BEST 80s #1 “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson Sex, paranoia & a throbbing beat. Jackson moonwalked to mega-stardom with his Quincy Jones-produced pop-disco smash inspired by a deranged stalker. “Billie Jean” paces the shadowy edges of the dance floor but can’t avoid the spotlight: it’s #1 of the 80s!

BEST 80s #2 “Every Breath You Take” by The Police Sting wrote and delivered the lyrics with sinister intent but many in the public heard a love song. Andy Summers’ guitar riff, alongside Steward Copeland’s sharp drumming, creates a hypnotic effect; a filling dish from just a few perfect ingredients.

BEST 80s #3 “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper The greatest debut of the 80s, “Girls” is an amusement park ride on record, a party celebrating sunny equality. From its opening synthesizer skid, the song soars skyward; Lauper’s vocals wild with abandon atop a thick, riotous pogo-stick beat.

BEST 80s #4 “Beat It” by Michael Jackson Announced with ‘galactic’ gong sounds from a Synclaver synthesizer, “Beat It” is an event from beginning to end. Jackson delivers a layered vocal, threatening & fearful, over a scorching Eddie Van Halen guitar showstopper & a rock-hard dance beat from Toto.

BEST 80s #5 “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman A riveting folk song that freezes time to share desperate dreams rarely confessed on pop radio. Chapman was an immediate sensation with her simple, direct delivery and heartfelt hopes: a job, a home, a chance to “be someone” before we “live and die this way.”

BEST 80s #6 “Like a Prayer” by Madonna Straddling the sacred and the sensual, the track begins with a jagged guitar riff by Prince & then abruptly transforms into a sweet hymn. Madonna’s broken & affecting take on the word “home” makes the arrival of the supportive choir feel like a rescue mission.

BEST 80s #7 “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns ‘n Roses Axl Rose sings a virtuoso tribute to girlfriend Erin Everly. Noodling on the guitar, Slash came up with the opening earworm & the band built a beast around it, including the “where do we go now?” breakdown/breather that follows a 2nd Slash ripper.

BEST 80s #8 “When Doves Cry” by Prince The guitar writhes against an insistent beat. Prince enters, briefly agonized, then sharply focused: we’ll dream our way out of the darkness. To a militant rhythm, he seduces, he reveals, he accuses, he begs, he spins a tornado of emotion & he coolly departs.

BEST 80s #9 “Dancing in the Dark” by Bruce Springsteen A punchy pep-talk from deep inside a rut, “Dancing” lifts its downcast hero closer and closer to happy, thanks to Springsteen’s steadily more hopeful vocals, a Clarence Clemons subtly celebratory sax, and that inspiring, recurring synth riff.

BEST 80s #10 “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler Theatrical & bombastic, Bonnie Tyler sinks her teeth and her rasp into Jim Steinman’s stormy melodrama. Lonely piano, crashing drums, booming synths, & Rory Dodd’s eerie back-up creates a howling romantic implosion - and a singular smash.

BEST 80s #11 “Purple Rain” by Prince & the Revolution Prince visualized purple rain falling at world’s end and composed an anthem for those final moments: hypnotic, cathartic, and grand. It’s a masterful 8:42 that grew out of a six-hour Revolution recording session, and every second feels essential.

BEST 80s #12 “The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley Guitar chords sketch a melancholy late-fall vibe, summer a distant memory. Heartbreaker Mike Campbell wrote it with Henley, whose performance won a Grammy and whose sighting of a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac became a lasting symbol of time’s cruelty.

BEST 80s #13 “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” by Tina Turner The song arrives with a pulsing beat & quizzical flourishes: the stage set for Tina, wise & weary. With a heartbroken rasp, she denies that what she’s feeling could be healing. A stellar blend of backstory & performance; a comeback smash.

BEST 80s #14 “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper Over a soothing music bed with a subtle tick-tock rhythm, Cyndi Lauper delivers a heartfelt message with charisma & sincerity. Co-written with Hooter Rob Hyman, the track, with its memorable “suitcase of memories,” is timeless. It was her first #1 hit.

BEST 80s #15 “West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys An eerie dance mood piece from former music critic Neil Tennant & synth whiz Chris Lowe. Packed with atmosphere from its opening lines, “West End Girls” launched one of the longest-running quality careers in pop history, even if America bailed early.

BEST 80s #16 “Don’t You Want Me?” by Human League Philip Oakey thought his “Star Is Born” inspired duet with Susan Ann Sulley was a throwaway & fought its release as the 4th single from the “Dare” LP. Today, he allows he might have been wrong. The booming, biting synth track was a cinematic smash.

BEST 80s #17 “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns ‘n Roses Melodic metal with a manic beat, “Jungle” is about arriving in a city where you’re the welcome mat. The lyrics commemorate a homeless man’s greeting when Axl Rose got to L.A.: “You know where you are? You’re in the jungle baby, you’re gonna die!”

