The 10 best songs from the 80’s

I always thought E2E4 was late 70s, almost picked Sueno Latino tho

(and would've picked e2e4 had I realised, if that's not implicit)

Both superb, Heartbeats also excellent obv.

Overall this is a lot more interesting than I thought it would be tbh. My kneejerk reaction now is generally “80s? Heard it.” It’s very hard to pick the best though! So many classics, maybe more than any other decade in my book.

Tullio de Piscopo - Stop Bajon

this is such a jam. Don Cherry!

This is Don Cherry? Mind blown.

I don’t think I’ve seen any Tom Waits yet? He’s definitely one of the most beloved 80s artists in my social circle.

Not much industrial/EBM either I don’t think? I would definitely have to include either Skinny Puppy, Thrill Kill Kult, or Psychic TV. Or Ministry maybe? Their best stuff is probably from the 90s in the early NIN era.

Pet Shop Boys West End Girls (UK 1984)
JJ Fad Supersonic (USA 1988)
Accept Metal Heart (Germany 1985)
Mr. Fingers Can You Feel It? (USA 1986)
Slayer Angel Of Death (USA 1986)
Kate Bush Running Up That Hill (UK 1985)
Technotronic Pump Up The Jam (Belgium 1989)
New Order Blue Monday (UK 1983)
Sisters Of Mercy Marian (UK 1984)
Savage Only You (Italy 1984)
Golden Earring Twilight Zone (Netherlands 1982)
Sheila & B. Devotion Spacer (France/USA 1980)

There’s Running Up That Hill. I thought it might get passed over, seems like Cloudbusting is the consensus choice. Supersonic is a fine selection too.

Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng

Fuck guess I’ll have to do a proper list now.

(ok technically Supersonic is 1987 but it was a hit in 1988)

Not much industrial/EBM either I don’t think?

My pick for EBM from the 1980s = Front 242 Headhunter (Belgium 1988)

Absolutely! Also Nitzer Ebb - Join In The Chant. Kill Motherfucking Depeche Mode. Einstürzende Neubauten!


Now that I’ve watched Small Axe I’m considering changing my choice to Kunta Kinte by the Revolutionaries but when was it actually published? Apparently it was exclusively available on select dubplates for quite a while. Probably still in the 70s tho.

Looking at my list I'd swap Angel Of Death for Sepultura Inner Self (Brazil 1989)

Aretha Franklin - Get It Right

My top ten from the songs already mentioned in this thread:

Kate Bush - Cloudbusting
Womack & Womack - Teardrops
King Sunny Ade - Ja Funmi
Japan – Ghosts
Patrick Cowley ft. Sylvester – Do You Wanna Funk
Eric B. & Rakim — Follow the Leader
Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices
Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
George Benson - Give Me the Night
Aretha Franklin - Get It Right

Narrowly edged out following replays (ie. they're 9.5/10, not 10/10):
Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng
Frankie Knuckles presents Satoshi Tomiie featuring Robert Owens - Tears
Rhythim is Rhythim - Strings of Life
Tullio De Piscopo - Stop Bajon (Primavera)

You could make a pretty smooth mixtape from all those songs except Sleng Teng and possibly Ja Funmi.

Sinead O’Connor - Troy

I don’t think it’s aged that badly.

Also Rockit deserves a mention.

I should look over that big 80s poll because randomly naming songs is just digging myself deeper into the hole.

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Ctrl-F: "I would die 4 u" --> zero results

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I don’t think I’ve seen any Tom Waits yet? He’s definitely one of the most beloved 80s artists in my social circle.

― recovering internet addict/shitposter (viborg)

I put “clap hands” in my runner-ups, I know it’s probably not the best pick for consensus - that would be “Jockey full of bourbon” I think? - used to listen to him fairly often when I was younger but it’s been years since I’m in mood for him… not sure what changed. I’d still consider “Rain Dogs” and specially “Swordfishtrombones” as two of the best albums of the 80’s.

I did expect more people to have mentioned him at this point, though.

There’s actually several artists important to the decade which I’m surprised noone has mentioned and which I thought were bigger on ILM: Duran Duran, Pixies, Bruce Springsteen, Stone Roses, U2, Blondie…

Also The Smiths but I had a suspicion ILM has pretty much cancelled them by now…

Hall and Oates, "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)"
Laurie Anderson, "O Superman (For Massenet)"
Joe Jackson, "Steppin' Out"
Michael Jackson, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
Chaka Khan, "I Feel For You"
Prince and the Revolution, "Pop Life"
Mr. Fingers, "Can You Feel It"
Peter Gabriel, "Sledgehammer"
Janet Jackson, "Escapade"
Soul II Soul, "Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)"

Talking Heads – The Great Curve
Young Marble Giants – N.I.T.A.
Prince – Baby I’m a Star
Vangelis – Rachel’s Song (technically 90s release, but I’ll put it here)
The Cure – A Forest
Sonic Youth – Star Power
Eric B and Rakim – I Know You Got Soul
Womack & Womack – Baby I’m Scared of You
The Cocteau Twins – Lorelei
Ultramagnetic MC’s – Ego Trippin'

Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out is a great choice - for me, it has never stopped sounding magical.

