The 10 best songs from the 80’s

yeah ok, not every list.

(joke)

have an ongoing obsession with Pop Year 1989 so tried to do one for that year - was the year I really started caring about music

new order - round and round (has to be the 12" extended mix tho)
the blue nile - let's go out tonight
ac marias - one of our girls has gone missing
public enemy - fight the power
julee cruise - falling
Kate bush - the sensual world
808 state - pacific state
janet jackson - miss you much
public image - disappointed
the cure - 2 late

and that's regretfully leaving out madonna, beastie boys and godflesh. it was a good year!

I did a 1989 mix recently, it was a commission for a birthday, and a lot more mainstream / upbeat than I usually do, may be of interest to you emsworth as it has a few from your list. TBH the process taught me that the late 80s is a bit of a blind spot for me.

would be keen to see that mix!

OK, I got it:

Save It for Later - English Beat
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
Modern Love - David Bowie
Don't Change - INXS
Tuff Gnarl - Sonic Youth
Everybody Wants to Rule The World - Tears for Fears
Dolce Vita - Ryan Paris
White Lines (Don't Do It) - Grandmaster Melle Mel
Caribbean Queen - Billy Ocean
Road to Nowhere - Talking Heads

i have no idea how you folks can even make such a list.

My top 10 was made up from these lists I spent years slowly adding to until they were 100 tracks full (but then I kept replacing a few things in them after that...) but I tried to base the ordering on track by track flow (not just by sound, style or rhythm but also thematic or just titular connections) to incentivise others listening more and 'Favourites' can mean just 'first heard it only this decade but had enough instant impact' in some cases...

100 Favourite Instrumentals 1980-1989 (allowing some tracks with only sampled speech ('Dead Eyes Opened') minimal vocal contributions only ('Your Love') or barely discernible background chatter (as on the Balearic monster 'Pili Pili')

100 Favourite Hits 1980-1989 (singles that peaked within the UK Top 75 but only six of these didn't make the Top 40 and five are also instrumentals)

100 Favourite Non-Hit Singles 1980-1989 (singles that peaked no higher than 41 in the UK chart)

100 Favourite Non-Singles 1980-1989 (album tracks mostly but really anything that wasn't an 'A-side' and a few that were singles in the US (or elsewhere) but didn't get an official release in the UK from what I can tell on Discogs)

Disclaimer: not all genres represented equally and indeed some not at all

"2 late" is so good. (x-post)

A list which is based on 50% contrarianism, 40% tokenism, and 20% I don’t fucking know. In no particular order:

- Bauhaus - Third Uncle
- Gil Scott-Heron - Willing
- Jungle Brothers - The Promo
- Kraftwerk - Numbers
- Raze - Break 4 Love
- The Police - Voices Inside My Head
- Aretha Franklin - Get It Right
- Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng
- Peech Boys - Don’t Make Me Wait
- Thrill Kill Kult - The Devil Does Drugs
Or
- Ministry - Golden Dawn

I was really never a satanist but apparently teenage me had a little fixation with pseudo-satanic industrial music. Could be the water down south idk.

Oh shit no Kate Bush. Let’s just agree she was implied as my inspiration.

retracting my list because i forgot prefab sprout - cars and girls

2nd of 3 lists, 1983-1986

New Order - Your Silent Face (1983)
Hüsker Dü - Diane (1983)
Minor Threat - Out of Step (1983)
Prince - When Doves Cry (1984)
Van Halen - Jump (1984)
Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In the Dark (1984)
Replacements - I Will Dare (1984)
Hüsker Dü - Eight Miles High (1984)
Pretenders - Back On the Chain Gang (1985)
Public Image Ltd. - Rise (1986)
Run DMC - Walk This Way (1986)

1. Slick Rick - Children's Story (1989)
2. Lyndsey Buckingham - Holiday Road (1983)

Respectfully, that Pretenders song is from 1982

yes, sorry. billie jean it turns out is from 1983 so I can switch them in my lists.

another 1982 song I really liked was (I Saw You) Shine by Flipper, who gave a powerful live performance of it

Flipper were great, they had the ‘90s aesthetic about 10 years ahead of time

my experience was that they had complete control over their audience

the lights have all gone out

fuck man idk here's some faves

Daniel Johnston - Brainwash
Foetus - Gums Bleed
Jazz Butcher - Rain
Shriekback - Everything That Rises Must Converge
Bongwater - Too Much Sleep
The Ex - Bouquet For Barbed Wire
Moet The Poet - (untitled)
Camper Van Beethoven - Sweethearts
David Bowie - Up The Hill Backwards
Crass - Where Next Columbus

Another top 10:

