The 1980s was an even more explosive year for music in popular culture than previous decades. It saw the arrival of MTV, the middle and most important era of Michael Jackson's career, and a transformational time for most genres. While some artists of the 60s and 70s faded away and didn't return until the 90s or 2000s, the music released in this decade has had some truly special moments.

Whitney Houston, Madonna, Diana Ross, Prince, and Lionel Richie had the biggest decades of their careers in the pop world.

In rock, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, AC/DC, Bon Jovi had their most success, and artists like Culture Club, Wham!, Phil Collins had major success as well. There was also Rush, Styx, Aerosmith, Twisted Sister, Queen, Scorpions and Joan Jett, with Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Motorhead, Slayer, and Megadeth beginning the metal scene. It was the decade of the guitar virtuoso as well, with Steve Vai, Eddie Van Halen, and Joe Satriani creating unique instrumental rock tracks.

In the alternative scene, there was the beginning of industrial rock through Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, the beginning of hardcore punk with Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Black Flag, and Dead Kennedys, and it was followed by the quieter post punk scene that included The Smiths, The Police, and The Jesus and Mary Chain, and the noisier and more drone-like post-rock genre that includes bands like Swans and Big Black. Artists like The Pixies, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth, and Minutemen laid the groundwork for modern indie music.

It was one of the most popular eras for country music, with a new, pop-inspired take on the genre compared to the country/western flair in previous eras. This decade was headed up by Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Anne Murray, Johnny Lee, Randy Travis, Reba McEntire, and was finished with Travis Tritt, Garth Brooks, Clint Black, and Linda Ronstadt making their first appearances near the end of the decade.

Hiphop had its first major decade, with punk artists turned rappers Beastie Boys hitting the stage with some of the biggest rock-infused party tracks of the decade, followed by some of the most experimental sampling, vocal cadences and jokes that have inspired generations. Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel had a set of beautiful tracks towards the beginning of the decade, with artists like LL Cool J, Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, Salt N Pepa, Ice-T, and MC Hammer had the biggest decades of their careers. NWA was founded towards the middle of the decade and their solo careers continued into the 90s, influencing many things about the decades that followed.

Synthpop began to take shape around the 1980s thanks to Kraftwerk the decade prior. This is one of my favorites, with artists like Depeche Mode, New Order, Soft Cell, Pet Shop Boys, A Flock of Seagulls, A-Ha, and Gary Numan.

In Japan, we had the city pop or Shibuya-kei era, where jazz fusion and sweet, cheery pop melodies aided by synths were all over the place. It had some of the best music and to get the best idea of city pop it's best to check on YouTube for some mixes.

What is your favorite music from the 1980s? It can be an album, song, artist, a top 10 list, or just a collection of songs you liked from that decade.

For me, I have a top 10 albums of the decade list prepared for my personal favorites.

10. Michael Jackson - Thriller
9. New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
8. Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
7. Devo - Freedom Of Choice
6. Revue by Miki Matsubara
5. Himiko Kikuchi - Flying Beagle
4. Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
3. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
2. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
1. Metallica - Master of Puppets

I love the 1980's. It was my decade as I was born in the 80's. I remember the 80's. My favorite types of music were New Wave, Rock, and there was a lot of County Artists some of them crossed over.

New Wave was a sound that started in the late 1970's. However it really became popular in the 1980's. New Wave was known as the sound of the 1980's. It was a combo of previous rock types. New Wave mainly focused on electronic sounds such as a keyboard, certain electric guitars and etc.

The 1980's was also known for its Rock. The 1960's had British and Phycadelic Rock. The 1970's had Soft Rock and Southern Rock. The 1980's was kind of a return to the British Rock scene with more guitar and drumming.

I loved a lot of the New Wave Bands. Some of my favorite New Wave Bands: Hall and Oates, Wham, Chicago switched from Soft Rock to New Wave, Journey, Pointer Sisters had a lot of New Wave hits, Genesis, Phil Collins, and of course a lot of one hit wonders.