I didn't know that Womack & Womack by name but now that I listen to it, okay it's THAT song. Nice pick.

Fugazi - Waiting Room
Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
The Cure - Close To Me (Paul Oakenfold mix)
Billy Squier - In The Dark
Wham! - Last Christmas
Altered Images - I Could Be Happy (Martin Rushent Remix)
Caribou - Pixies
Go-Go's - Our Lips Are Sealed
Gaffa - Attitude Dancing
Crowded House - Fall At Your Feet

But "Fall At Your Feet" is 1991?

I can't narrow it to ten without choosing some specific criteria, so I'm picking songs that commonly zap me back to the time and place I first knew them.

Cyndi Lauper - Girl Just Wanna Have Fun
Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald - On My Own
Van Halen - Jump
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Prince - Pop Life
Madonna - Into The Groove
U2 - With Or Without You
Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
Newcleus - Jam On It
Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot

JJ Fad Supersonic (USA 1988)

OMG, this is so good.

I always thought that was produced by Dr Dre but Wikipedia says Arabian Prince??

You can't imagine how big "Supersonic" was in South Florida.

Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
Dollar - Videotheque
The Go-Betweens - Bachelor Kisses
Prince - Controversy
Clio - Faces
Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
Culture Club - Time (Clock of the Heart)
The S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good to Me
The Chills - Pink Frost
Scritti Politti - Absolute

Grrr "Just Be Good to Me" isn't streaming. Almost no SOS Band songs are.

a few off the top of my head, mostly ilmcore stuff so nothing too exciting

kate bush - cloudbusting
psychedelic furs - the ghost in you
aztec camera - oblivious
talk talk - living in another world
the church - under the milky way
tom waits - downtown train
thomas dolby - one of our submarines
roxy music - avalon
dinosaur jr - raisans
iron maiden - the prisoner

Newcleus - Jam On It

nice. my neighbor was blasting that the other day.

You can't imagine how big "Supersonic" was in South Florida

And L'Trimm was the local Miami version of JJ Fad, although they were actually hitting at the same time iirc

art of noise beat box, paul hardcastle 19, herbie hancock rockit, konk your life, george kranz din daa daa, kraftwerk tour de france, laid back white horse, marrs pump up the volume, sigue sigue sputnik love missile f1 11, yello oh yeah!

I've narrowed it down to a top 75.

xpost

Downtown Train is my personal favorite Tom Waits song too.

xpost

re: Streaming SOS songs — their best song is up tho:

(Take Your Time)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d27679i-X4

I promise I will not post any more YT or other steaming links but it seems pertinent.

Keni Burke - Risin’ To The Top

The Cure - Happy the Man
Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
Tears for Fears - Listen
Midnight Oil - Dreamworld
Pailhead - I Will Refuse
Prince - Pop Life
Slayer - Raining Blood
Misfits - Hybrid Moments
Jane's Addiction - Ted, Just Admit It...
Metallica - Orion

i have no idea how you folks can even make such a list.
every day my list would change.
every hour my list would change.
i mean today my list would be all about cabaret voltaire/shriekback/chakk etc
and yet tomorrow it could be all about madness/sigue sigue sputnik/run dmc/beastie boys

well, yeah?

That's the point

You can do one and come later and do a different top 10, that’s what some of us did in the 90’s thread. ;)

just post a new one every day

Definitely a good call on the Cab Vol! I would pick some obscure clubby club like Haiti.

yeah mark i just posted ten for the day or whatever, although “into the groove” would def make it anyday

10,000 Maniacs - "Trouble Me"
R.E.M. - "So. Central Rain"
Tracy Chapman - "Fast Car"
Shannon - "Let the Music Play"
New Order - "True Faith"
Prince - "I Would Die 4 U"
Psychic TV - "Orchids"
Kate Bush - "Hounds of Love"
Conway Twitty - "Slow Hand"
Firefly - "Love Is Gonna Be On Your Side"

i have no idea how you folks can even make such a list.
every day my list would change.
every hour my list would change.

Same. So right now it's:

Cocteau Twins - "Aikea Guinea"
ABBA - "The Winner Takes It All"
Eurythmics - "Here Comes The Rain Again"
Chaka Khan - "I Feel 4 U"
Visage - "Fade To Grey"
Pixies - "Debaser"
The Cure - "A Strange Day"
The Chameleons - "Second Skin"
Pet Shop Boys - "Rent"
George Michael - "One More Try"

the problem i have is that every single list posted has an entry that i am 'ooh yeah, that's totally top 10'

Perhaps. Or Cloudbusting.