BEST 80s #18 “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes Spooky, rippling synths & a driving beat set the stage for a captivating temptress, “pure as New York snow.” Keyboard player Bill Cuomo came up with the shimmering riff; Carnes’ raspy vocal is filled with teasing admiration. The screen legend sent roses.

BEST 80s #19 “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner Lou Gramm’s ardent vocal is a lighthouse calling the lonely & when he’s joined by the New Jersey Mass Choir & Jennifer Holliday, the surge of emotion is hard-earned. Mick Jones wrote it at 3 a.m. & deems it a gift delivered from another realm.

BEST 80s #20 “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics “Everybody’s looking for something” on the Eurythmics’ massive debut hit. Dave Stewart, who composed the relentless synthesizer riff, thought it needed hope, so Annie Lennox added the encouraging tip “hold your head up, keep your head up.”

BEST 80s #21 “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five Like Stevie Wonder’s “Living in the City” coda expanded to full-length feature. Over a hypnotic rhythm track, Melle Mel & Duke Bootee trade you-are-there horrors. The refrain says it all: “Don’t push me, cause I’m close to the edge.”

BEST 80s #22 “Whip It” by Devo A motivational pep talk from outer space with spaced-out lyrics and an insanely catchy guitar-synth hook, “Whip It” was inspired by Devo’s wish to inspire Jimmy Carter in his doomed presidential race against Ronald Reagan, but rumors of a self-pleasure theme dominated.

BEST 80s #23 “Call Me” by Blondie No one mixed rock aggression & disco hedonism better than Giorgio “Hot Stuff” Morodor, and for the “American Gigolo” theme, he built a monster track to unleash Blondie’s Debbie Harry upon. Electrifying and fearless, she drove the track to the top of the charts.

BEST 80s #24 “Jump” by Van Halen A synthesizer hook could’ve been a leap too far for the guitar-focused rockers, but it was Eddie himself who came up with the central “Jump” riff. David Lee Roth credits roadie Larry Hostler with helping him shape the song’s rousing ‘just get up and do it!’ message.

BEST 80s #25 “I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan A four-star all-star affair: Chaka’s version of Prince’s song has soaring, sunny vocals, a popping-and-locking break-beat, Stevie’s harmonica & “Fingertips,” and Melle Mel’s rap & his iconic intro - an Arif Mardin production error turned perfect mistake.

BEST 80s #26 “Need You Tonight” by INXS A hypnotic and sensual slap-step groove with a tickling guitar riff and a hushed Michael Hutchence vocal: low, seductive, and briefly, exposed. (“I’m lonely!”). Written by Hutchence with Andrew Farris, “Need You Tonight” is the band’s sole US Number One hit.

BEST 80s #27 “Take on Me” by A-Ha A-Ha worked and re-worked “Take on Me,” eventually landing on a world-dominating sequence of dizzying & frantic keyboard and drum runs complemented by Morten Harket’s low-down to sky-high vocals. As one record exec described him, Roy Orbison with movie star looks.

BEST 80s #28 “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell On their inspired remake of a 60s soul track, Soft Cell sell the disturbing undertones of a ‘tainted’ romance, with Marc Almond’s rich voice imparting deep melodrama. It charted for nearly a year, launching an American beach-head for the British New Wave.

BEST 80s #29 “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor Written for “Rocky 3” by Survivor’s Frankie Sullivan & Jim Peterik, “Eye” is the pinnacle sports movie soundtrack hit, with the pacing intensity of a hunting cat & punching rhythm of a prizefighter. Grammy winning, Oscar nominated & #1 around the world.

BEST 80s #30 “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey Opening with downbeat piano, Journey carries its dreamer protagonists to their empower-ballad destinies over an ever-evolving & building music bed: the excitement of succeeding edged only by the thrill of trying; all told in a monster Steve Perry vocal.

BEST 80s #31 “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears Tears for Fears cheerily carry a bucket full of universal anxieties to the pulse of a jaunty, sparkling track, rippling with guitar and synth flourishes and a nursery rhyme melody. “Welcome to your life…there’s no turning back.”

BEST 80s #32 “With or Without You” by U2 A hushed, compelling examination of a challenging love affair. The band’s first Number One song in America, it builds and grows, denser and harder, as Bono lands on the black hole at the center: “And you give, and you give, and you give *yourself* away.”

BEST 80s #33 “Funkytown” by Lipps Inc. It was summer 1980 & disco was under siege. Dance devotee Cynthia Johnson of Lipps Inc. had to make a move: to a town that could “keep me movin’, keep me groovin’ with some energy!” Fun & futuristic, the catchy tune kept the dance floor hot, all over the world.

BEST 80s #34 “Our Lips Are Sealed” by The Go-Go’s One of the all-time debut tracks. “Lips” was co-written by Go-Go Jane Wiedlin & Fun Boy Three’s Terry Hall. Belinda Carlisle and Wiedlin’s winsome vocals are cotton candy floating around snaking, fretting guitars, laid over a peppy, poppy drum beat.