Some of my favorite Rock Bands of the 1980's Def Leopard, Foreigner, Whitesnake had some good songs, Glen Fry, and Don Henley.

Some of my favorite songs
Your the Inspiration by Chicago
Hard Habit to break by Chicago
Hard to say I'm sorry by Chicago
Take me as I am by Chicago
Sepearte Ways by Journey
Alright without you by Journey
Who is crying now by Journey
Maneater by Hall and Oates
One on One by Hall and Oates
Kiss on my list by Hall and Oates
Out of Touch by Hall and Oates
He's is so shy by Pointer Sisters
Jump for my love Pointer Sisters
Autoamatic by Pointer Sisters
Playing for keeps by Genesis
Invisible Touch by Genesis
Two hearts by Phil Collins
The heat is on by Glen Fry
Heart of the matter by Don Henly
Tainted Love by Soft Cell
Magic by Olive John
What have I done to deserve this Pet Shop Boys
West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys

Favorite Rock Songs
Pour Some sugar on me Def Leopard
Love Hurts by Def Leopard
Photograph by Def Leopard
Wrapped around your finger by Police
Everything she does is Magic by Police
You can do Magic by America
Is this Love by Whitesnake
Is this love that I'm feeling by Survivor
High on you by Survivor


So yeah you can see it was def my decade that I remember and Lived. I still love the 1980's. Come to think of it I miss the 1980's

I probably don't listen to songs from the 1980s enough but I have some I'd like to mention.

Eye of the Tiger is a song that is maybe overplayed but it's fantastic I used to hear the song every day in 1st grade cause in the school I went to the sports teams were called the tigers so every day when we went out to recess they played it over the speakers for some reason.

Cult of Personality used to be my favorite song back in like 2012 when I heard it for the first time because of wrestling and it's still a song I listen to from time to time.

Back in Black is probably my favorite AC/DC song which I figure is probably a common opinion but oh well.

I feel like I just recently within the past 2 years suddenly listened to Danger Zone and became a big fan of the song but I don't have a clue where I even heard it to make me start listening to it in the first place.

There are several Journey songs I really like I think I heard them a lot from my grandpa listening to them, Any Way You Want It is great same with Separate Ways. I've heard Don't Stop Believin' way too many times cause it's played at every dance I've ever been to but it's a classic that everyone sings along to so I had to mention it.

Smooth Criminal is my favorite Michael Jackson song it's the song that instantly comes to mind for me whenever someone brings him up.

We Built This City is a song that sounds super 80s to me and I can't explain why.

I love You Give Love A Bad Name and Livin’ on a Prayer fantastic Bon Jovi songs.

I only fairly recently learned of Careless Whisper after never knowing what the song was whenever it was played in YouTube videos I recently did the song with some friends on karaoke and it was super fun.

Take on Me is great been listening to it a lot lately.

I Love Rock N Roll is a song I completely forgot was from the 80s till talking to my mom to see if she could remind me of any songs I was forgetting.

Africa is another classic song you just have to mention.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-YBDTqX_ZU

Jump is fantastic.

Pour Some Sugar On Me is a song I also forgot until I saw tornadocam mention it.

To end this post I guess I'll mention Rebel Yell as another pretty good song cause I don't know how to end this post lol.

SonicOlmstead : We built this City is a 1980's song. It was a number one hit for Starship. Starship was known as Jefferson's Starship in the 1970's. In the 1960's they were known as Jefferson's Airplane. Most of the band members except for a few stayed the same during the band's 3 names. Paul Katner left Jefferson's Starship in the late 1970's. He owned the rights to the part Jefferson, so the band just dropped Jefferson from their name and became Starship.

Starships 1980's songs

We built this City hit #1 on the charts

Sara also hit #1 on the charts

Nothing is gonna Stop us Now # 1 on the charts and in terms of weeks on the chart was the Band's biggest hit of the 1980's.

Its not over till its Over Hit #9 on the charts it was the band's last top 10 hit.