The Stone Roses Fools Gold (12" Version) (UK 1989)
NWA Fuck Tha Police (USA 1988)
Sueño LatinoSueño Latino (The Paradise Version) (Italy 1989)
The Nits In The Dutch Mountains (Netherlands 1987)
Metallica For Whom The Bell Tolls (USA 1984)
Peter Schilling Major Tom (Völlig Losgelöst) (Germany 1982)
Don Henley Boys Of Summer (USA 1984)
Killing Joke Love Like Blood (UK 1985)
Sandra Maria Magdalena (France/Germany 1985)
The Scorpions Rock You Like A Hurricane (Germany 1984)
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince Summertime (USA 1989)

Actual top ten, excluding anything already mentioned:

C-Bank - One More Shot
Joe Smooth - Promised Land
Lisa - Rocket To Your Heart (original mix)
Magazine - A Song From Under The Floorboards
Orange Juice - Poor Old Soul
Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush - Don't Give Up
Sharon Redd - In The Name Of Love
Steve Winwood - While You See A Chance
Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (single version)
Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica

"Summertime" came out in 1991

Marshall Crenshaw - you’re my favorite waste of time
XTC - mermaid smiles
Phil collins - inside out
Van halen- little guitars
Pointer sisters - he’s so shy
Prince - take me with u
Madonna - live to tell
Kim carnes - Bette Davis eyes
Foreigner - I want to know what love is
Philip Bailey - easy lover
Marvin Gaye - my love is waiting

"Take Me With U" was narrowly eliminated from my 10 - it's been my favourite 80s Prince track for a while.

I love the build up in the beginning and the acoustic guitar release

"Summertime" came out in 1991
oh yeah, then:
Tone Loc Funky Cold Medina (USA 1989)

'you're sheer perfection'
'thank you'

In solidarity with All Sheenas Of The World, I've cancelled "Funky Cold Medina".

Great selections on yours there.

"Take Me With U" was narrowly eliminated from my 10 - it's been my favourite 80s Prince track for a while.

Don’t Give Up almost made my top ten. It is a definite classic but partly it was attractive as a way to knock out two of the preeminent artists of the decade. Given more space I’d probably pick Mercy Street and Breathing for the individual artists (excluding Kate songs that have already been selected).

And now I have realized that Erotic City is objectively superior to Break 4 Love so I would like to amend my selections to reflect that substitution.

I should give Take Me With U another listen.

OK this is even more impossible than the 90s, so I only went with tracks that hadn't been named yet and am still quite happy with this

Prince – Uptown
Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
Emmylou Harris – Jordan
The Replacements – Alex Chilton
U2 – Sunday Bloody Sunday
Paul Simon – You Can Call Me Al
New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder – Together in Electric Dreams
Madonna – Like a Prayer
The Smiths – This Charming Man

All for the Best - Miracle Legion
Just Like Honey - Jesus and Mary Chain
We're Here - Meat Puppets
Beaten & Broken - Mekons
If I Should Fall From Grace with God - The Pogues
I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man - Prince
Bonzo Goes to Bitburg - Ramones
Sound of the Rain - Rank and File
Favorite Thing - The Replacements
It's Who You Know - X

Shit, how could I have possibly forgotten "Together in Electric Dreams" - that would be in my all time top 10, as I have a very powerful emotional connection to it.

Shit, how could I have possibly forgotten "Together in Electric Dreams" - that would be in my all time top 10, as I have a very powerful emotional connection to it.

― mike t-diva

X2

a new day, a new list from bands not mentioned above

Dream Syndicate – That’s What You Always Say
Jason & the Scorchers – Absolutely Sweet Marie
Black Uhuru – Youth of Eglington
Gregory Issacs – Night Nurse
Pylon - Beep
Hoodoo Gurus – Bittersweet
dB’s – Black and White
Lloyd Cole – Perfect Skin
Violent Femmes – Add It Up
Cowboy Junkies – Sweet Jane
Joan Jett – Crimson and Clover

10 more, not yet mentioned:

Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J
Touch of Grey - Grateful Dead
Word Up - Cameo
Hurts So Good - John Cougar Mellencamp
Graceland - Paul Simon
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues (feat. Kirsty MacColl)
Don Quichotte No Estan Aqui - Magazine 60
Viva Las Vegas - Dead Kennedys
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Master of Puppets - Metallica

Well I found this impossible. My faves are very front-loaded early/mid-80s. MAYBE I could do a top 10 for 1984 alone. Or a top ten of songs not already mentioned. But here goes:

1980-1982

Tom Petty, Refugee
Blondie, Call Me
The Police, Don't Stand So Close to Me
Hall & Oates, Private Eyes
REM, Gardening at Night
Prince, 1999
Marvin Gaye, Sexual Healing
Pretenders, Back on the Chain Gang
Duran Duran, Rio
Peter Gabriel, I Have the Touch

honorable mentions to:
Phil Collins, I Missed Again
Stevie Nicks, Edge of Seventeen

1983-1984:

