983 was the year. The year I went from listening to the radio when it's on like everyone else to being obsessed with the radio and getting to know every artist for the first time.
Remember, every kid born from now on is gonna discover Zeppelin at some point. They're gonna have a Doors faze or a Floyd faze. They will find the Ramones, the Clash, the Police. I envy them. These were the songs on the radio that take me back to a specific state of nostalgia.
Take it for what it is.
I love lists and I love ranking things too but not today. These are gonna be typed as i think of them in my head. No source material. This way if I forget one, YOU can get credit for it.
Okay here goes...THE POP CLASSICS
- When Doves Cry - Prince
- Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
- Down Under - Men At Work
- Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears for Fears
- Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
- Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
- Our House - Madness
- Take On Me - a-ha
- Cars - Gary Numan
- Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
- Every Breath You Take - The Police
- Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
- Turning Japanese - The Vapors
- Blister In The Sun - Violent femmes
- Call Me - Blondie
- Whip It - Devo
- Tainted Love - Soft Cell
- People Are People - Depeche Mode
- Puttin On The Ritz - Taco
- I Ran - A Flock of Seagulls
- Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
- Need You Tonight - INVS
- Eye of The Tiger - Survivor
- Sweet Dreams - Eurythmics
- 867-5309 / Jenny - Tommy Tutone
- Centerfold - J. Geils Band
- I Love Rock n Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- 99 Red Balloons / 99 Luftballons - Nena
- Your Love - the Outfield
- Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes
- Let's Go Crazy - Prince & The Revolution
- Jungle Love - the Time
- The Glamorous Life - Sheila E.
- Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
- Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats
- West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys
- Shout - Tears for Fears
- Burning Down the House - Talking Heads
- Talking in Your Sleep - The Romantics
- Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
- The Boys of Summer - Don Henley
- Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant
- In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins
- Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
- Higher Love - Steve Winwood
- The Way It Is - Bruce Hornsby & The Range
- Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
- Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
- Cruel Summer - Bananarama
- Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & the Waves
- I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
- Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
- Don't You Want Me - Human League
- Obsession - Animotion
- One Night in Bangkok- Murray Head
- Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer
- Jeopardy - Greg Kihn Band
- Keep Your Hands to Yourself - Geogia Satellites
- Jump - Van Halen
- Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
- Round and Round - Ratt
- Photograph - Def Leppard
- The Warrior - Scandal
- Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
- 19 - Paul Hardcastle
- Situation - Yaz
- You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive
- If You Leave - O.M.D.
- Rock The Casbah - The Clash
- Nobody Told Me - John Lennon
- King of Pain - The Police
- Jack & Diane - John Cougar Mellencamp
- Abracadabra - Steve Miller
- Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
- In A Big Country - Big Country
- She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
- Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
- Poison Arrow - ABC
- Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
- Voices Carry - 'til Tuesday
- Fast Car - Tracy Chapman
- Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
- Missing You - John Waite
- Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
- Start Me Up - the Rolling Stones
- the Stroke - Billy Squier
- One Thing Leads To Another - The Fixx
- Let's Dance - David Bowie
- Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
- Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
- White Wedding - Billy Idol
- Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson
- She Works Hard For The Money - Donna Summer
- Love Is a Battlefield - Pat Benatar
- Let's Groove - Earth, Wind & Fire
- Candy Girl - New Edition
- All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie
- Ain't Nobody - Rufus w/ Chaka Khan
- Smooth Operator - Sade
- Word Up - Cameo
- Nightshift - The Commodores
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Comments
Now that's a comment.
Great list. Thanks for reminding me of some songs I need to add to my iTunes and some I need to play more!
Glad to see Take on Me, Tainted Love, Obsession and Don't You Want Me made the list, along with Jack and Diane and many others.
Always glad to see two of my faves make any list: Talking Heads and Bowie.
Just thought of a couple more that really stand out to me for the 80s pop genre:
Yaz - Don't Go OR Only You
Kinks - Come Dancing
Billy Idol - Rebel Yell
The Tubes – She’s A Beauty
Laura Branigan – Gloria
Just thought of one more....
Billy Joel - Uptown Girl
Awesome list DJ, I was born in 1971 also, this was the greatest part of my teen years, the music of the 80's. How I wish we could go back! Thanks for the trip down memory lane, as I read the list, I could hear each one in my head. How about making everyone free CD's for X-mas! LOL, just kidding.
Just thought of a few and had to ask about one. One of the best groups to listen to, at least for me was Air Supply, and their song "Making love out of nothing at all." Bonnie Tyler, "Total Eclipse of the Heart." And "Africa" by Toto.
Do you know the name of the group that had a song, I think it was named, "I Can Dream about you."
I Can Dream About You was Dan Hartman - Sad Story.
A Former member of Edgar Winter group, he was white Singer / songwriter / instrumentalist who DID NOT appear in the video for I Can Dream About. The song as instead performed by a fictional black soul group in the movie STREETS of FIRE with Michael Pare.
Dan was just 43 when he died of a brain tumor.
DJ you pretty much covered everything If I may Interject though I would like to Include " Pride In the name of love " and " With or Without you " by U2 . In any event a great list !
Makes me wanna tease up my hair and bop on down to The Channel (a dance club I used to frequent in Boston).
My personal fave song of the '80s is Blue Monday by New Order. Also London Calling by The Clash and Chili Peppers --not much from the '80s but Higher Ground made the deadline.
Keep these lists coming. You deff don't need to do research -- you've got all the best in your head! MM
Does anyone recall a song from the 80s that went like this: "Diana, I love youuuu. Youre the one, the one for me..."? I've been dying to know what the name of the song is or who sings it and i can't find it anywhere?
That is JOANNA by Kool & the Gang my friend. The only other thing it could be is DIANA by Brayn Adams but I doubt it. I think you can't find it cause you got the name wrong.
You have some funky and wonderful taste....spot-on
dope list!
any DJ who has Ratt - Depeche Mode - Chaka Khan on their playlist deserves some props!
you really run the spectrum of 80's classics friend
clvngodess says:
15 months ago
Oh gawds, reminds me why I took lots of X and other fun substances, drank gallons of beer shaved my head, pierced my nether regions, listened to Crass, Oi and quit my job at the mall. How I do not long for the good old days, but slam pit once in a while... Like the joke about Viet Nam vets, I was there, man!