Top 10 Best '80s Rock Songs

The Top Ten
1 Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

The riff is amazing. The song has great and meaningful lyrics from Mr. Axl Rose! The bass is pretty heard in this song, and it's a good bass riff. Steven's drums are just very good. He is a very underrated drummer. And Izzy is keeping the band in place with his rhythm guitar. Obviously, one of the best songs of all time!

One of the best bands of all time! Along with Led Zeppelin, Tool, Sublime, and a few choice others. You just can't beat that chemistry, talent, and energy all coming together at the perfect time and place. "Appetite for Destruction" is still, and will always be, one of the greatest albums ever recorded, hands down! All killer, no filler! So damn good!

2 Livin' On a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Kid Rock quote about "Livin' On a Prayer" from Bon Jovi's "When We Were Beautiful" documentary: "There are songs which are great within a trend, and then, there are songs which become the trend!"

If you ask a group of people, "What comes to mind when you think of the '80s?" four out of ten people will say Bon Jovi.

This song still holds up today. We all know all the words. The story of the song is still relevant today.

3 Back In Black - AC/DC

I was very sad and surprised when I Googled '80s Rock and AC/DC were not in the top 10, or even in the top 30. Are you kidding? Who decides who makes the list? They were not on the top '70s list either. They have my vote for #1!

I learned to play this on guitar, and it sounds epic. I would totally say this should be the number one song.

This song is like 20 times better than Sweet Child O' Mine. It should be number one. Sweet Child O' Mine isn't even top 20.

4 One - Metallica

This song is from the '80s, like 1988, maybe before. I would say this song is the number one song for the '80s in the heavy metal genre.

Such a good song. Perfect slow harmony, then heavy at the end. Beautiful!

5 Hallowed Be Thy Name - Iron Maiden

Absolutely one of the most incredibly talented bands of all time. These guys played hard, fast, and loud. Dickinson has one of the best voices in rock history. Steve Harris is the fastest bass guitarist of all time, while Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Janick Gers have riffs that never quit. Nicko on the drums never misses a beat.

All this, and they sing songs about literature - Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Flight of Icarus, The Charge of the Light Brigade in The Trooper. They sing from scripture in the Number of the Beast and from the English Hymnal in Revelation. They tell stories that need to be told in Hallowed Be Thy Name and Aces High, singing about WW2 fighter pilots. They sing about history with Churchill's speech to the English people in WW2, one of the most powerful ever. This band can't be matched. Enough said.

6 Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

Too many great songs to list, but when I think of '80s rock songs, Journey, regardless of which song it is, comes to mind.

This is my absolute favorite song! Whenever someone says '80s, I think of this song.

Has staying power... and those vocals! That guitar! Excellent!

7 Beat It - Michael Jackson

This is just stupid. Michael wrote Beat It as a rock song in order to reach out to a wider genre. If the fact that Eddie Van Halen played a lit guitar solo isn't enough, then listen to the rest of the instruments and compare it to Bon Jovi or something. For real, this IS a rock song, even if he was mainly known for pop. Y'all are just being dumb.

Beat It is a rock song because of the guitar tone and the Eddie Van Halen guitar solo. This song might not sound like a rock song, but trust me, it is, and it's one of MJ's masterpieces.

8 Fade to Black - Metallica

Great solo, beautiful tone, deep lyrics, and a great transition song for an even greater band.

Absolutely beautiful intro, with a banging solo and a nice, smooth end. I love this song.

One of my favorite Metallica songs!

9 Eye of the Tiger - Survivor

Still played on the radio, so good they were able to do a remake. The new version is great also. Both are positive and raise the spirit. Eternal.

One of the greatest songs ever written! Should be 1st in the list.

Awesome song! God rest his soul.

10 Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N Roses

Sorry, but this song is the start for G&R and it motivates my generation of the '80s. In the '80s, when my friends and I would hear this come on the radio, it was pandemonium, time to go wild and rock out. Sweet Child of Mine is a great song, but Welcome to the Jungle kicks ass and is clearly the best rock song from the '80s.

The scream at the beginning. I always crank it up.

A great song, heaps of fun to sing along to!

The Contenders
11 Another One Bites the Dust - Queen

The best song ever! Must love Queen.

12 Tom Sawyer - Rush

An amazing, innovative band with truly soul-inspiring lyrics, the drumming and bass are the best combo in all of rock!

Simply one of the greatest songs from one of the most creative and talented bands in the world!

Deserves to be in the top 5 rock songs for the '80s. Brilliant song!

13 Here I Go Again - Whitesnake

Here I go again on my own. Oh, I can never get enough of this song! Whoever made this list has great taste in perfect rock music, because there are a lot of great songs on here. I speak for everyone when I say this: I think all these songs deserve to be number one. Like if you agree with me. Wait, well, just like if you agree with me, don't subscribe. This isn't YouTube.

Whitesnake is a spectacular band. "Here I Go Again" is a rock classic with meaningful words and, of course, amazing music to go with it.

"Here I go again on my own
Going down the only road I've ever known
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
And I've made up my mind, I ain't wasting no more time
But here I go again"

14 Jump - Van Halen

I can remember when this song hit the airwaves. I'm a huge Metallica and Guns N' Roses fan, but this song to me just defined rock in the '80s.

Stupid people just don't understand.

This is an amazing song. I love the beat, and I never tire of it.

15 You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi

I prefer Livin' On a Prayer, but this song deserves to be higher. Welcome to the Jungle scored way lower than this song on the Billboard. How is that song better than this!

This song is an all-time favorite, and not enough people appreciate it! My love.

One of the greatest and most recognizable songs!

16 The Final Countdown - Europe

This is not just an '80s rock song, it's THE '80s rock song! It was #1 on the top lists in 26 countries and it's a classic! This should easily be #1!

My siblings and I sing this all the time, even along to the instrumental parts!

Epic riff, legendary song still sung today. Why did I have to add it?

17 Master of Puppets - Metallica

From a musical perspective, a masterpiece. Soundwise, a pioneer. The lyrics are of a poetic level, delivering a message that hits the sound pretty much exactly.

Not "rock" per se, but it's an iconic metal song. It represents '80s thrash very well.

18 In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins

Every time I hear this song, I can see Miami Vice in my head.

19 Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne

In my opinion, this is the best rock song ever! This is my favorite song, I love Ozzy. And that guitar solo is amazing! This song is #1, whether people vote for it or not...

20 For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica

Amazing song for charging into battle with a horse and sword.

One of, if not the best intro ever.

21 Alone - Heart

It's such a great song. I'm performing it in one of my concerts. Amazing vocals! I love the song!

22 Metal Health (Bang Your Head) - Quiet Riot

The best song in all of 1983, this was Quiet Riot's best, and this song put Heavy Metal and Hair Bands on the map.

Bang your head, loud enough to drive you mad!

23 Juke Box Hero - Foreigner

One of the most epic and underrated rock songs of all time. It's a great inspiring song that needs more attention.

24 Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard

You kidding? If this was written by Bon Jovi, AC/DC, or, hell, anyone more popular than Def Leppard, it would be in the top-3 easily. Def Leppard is hands down the most underrated rock band of their generation and one of the most charismatic and musically powerful.

Best band and song ever. I'm only 15, but I grew up listening to them, and they're still my favorite band to this day. That will always be my favorite song.

My favorite band ever, I listen to them every day. Why are they so low on the list? I don't know, but it should be number one.

25 Home Sweet Home - Motley Crue

Mötley Crüe rocks. How is this song so low? They were such a killer band, especially during the '80s.

Easily one of the BEST songs I've ever heard in my life!

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