The album “Escape” by Journey was the seventh studio album released by the rock band, fronted by silver-piped Steve Perry—and the album remains their best known. It produced incredible ballads like “Open Arms,” “Who’s Crying Now," and of course, this classic that had a second life once those nifty kids from Glee covered it in 2009.
Funny note: none of the songs ever hit the no. 1 slot, but that doesn’t keep Journey from having, quite possibly, the most famous song of the decade. Lyrics were secondary, however, with classics like “Streetlights people,” which made absolutely no sense, but we belt them out with gusto anyway.
In one of the most successful remakes of the 20th century, British synthpop Soft Cell took Gloria Jones's song and turned it into a one-hit-wonder that still enjoys heavy rotation on any '80s compilation channel—digital or otherwise. However, the band never found its footing in the US.
Regardless of the standing, Marilyn Manson covered it in 2001, and it topped the charts abroad, just not here. “Tainted Love” remains in heavy airplay on New Wave stations all over the world and is featured in clubs as a great mixtune—The Pussycat Dolls also covered the hit back in 2005, and various covers still make appearances on Dancing With the Stars after all this time.
Of all the songs on the list, this one will likely elicit the most amount of talk, and that’s the reason it's here. Released on January 2, 1983, it took three weeks to get to the top of the charts, a feat that Jackson didn’t have with the Jackson 5. And while it’s from Michael’s uber-successful album “Thriller,” the importance of music video and appearances matter for this song in particular.
The video featured the King of Pop walking on a keyboard. But the ultimate, arguably most iconic moment for Jackson, was performing the “moonwalk” for the first time on Motown25. Dance would never be the same again.
If you want a hairband, check. Big huge sound, check. Europe gave the world everything they had with one of the most well-known openings to a song ever. Heavy synthesizers and the opening keyboard riff were achieved on a Yamaha rack unit. The lyrics were inspired by David Bowie’s song “Space Oddity;” however, it was never intended for airplay.
Instead, the song was written to kick off live concerts. While it may be considered one of the worst songs ever, there’s no denying that the opening eight notes keep it as a definitive song of the '80s.
What do you do when you’re one of the largest rock bands in Australia and your lead singer dies? You replace him with someone as gristly as Brian Johnson and release a tribute song/album. As a band coming off the critical success of “Highway to Hell,” Scott’s demise was a hard blow to the band, but his family urged they stay together.
“Back in Black” was the tribute song to Bon Scott, and the album and song went on to be one of the most influential ever. AC/DC continued their careers as one of the best bands ever to tour, with Angus wearing his schoolboy pants long after he should've.
You can’t call it a one-hit wonder, although that’s basically what it is. There isn't a song that captures the '80s quite as accurately as Rick Astley’s tune; it's catchy, its pop, its everywhere. When released in 1987, no one knew what a commercial success it would become. The video wasn’t anything spectacular- just a guy, dancing and singing.
But in 2007, the phenomenon known as “rickrolling” happened—where a video is playing, then this video cuts in. It’s one of the most well-known songs of the '80s now, thanks to incessant plays and views on YouTube.
Van Halen was cruising along with multiple albums, but this was to be the last featuring lead singer David Lee Roth. Eddie Van Halen wanted to bring more keyboards into their performances—and succeeded with “Jump”.
Featuring a searing opening along with a scorching guitar solo by Eddie himself, Van Halen hit the mainstream like never before. The video, featuring four dudes playing their asses off and having fun, is forever memorialized for everyone to see. And although Eddie has been replaced by son Angus in the band, his guitar for this song is featured in the walk-up Guitar Center music museum.
Country music was having a moment in the '80s with several bands and performers crossing over into pop, something that didn’t used to happen. Many times, genres were stuck in their lanes. However, Randy Travis helped change that with this little song about families and lives and love.
Lyrics by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz, it was just enough "story" to be appealing to mainstream audiences while keeping its country heritage. The song claimed Song of the Year at the Academy of Country Music as well as a Grammy for Best Country & Western.