I've got a lot of 80's songs (or songs I think are 80s songs) that I like, so I have a whole playlist on Spotify dedicated to them. I made the list back in 2016, so it may be pretty outdated by now.

Rock the Casbah is one that comes to mind first, probably because I listed to it a lot in 7th grade because my teacher had played it in class.

I also like In The Air Tonight, but who doesn't, that song is a classic. We used to always play it at the start of highschool football games.

Rock You Like a Hurricane was a song I really liked back then, but since have decided its not really for me. I still think its one of the better 80's songs.

As I look at my list, it comes more to me that most of these songs are 60's and 70's songs, which I will post in their respective threads.

Take on Me is my all time favorite 80's song, I love that song and continue to listen to it to this day.

Nope, disregard what I said above, Karma Chameleon is my favorite 80's song of all time. I absolutely adore that song and it was my primary song in my freshman year of college.

A Message to You Rudy — The Specials
Ghost Town — The Specials
Rock The Casbah — The Clash
Should I Stay or Should I Go — The Clash
Whip It — Devo
O Superman — Laurie Anderson
Graceland — Paul Simon
Sonnerie: https://sonneriestelephone.com/

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Lots of good country-pop in the 80s

Steve Earle
Waylon Jennings
Oak Ridge Boys
Alabama
Don Williams
KT Oslin
Kathy Mattea
Forester Sisters
Judds
Mary Chapin Carpenter

Probably more that I've forgotten.

I mean there’s quite a few from that era I be playing a lot. Though one song has always been stuck with me because of my romantic nature. “That Girl” by Stevie Wonder has recently been a song I’ve been attached to for an almost a year now and it’s been on my mainstays of my playlist. One of my top tens in the playlist and definitely a favorite of mine in the era of 80s music

well I'm not really picky most of the ones I like were one hit wonders (because MTV can't help everyone) I'm sure Stranger Things will pull another obscure one out of their butts in the final season (though for some reason the strike is going to delay everything for too long and the final season could be changed to Stranger Things 1999, because god forbid there could be something Y2K related in the Upside Down)

Man, the 80s were something else, weren't they? It's hands-down my fav era for music! Between the infectious beats, killer guitar solos, and those power ballads - just, wow. It's the best music to work out to, most of my goto songs are from the 80s when I'm at the gym. Everytime I hear 80s music on the radio at the gym, I get this extra surge of energy. It's like the music just pushes you to do one more rep or run that extra mile.

Kudos on your top 10 albums, by the way. That's a solid list. Thriller? Master of Puppets? You've got some real gems in there. Got me all nostalgic! Even if I wasnt alive in the 80s (or 90s)

So, I thought I'd share my top 25 favorite 80s songs (not in any specific order, cause that's like choosing a favorite child, ya know?). Here goes:

A-ha - "Take On Me"
Michael Jackson - "Billie Jean"
Whitney Houston - "I Wanna Dance With Somebody"
Journey - "Don't Stop Believin'"
Madonna - "Like a Virgin"
Prince - "Purple Rain"
Cyndi Lauper - "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
Bon Jovi - "Livin' on a Prayer"
Lionel Richie - "All Night Long"
Soft Cell - "Tainted Love"
Rick Astley - "Never Gonna Give You Up"
George Michael - "Faith"
Queen - "Another One Bites the Dust"
Phil Collins - "In the Air Tonight"
Salt-N-Pepa - "Push It"
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - "I Love Rock 'N Roll"
Duran Duran - "Hungry Like The Wolf"
Culture Club - "Karma Chameleon"
The Police - "Every Breath You Take"
Billy Idol - "White Wedding"
Diana Ross - "I'm Coming Out"
Wham! - "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go"
The Bangles - "Walk Like an Egyptian"
Dexys Midnight Runners - "Come On Eileen"
Gloria Estefan & Miami Sound Machine - "Conga"

Honestly, I could go on and on, but these are the ones that first come to mind when I think 80s.