Eurythmics, Here Comes the Rain Again
Howard Jones, New Song
Madonna, Borderline
Culture Club, Karma Chameleon
David Bowie, Let's Dance
Naked Eyes, Promises Promises
Go-Go's, Head Over Heels
Psychedelic Furs, The Ghost in You
Cyndi Lauper, All Through the Night
Cars, Drive

honorable mentions to:

Nena, 99 Luftballons
Elvis Costello, Everyday I Write the Book
Rick Springfield, Love Somebody
Pat Benatar, We Belong
U2, Pride

1985-1989:

Paul Young, Every Time You Go Away
Talking Heads, And She Was
The Cure, Close to Me
Crowded House, Something So Strong
INXS, Need You Tonight
Bangles, Hazy Shade of Winter
Bruce Springsteen, One Step Up
Lightning Seeds, Pure

These two get sufficient praise as it is but I will mention them anyway:
Tears for Fears, Everybody
Simple Minds, Don't You

Rules are rules, people.

And yet the very first post breaks them by including "runner-ups because this is too hard."

Doing one alternate list:

Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice (1981 re-edit)
ESG - Dance
Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
Echo & the Bunnymen - Ocean Rain
Wipers - The Lonely One
Husker Du - Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill
Pylon - Crazy
Volcano Suns - Balancing Act
The Clean - Getting Older
EPMD - So Watcha Sayin'

Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
Bananarama - Cruel Summer
Prince - When Doves Cry
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
The Jesus & Mary Chain - Never Understand
Echo and The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
Pat Benatar - Love Is A Battlefield
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
The Go-Go's - Vacation

I did a 1989 mix recently, it was a commission for a birthday, and a lot more mainstream / upbeat than I usually do, may be of interest to you emsworth as it has a few from your list. TBH the process taught me that the late 80s is a bit of a blind spot for me.

― edited to reflect developments which occurred (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Thursday, September 23, 2021 9:52 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

would be keen to see that mix!

― lemmy incaution (emsworth), Thursday, September 23, 2021 10:10 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Here it is

https://www.mixcloud.com/centuries_of_sound/1989-for-skye/

Posting the tracklist as mixcloud hides it -

0:00:00 The Cure - Lullaby
0:04:09 Orbital - Chime
0:07:04 Black Box - Ride on Time
0:10:19 Young MC - Know How
0:13:58 Janet Jackson - Rhythm Nation / TV (Interlude)
0:20:31 Pixies - Hey
0:23:58 Glen Velez - Wren Chant
0:25:38 Nirvana - Love Buzz
0:29:10 The Stone Roses - Waterfall
0:33:40 Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix)
0:40:00 Madonna - Like a Prayer (12" Remix)
0:46:53 Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
0:51:28 Technotronic - Pump Up The Jam
0:56:26 New Order - Fine Time (Silk Mix)
0:59:56 808 State - Pacific State (Original)
1:02:54 Electronic - Getting Away with It
1:06:59 De La Soul - Me Myself and I
1:10:36 Prince - Batdance
1:16:49 Swing Out Sister - You On My Mind
1:20:13 The Wedding Present - Kennedy
1:24:29 Soul II Soul - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me?)
1:28:04 Dusty Springfield - Nothing Has Been Proved
1:33:43 Fugazi - Waiting Room
1:36:33 The Cure - Lovesong
1:39:53 Rob 'N' Raz Featuring Leila K - Got To Get
1:43:09 Rhythim is Rhythim - The Dance
1:45:34 The Sundays - Can't Be Sure

i am very indecisive.
think i'm going to wait another 10y.

dr mabuse - propaganda
sensoria - cabaret voltaire
my spine - shriekback
my girl - madness
master & servant (on-u remix) - depeche mode
two tribes - frankie goes to hollywood
the only good christian is a dead christian - scraping foetus off the wheel
dont get mad get even - age of chance
living on the ceiling - blancmange
one of our submarines is missing - thomas dolby

Oh FFS, Young MC “Know How”, another total classic that I forgot about. My last set before lockdown, it rammed my floor. Teenagers shook my hand for playing it!

nice

Here it is

― edited to reflect developments which occurred (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Saturday, 25 September 2021 5:53 AM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Thanks! Great mix, some tracks I don't know - looking forward to throwing it on later. How did I forget the Pixies?

Also - mind blown to find that Getting Away With It came out in the same year as Technique. God, Bernard Sumner was at the absolute top of his game then.

Would now like to submit a best of the 80s list that is just Moments in Love played 10 times in succession

Ignoring post-punk & disco and sticking with the hits that scream "80s" to me that I sincerely enjoy:

Dazz Band – Let It Whip
The Gap Band – You Dropped A Bomb On Me
Shannon – Let the Music Play
Yes – Owner of a Lonely Heart
A Flock of Seagulls – I Ran (So Far Away)
Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
Icehouse – Electric Blue
38 Special – Caught Up In You
The Cars – Drive
New Order – Blue Monday

honorable mention: ZZ Top – Sharp Dressed Man