“Purple Rain” wasn’t just a song, an album, or a movie. As the kids nowadays like to say- it was a WHOLE VIBE. Prince himself wanted to collaborate with Stevie Nicks and this song was originally written as a country song. However, guitarist and band member Wendy Melvoin started the chords a little differently, and it took on a new sound altogether.
The song was dedicated to Prince’s father, which whom he had a difficult relationship. It’s not only been hailed as one of the best songs of all time, but also one of the best guitar solos of all time. “Purple Rain” was also the last song Prince ever performed live- one week prior to his death in 2016.
This little band came out of New Jersey in 1983 with a unique sound and look—and their third album, “Slippery When Wet,” coming out in 1986 sealed the deal for “Living on A Prayer.”
Written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, and Desmond Child—it was gangbusters from the moment it aired on both rock and pop stations. The subsequent music video was in heavy rotation over on MTV, giving the band their first no. 1 hit.
Ooh, new wave band Duran Duran hit the US big time in the 1980s, fronted by Simon LeBon and multiple, unrelated Taylors (John and Andy). And while their self-titled album, called Duran Duran, did alright, it was “Rio” that captured hearts and MTV's eye. Using Patrick Nagel style art, “Hungry Like the Wolf” found the band traipsing through the Sri Lankan wilderness.
It was enough to win them to win the first Grammy ever awarded for a short-form video in 1984. The song remains the most streamed song in the UK, with more than 40 million streams.
Hip-hop and rap were still finding their footing in the culture back in the '80s, and Grandmaster Flash had something to do with it. You may think releasing a seven-minute-plus song would cause an issue, but people got it. The song is a realistic portrayal of street life that cannot be ignored—where a child can be lured away into a life of crime due to skyrocketing poverty.
Produced by Sugar Hill, who also produced “Rapper’s Delight” in 1979, the label saw great success in promoting East Coast hip hop and rap.
The debut album and single by NWA came out in 1987 and depicted life on the west coast in Watts and central LA, known as Compton. Perhaps one of the most controversial albums of the '80s, Easy E, Dr. Dre., Ice Cube, and MC Ren created lyrics that attacked their industry peers and police.
Being slapped with an Advisory Warning only made it more popular, and it was considered gansta rap’s first platinum album. Many of the issues in the hip-hop/gangsta-rap/hardcore-rap went on to pit east coast versus west.
American singer Marvin Gay hit the charts on his final studio album, “Midnight Love,” with an R&B ballad that had the country crooning. The funk sound written by Marvin has a lasting effect on the population today- with whispers and post-disco soul that had couples rocking into the night. The song won him two 1983 Grammys, including Best Male R&B and Best R&B Instrumental.
His success and life were shortened in 1984, when he was shot fatally by his father on the eve of his birthday. Gaye’s influence on R&B transcends him today and was a huge influence for Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Nas, Common, Tupac, and more.
It’s hard to classify Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers; some call it southern rock, and some call it heartland rock. Whatever the case, there’s no denying that the '80s were huge for the fellas from Florida, who persisted throughout the decades and kept playing until Petty’s death in 2017. However, Petty’s solo album, “Full Moon Fever,” saw the charting of five hits, “Free Fallin” among them.
In a collaboration with Jeff Lynde, they were sitting around trying to figure out some lyrics and riffs when the saying came to them. Petty attributed the story not to someone in particular, but to what he saw every day on his drive along Ventura Boulevard. Petty understood the medium of the music video innately, and although often a jokester in many of them, he played the straight musician with a teen girl running around LA.
Charity singles were the rage in 1984 and1985, whith a huge collaboration of artists taking part in creating a record that could benefit the famine in Africa. BandAid, the brainchild of Bob Geldof, featured numerous British and American superstars.
