The 10 best songs from the 80’s

foreigner - waiting for a girl like you
madonna - into the groove
d-train - you’re the one for me
mr fingers - can you feel it
lou reed - the blue mask
mary jane girls - all night long
evelyn “champagne” king - love come down
daryl hall and john oates - i can’t go for that
miharu koshi - l’amour toujours
diana ross - it’s your move

I’ll steal Alfred’s split again to put 10 more songs in:

1980-1983

1. Kraftwerk - Computer Love (1981)
2. Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five - The Message (1982)
3. Mariah - 心臓の扉 (Shinzo No Tobira) (1983)
4. Young Marble Giants - Final Day (1980)
5. Killing Joke - Change (1980)
6. Tullio De Piscopo - Stop Bajon (1983)
7. Taana Gardner - Heartbeat (1981)
8. Shriekback - My Spine is the Bassline (1982)
9. The Cramps - Garbageman (1980)
10. Blurt - The Fish Needs a Bike (1981)

1984-1989

1. Daryl Hall & John Oates - Out of Touch (1984)
2. Kate Bush - Cloudbusting (1985)
3. Arthur Russell - This Is How We Walk on the Moon (1984)
4. Q Lazzarus - Goodbye Horses (1988)
5. The Cure - Close to Me (1985)
6. Womack & Womack - Teardrops (1988)
7. A.R. Kane - Lollita (1987)
8. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Never Understand (1985)
9. Samantha Gilles - Let Me Feel It (1985)
10. Virgo - Take Me Higher (1989)

Man, streaming has really caused me to not get familiar with so much stuff I stumble upon. Have no memory of hearing that Biggs version of Love Come Down, yet it's already in my cover songs playlist.

Besides the 1st and last picks, Josefa's list is like omg sooooo 80s if u know what I mean. Love it.

Now you’ve piqued my interest and you need to share that covers playlist.

High five to everyone who has Taana Gardner’s Heartbeat on their lists. Such a smooth song and one of the greatest vocal hooks of all time. Also those synths and bass, sounds like the palette from which West Coast Hip Hop came from.

Do you live in Vice City?

Do you live in Vice City?
― calstars

Do you live in the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster®?

Covers play list is apple music tho
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/covers/pl.u-zPyL1DRFZBV0zJ

(Haven't tried to curate it. Just add songs as I hear em)

Abba - The Day Before You Came
Fun Fun - Baila Bolero
George Benson - Give Me the Night
Grace Jones - Slave to the Rhythm
Imagination - So Good So Right
Jamie Principle - Your Love
Lil Louis- French Kiss
Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
Sha-Lor- I'm In Love
Tullio de Piscopo - Stop Bajon (Primavera)

Honourable mentions
Joey Beltram - Energy Flash, Kate Bush - Cloudbusting, Madonna - Live to Tell, Pet Shop Boys - Love Comes Quickly, Prince - Mountains, New Order - Dream Attack, Genesis - That's All, Psyche - Elements, Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train

Covers play list is apple music tho
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/covers/pl.u-zPyL1DRFZBV0zJ

― A True White Kid that can Jump (Granny Dainger)

Seeing some great choices in there and several that I want to hear for the first time.

Note: “after midnight” is originally by JJ Cale so that one is not actually a cover.

Forgot:

Olivia Newton John - Magic

I was wondering about the Cale! I think maybe I added it cause I was more familiar with a cover version and wanted to listen to his original again. But now I can't remember who did the cover.

Eric Clapton did the most well-known version. Clapton also covered “Cocaine” by him. JJ Cale’s originals are way better imho, but Clapton’s are the more popular versions.

Simple Minds - I Travel
Mr. Flagio - Take A Chance
AR Kane - A Love From Outer Space
Cybotron - Clear
The Associates - Party Fears Two
Pet Shop Boys - Kings Cross
Kate Bush - Hello Earth
Prince - Purple Rain
Frankie Knuckles, Satoshi Tomiie, Robert Owens - Tears
Manuel Gottsching - E2-E4

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.

Do you live in Vice City?
― calstars

Do you live in the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster®?

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

What the hell, people?!

No results for "I would die 4 u"
Search instead for "I would die for you"

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

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" just squeaks in as an 80s song.

Arguably it's not even the best Joy Division song, let alone one of the best songs of the decade.

I'd go for Blue Monday over LWTUA.

Realised my list didn't have room for Into the Groove. Or anything off Graceland. This is too hard!

Arguably, sure. I'd argue the opposite. No objection to "Blue Monday," I'd probably put it on the list as well.

NME has "Blue Monday" at 1 and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" at 2.

“Overkill” slays

xps

Xp I can see an argument for Joy Division being more important as a '70s band and New Order as an '80s band. Transmission (which is vastly superior to Love Will Tear us Apart imo) would have to rank among the top songs of the '70s.

IMHO, their combined influence on music, both in the 80s and after, cannot be overstated. It's difficult for me to think of Joy Division as a 70s band, since they had as big a hand as anyone at defining the sound of the 80s.

"Transmission" is a banger, to be sure.

Yeah, good point. I guess the same could be said about Wire, who released their trio of best records in the '70s but were so far ahead of the curve they now read more as an '80s band.

Lol never heard Transmission described as banger before but you're not wrong!

I saw Peter Hook play it back in August and it still fucking rocks.

One from each year that I only heard for the first time at some point over the last ten years

Paul McCartney - Waterfalls
Siouxsie & The Banshees - Into The Light
Antena - Camino Del Sol
Kissing The Pink - Desert Song
Virna Lindt - Underwater Boy
Rare Silk - Storm
Scribble - Lowdown
Geoffrey Landers - Say You'll Say So
Thomas Dolby - Budapest By Blimp
The Durutti Column - Love No More

Here’s a quick try (without thinking very hard):

George Michael - Father Figure
Madonna - Into the Groove
Prince - When You Were Mine
Rolling Stones - Start Me Up
Haircut 100 - Love Plus One
Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
Miaow - When It All Comes Down
Black Flag - TV Party
Robert Palmer - Simply Irresistible
Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days

(first wag who posts “Should’ve thought harder” gets FP’d)

I’ve never been so happy with my choices (from Sept 2021) as from any other poll

Never thought I'd see Black Flag and Robert Palmer together on a list!

The first time I heard Addicted to Love was the Ciccone Youth cover. I thought it was pretty bad until I heard the original.

They should've covered Simply Irresistible.

Which track appears here the most? “Once in a Lifetime”? (Looks like Prince gets severely vote-split…)

Perhaps. Or Cloudbusting.