BEST 80s #35 “Kiss” by Prince & the Revolution “Act your age, mama, not your shoe size. Maybe we could do the twirl?” “Kiss” is Prince at his most playful: riding a tight, undeniable funk groove, flirting in falsetto, shrieking and making kissy noises. Instantly iconic & number 1 all over the world.

BEST 80s #36 “Just Like Heaven” by The Cure The Cure’s first US Top 40 is delirious pop magic, with a nervously excited drum beat, starry synth line, and dancing keyboards. Robert Smith sheds goth for glee, recalling the early days of an exhilarating love affair. “I promise I’ll run away with you.”

BEST 80s #37 “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen Lean and intense, “USA” employs a ringing, heart-pounding E-Street Band performance & a rousing, passionate Springsteen vocal. The song’s triumphant chorus is made hollow by the stark tale of its verses - where war is hell and home is no better.

BEST 80s #38 “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” by Pink Floyd “Brick” never would have happened without producer Bob Ezrin, who mixed three separate Floyd tracks into one cinematic record, adding a disco beat & a children’s choir. If you were in middle school when it hit #1, you won the timeline.

BEST 80s #39 “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush The biggest hit of Kate Bush’s career is an eerie and heartfelt petition set atop a trotting drum beat and sliding, discordant cello notes. Her vocals balance strength & desperation as she pleads for “a deal with God,” to trade fates with a loved one.

BEST 80s #40 “Super Freak” by Rick James Rick James (with Temptations on backup) celebrates a “very kinky girl – the kind you don’t take home to mother.” The giddy elastic bass riff, bouncing drumbeat, & spouting sax compels everyone listening to the #1 dance floor smash to get “super freaky…yow!”

BEST 80s #41 “True Faith” by New Order New Order’s first US Top 40 hit is a New Wave dance floor stomper churning with anxious anticipation. The synths carry Bernard Sumner’s journey into the unknown: “I can’t tell you where we’re going.” Still, he feels “so extraordinary…a sudden sense of liberty.”

BEST 80s #42 “(Don’t You) Forget About Me” by Simple Minds Written for “The Breakfast Club,” Billy Idol passed on it. So did Simple Minds, until Chrissie Hynde swayed husband Jim Kerr: Kerr & the band then turned the tune into a chiming guitar rock smash with iconic new “hey heys” & “la la la las.”

BEST 80s #43 “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy Inspired by the Isley Brothers & written for Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” Public Enemy’s epic has timeless, fist-pumping relevance. The track loops samples into a tight, frenzied backdrop for Chuck’s righteous roar & Flavor Flav’s raucous response.

BEST 80s #44 “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang This is a good time — no drama, no subtext, just suave James “JT” Taylor inviting “everyone around the world” to celebrate. Kool (& the Gang) second the emotion, offering emphatic “Yahoo”s over a scratchy guitar riff, rumbling bass, and triumphant horns.

BEST 80s #45 “Borderline” by Madonna Written and produced by Reggie Lucas, “Borderline” gave Madonna a record worthy of her talents: sparkling and girlish but with a substantial drum beat demonstrating the spine beneath. The song — a final warning to an unsatisfying lover — was her first Top 10 hit.

BEST 80s #46 “Once in a Lifetime” by Talking Heads Experimenting with funk & world music produced a track that Tina Weymouth fondly called a ‘cacophony,’ further finesse gave it a one-of-a-kind staging, the perfect platform for David Byrne’s stream-of-consciousness summary of life’s crazy journey.

BEST 80s #47 “Owner of a Lonely Heart” by Yes Originally written by South African musician Trevor Rabin who later worked with Yes, “Owner” became a boisterous collage of sounds & samples in the hands of producer Trevor Horn. Jon Anderson’s vocal is parkour with a microphone, landing every hurdle.

BEST 80s #48 “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugarhill Gang In September ‘79, Big Bank Hank, Wonder Mike & Master Gee went to a Blondie/Chic/Clash concert (!) and hopped on stage to rap during Chic’s “Good Times.” By January 1980, they’d turned that moment into a landmark record – the first US Top 40 rap hit.

BEST 80s #49 “Thriller” by Michael Jackson A tight bass squiggle snakes under the sheen of Jackson’s high-energy disco alert of terror run amok, written by Rod Temperton to satisfy MJ’s love of horror films. Vincent Price raps the sinister coda: “No mere mortal can resist the evil of the thriller!”

BEST 80s #50 “How Soon is Now?” by The Smiths Angst with a trip beat, “How Soon” is a peak achievement in the art of depression. Hobbled by crippling shyness, Morrissey mopes in a lonely fog over a guitar riff inspired by Bo Diddley. “I am human & I need to be loved, just like everybody else does.”