The lists of artists are too many to mention for each—with soloists and famous celebrities taking part both "We Are the World" and "Do They Know It's Christmas". Each song raised a respectable amount of money to help fund aid for humanitarian causes.
It was The Police’s final studio album that gave them the biggest single they ever had. “Every Breath You Take” was considered the anthem du jour for anyone you had a crush on back in the 80s. Fronted by the charismatic Sting, the song lasted 8 weeks at the number-one slot and was nominated for three Grammys, taking home 2 of them.
The song is said to have generated 1/3 of Sting’s music publishing income. The video was an enormous success and was named one of the best ever because it was styled like a film and less like a pop video at the time. What seems creepy now was one of the biggest songs in the world.
This Irish rock quartet broke into mainstream music in 1985 and never looked back. With their fifth album, The Joshua Tree, the boys from the streets of Dublin showed their staying power with “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”.
Numerous albums and tours later, the band is still stronger than they ever were, owing their roots to bands like The Ramones and their sensitivity to Irish politics and, later, world politics. Bono, The Edge, Larry, and Adam have come to represent staying power in the industry. The lyrics harken to Bono’s struggle between living as a man and as a musician.
American rock band Toto started having a moment in the '80s, but it was their fourth album, Toto IV, that sealed the deal. A mix of musical styles, the band refused to be pigeonholed by tags such as pop, rock, progressive, or R&B. And while the band’s lineup has changed, what didn’t was the love of the continent that inspired the song.
Written as a man’s love of what he’s seen about Africa but hasn’t visited, the song resonated with fans. The video, shot in a library, shows the band trying to piece together information about the continent, and was in heavy rotation on MTV.
You can’t have the 80s without Cyndi Lauper. Period. She was responsible for influencing the look, influencing the culture, and influencing solo artists. With her debut album, She’s So Unusual, Lauper broke the mold and showed that individuality was just fine.
Cyndi covered the original song, which came out in 1979, but you probably never heard it until Lauper’s peppy voice. Hyped by some as a feminist anthem and brought to life by a video featuring wrestler Captain Lou Albano and Lauper, the song was a worldwide hit from 1983-1984. And while few will argue that “Time After Time” is the best song she ever wrote, no one can deny the impact this Lauper song made.
The song is lyrical, melancholy, and also a bit pop and dance. Written at the same time as a movie was being scored, “Don’t You” was offered to multiple acts like Bryan Ferry, Billy Idol, Corey Hart, and The Fixx before Simple Minds recorded it. Being synonymous with John Hughes’ most successful movie of all time, The Breakfast Club, Simple Minds created the video with clips of them playing and characters from the movie.
The song attained its top-of-the charts position in the US in 1985 and stayed on the charts actively for over 2 years in the UK. The song was the perfect accompaniment to a movie about the struggle of teenagers being misunderstood by their parents and still serves as that powerful anthem today.
What would an '80s list be without The Boss and this iconic single of his? Girls all over America had a crush on the cover alone (with Springsteen’s actual behind photographed by Annie Leibovitz). The song was a blistering account of how Vietnam veterans were treated upon their return to the US following the war, but it was misunderstood as flag-waving, patriotic song.
The song was his third to top the charts, but it wouldn't be his last. The video was shot with working-class Americans, assembly lines, and blue collars, but still fell into heavy rotation on MTV. Regardless of the missed symbolism, the Boss still performs it today.
The Go Go’s formed their band in 1978 in California and featured all women on instruments, unlike their predecessor, Heart. Their album Beauty and the Beat is still an unrivaled first for an all-female band writing their own songs and playing instruments.
“We Got the Beat” trampled its way into American culture and broke barriers for acts to come, including The Bangles and Concrete Blonde. The song was featured in the opening of Fast Times at Ridgemont High in 1982 and is considered one of the most influential songs of Rock and Roll. And although the band broke up and got back together a few times, the type of commercial success they saw in 1981 was hard to beat.
