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Greatest Songs of the 1980s

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Rank Song Artist Year
#9
Love Will Tear Us Apart Joy Division 1980
#12
When Doves Cry Prince, The Revolution 1984
#18
The Message Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five 1982
#24
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out The Smiths 1986
#27
Billie Jean Michael Jackson 1982
#28
Blue Monday New Order 1983
#29
Once in a Lifetime Talking Heads 1980
#32
Fight the Power Public Enemy 1989
#55
How Soon Is Now? The Smiths 1984
#57
Ghost Town The Specials 1981
#68
Where Is My Mind? Pixies 1988
#74
Under Pressure Queen, David Bowie 1981
#79
Little Red Corvette Prince 1982
#81
Purple Rain Prince, The Revolution 1984
#82
Sweet Child o' Mine Guns N' Roses 1987
#83
Kiss Prince, The Revolution 1986
#88
Every Breath You Take The Police 1983
#90
Sexual Healing Marvin Gaye 1982
#99
Redemption Song Bob Marley & The Wailers 1980
#100
Bizarre Love Triangle New Order 1986
#107
1999 Prince 1982
#118
Straight Outta Compton N.W.A 1988
#119
Ace of Spades Motörhead 1980
#120
Come On Eileen Dexys Midnight Runners 1982
#123
West End Girls Pet Shop Boys 1985
#127
Radio Free Europe R.E.M. 1983
#173
The Killing Moon Echo & the Bunnymen 1983
#179
Don't You Want Me The Human League 1981
#185
Tainted Love Soft Cell 1981
#188
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Eurythmics 1982
#190
True Faith New Order 1987
#195
Sign o' the Times Prince 1986
#198
No Woman No Cry Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984
#205
Holiday in Cambodia Dead Kennedys 1980
#206
Welcome to the Jungle Guns N' Roses 1986
#209
Monkey Gone to Heaven Pixies 1989
#213
This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody) Talking Heads 1983
#218
Bring the Noise Public Enemy 1987
#225
Just Like Heaven The Cure 1987
#226
Waiting Room Fugazi 1988
#228
Like a Prayer Madonna 1989
#239
This Charming Man The Smiths 1983
#244
Atlantic City Bruce Springsteen 1982
#246
Graceland Paul Simon 1986
#248
It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) R.E.M. 1987
#254
Teen Age Riot Sonic Youth 1988
#256
Oh Pretty Woman (Oh Pretty Woman) Roy Orbison 1980
#260
Gigantic Pixies 1988
#264
Planet Rock Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force 1982
#265
Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths 1984
#267
The One I Love R.E.M. 1987
#272
Levi Stubbs' Tears Billy Bragg 1986
#273
Personal Jesus Depeche Mode 1989
#279
Fools Gold The Stone Roses 1989
#299
Pictures of You The Cure 1989
#309
Beat It Michael Jackson 1982
#311
Bigmouth Strikes Again The Smiths 1986
#312
California Dreamin' (California Dreamin') The Mamas & the Papas 1980
#316
I'm on Fire Bruce Springsteen 1984
#319
More Than This Roxy Music 1982
#329
Freak Scene Dinosaur Jr. 1988
#330
Girls Just Want to Have Fun Cyndi Lauper 1983
#335
He Stopped Loving Her Today George Jones 1980
#339
A New England Billy Bragg 1983
#341
Paid in Full Eric B. & Rakim 1987
#343
Just Like Honey The Jesus and Mary Chain 1985
#345
I'm Coming Out Diana Ross 1980
#346
The Boys of Summer Don Henley 1984
#349
Super Freak Rick James 1981
#350
Rapper's Delight The Sugarhill Gang 1980
#358
Mercy Seat Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds 1989
#362
Sunday Bloody Sunday U2 1983
#364
Jump Van Halen 1983
#366
Master of Puppets Metallica 1986
#371
Everyday Is Like Sunday Morrissey 1988
#376
Running Up That Hill Kate Bush 1985
#377
Hallelujah Leonard Cohen 1984
#378
Shipbuilding Robert Wyatt 1982
#381
You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC 1980
#383
Fuck tha Police N.W.A 1988
#397
Thrill Is Gone B.B. King 1983
#400
Back in Black AC/DC 1980
#404
Africa Toto 1982
#407
Debaser Pixies 1989
#410
With or Without You U2 1987
#415
Time After Time Cyndi Lauper 1983
#419
Geno Dexys Midnight Runners 1980
#424
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Tears for Fears 1985
#429
Going Underground The Jam 1980
#435
Transmission Joy Division 1981
#451
Me Myself and I De La Soul 1989
#452
Never Understand The Jesus and Mary Chain 1985
#457
She Bangs the Drums The Stone Roses 1989
#466
Material Girl Madonna 1984
#468
It Takes Two Rob Base & D.J. E‐Z Rock 1988
#481
What's Love Got to Do With It Tina Turner 1984
#485
Let's Go Crazy Prince, The Revolution 1984
#509
Angel of Death Slayer 1986
#519
Golden Brown The Stranglers 1981
#524
Into the Groove Madonna 1984

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