Hip-hop and rap were dominated by men in the early part of the '80s, but Salt N Pepa paved the way as the First Ladies of Hip Hop with their Grammy Award in 1985. However, “Push It” was released as a B-side of the “Tramp” single and didn’t get its own single release until 1988, when the song became wildly popular. “Push It” became a radio success which forced the band to re-release the album Hot, Cool and Vicious with it on there.
The song also quotes The Kinks “You Really Got Me,” and Ray Davies received a songwriting credit along with James Brown. The song was so controversial that the police often thought the lyrics were illicit, so the band performed with the lyrics printed out so they wouldn’t be arrested. The video featured the gals performing in 8-ball jackets, which looked like a cross between an 8-ball and letterman sport coat, which became the rage in street fashion.
Many folks believe that Devo hails from Britain, but that’s where you’re absolutely wrong. These four dudes from Akron played along until they adopted the synthesizer and mixed it with electronic rock and new wave, and a whole new genre of music was released.
Devo also had the privilege of being one of the pioneers of the music video, and the band embraced their weirdness and kitsch to wear iconic "energy domes" hats on a dude ranch. Produced by Brian Eno, the band released Freedom of Choice, and their hit single, “Whip it” took hold of listeners' ears everywhere, likely due to the nonsensical lyrics and heavy beat.
As hair bands were winding down and the decade was starting to see a decline, a little band out of L.A. came screaming, quite literally, onto the scene with Appetite for Destruction, an album so revolutionary that metal and rock fans took notice. Guns N' Roses' unique look blistering guitars of Slash help the band roar into the public mind, and they still remain here today.
Axl Rose claims the lyrics were inspired by an encounter with a homeless man who was screaming, “You know where you are? You’re in the jungle, baby” and a hit ensued. Slash concurs that the stark lyrics also honestly describe street life for the homeless regardless of where you live.
Superstar Tina Turner was all over the '80s with her album Private Dancer, which cemented her career as a solo artist.“What’s Love Got to Do with It” received three Grammy nominations, but it wasn’t all sunshine and roses to begin with.
The song was written and originally offered to disco queen Donna Summer who sat on it for a number of years but didn’t record it. Until the song was released, Turner hadn’t been on anyone’s radar since the early '70s, and the likelihood of making a go of it in her 40s were low However, audiences loved the cynical raspy song and Tina’s imposing attitude and were gobsmacked. Tina was the first black artist and woman featured on a cover for Rolling Stone.
Country music was still a ways off from becoming a mainstream genre, and thank goodness that George Strait came along and helped push it over the edge. While he flourished with multiple songs in the '80s, “All My Exes Live in Texas” captured the heart and souls of fans everywhere—and crooning to country became cool.
The song is known for its swing-style rhythm, and fans love the story of George’s multiple loves living in a state he can’t inhabit. The song was nominated for multiple awards and remains one of the best-known songs that Strait ever released.
Music was already having an extraordinary year in 1984, and then Madonna came bounding into the forefront of American music like a one-woman wrecking ball. As a dance song with two hooks and some pretty controversial lyrics, audiences all over the world embraced the newly crowned Queen of Pop.
Coming out of Bay City, Michigan with nothing but ambition, Madge created looks from ripped nylon, black lace gloves and layering cut-off tights and dresses along with barely-there tank tops. However, it was her performance dancing on the end of a gondola in the video and rolling on the floor in a punk wedding dress at the inaugural VMAs that cemented her status as a legend for years to come.
Arguably one of the best and most unexpected things to come out of Britain was a duo of pretty boys with incredible voices and unbelievable energy. Lyrics styled as part love, part fun, and a whole lot of pop romance, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley created a musical style that was an instant classic and adopted the world over.
Fans fell in love with the icons, but the band wasn’t to last. Michael had a successful solo career before dying of heart disease on Christmas Day in 2016. However, Wham! Remains one of the biggest British commercial successes of the eighties.
