Top 10 Best '80s Songs

Billie Jean is the best song. Almost any age group can recognize it and even knows the singer, which is unusual. It's such a great universal song for everyone to love. The way he danced makes it stand out even more in our minds. Love for Michael xoxo, RIP.

Flawless, superb, and amazing, from the background music, especially the bassline, to the lyrics, meaning, and content, his voice and style. Billie Jean is truly not just the best song of the '80s but one of the greatest compositions of all time.

There was only ONE song in the '80s, and it was Billie Jean. Nah, I'm just playing. The '80s had some great songs, albeit many melodramatic, but still great. Billie Jean is just something else. It has something hypnotic in it that keeps you coming back over and over again.

Best song ever! Bon Jovi will always be Living on a Prayer! This is the song that you should listen to when you are unhappy. I like the band, although I liked the original band better. Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, Alec John Such, David Bryan, and Tico Torres all the way!

If only I had discovered this amazing band earlier in my life. I forget my problems when I listen to this song. I think about the future and remember how lucky I am to be alive. Thank you, Jon.

Simply the greatest song ever. The band is also the best. Bon Jovi has been there for me when I was down. It's like he was singing "I'll Be There for You" to me.

Whenever I listen to this song, I feel so fired up and excited, thanks to the way Axl is singing and how awesome Slash is playing. I sing it wherever I go!

I've been listening to this since I was 2, and it has the best guitar solo ever, along with great singing by Slash and Axl. This has to be my favorite song of all time.

Clearly one of the best songs ever. His vocal range is extravagant. I can't even go that high!

One of the best emotionally timeless classics that a Gen X'er will positively attest to. I absolutely love it as much today as I did listening to it while growing up in that memorable decade.

All of the songs on this list are worthy to be on it. However, as a pop song, it's in an unwinnable contest against the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. This is one of the best pop songs to come out of the 80s and is still one of the best songs today. It's a catchy tune that is so 80s in style, with amazing vocal skills by Morten Harket. Not taking metal into consideration, it's one of the best songs to have come from Norway.

I'm so psyched that this song is high on the list! It's the best song and video of the '80s, in my opinion. It's the kind of song that gets stuck in your head for hours, and even so, you don't seem to mind because it's just that good.

I think this should be number one, above Billie Jean. I mean, this is one of the King of Pop's most successful songs!

"Beat it, just beat it, no one wants to be defeated..." Those lyrics, combined with Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo, are so good.

My favorite song ever. Michael is the greatest music artist ever. This is the best song ever and should be number one.

One of the greatest songs of all time from a great band. This song walks into any playlist any day. Listen to it, realize its true potential and beauty, fall in love with it, and listen to it again. If you don't like it, you do not deserve to listen to music at all. This song ranks way above where it currently is.

This song has been popular in the '80s and in every year since. I doubt that there is a single person (in the US, at least) who has never heard this song or does not like it. The placement of this song on this list, or rather its absence, is unbelievable.

There are so many songs that come along and make me question whether "Don't Stop Believin'" is still my favorite song, but they don't succeed.

Bill: That is why we need Eddie Van Halen!
Ted: And that is why we need a triumphant video.
Both: Excellent!

I think it's a fun song to hear, but also the most popular song from Van Halen.

EIGHTH!? Really, people? When you have great rock and metal phenomena, you put this amazing song at EIGHTH?

This song will make you want to put on a leotard and dance around. It is just that awesome.

Come on, guys! Thriller! One of the best, most well-known, danceable songs of all time? It even came out before Michael Jackson altered his face. He was cute!

Same explanation as Billie Jean. The Thriller album was the best of the 80s.

Is this even an 80s song? Or is it more current?

This song was on the radio when my granddaughter was born. I thought it was so cool to have music during childbirth. I was unconscious during the birth of my children. The minute I hear this song, I think of her.

This is my summer jam every year and will continue to be for years to come. Thanks, Bryan Adams, for this song!

One of the most memorable songs from the '80s. Bravo, Bryan! You made a true classic and a real masterpiece.

For a long time, I was looking for this song and never found it. And now, at the greatest moment, on 1/3/2013, I found it on this Top Tens website. I'm very thankful to the Top Tens for featuring this song on their site. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'll never forget this song in my life. It's one of the greatest songs of all time. Please put this song at #1. Please, please, please. I will always love the Top Tens. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

Looking back, now that I am older, it's about obsession to the point of "wow!" But what young woman didn't want some hottie obsessing about her before some of us realized the reality of obsession, and in reality, possible abuse? This was a classic, and I never thought of this great song as anything but "take my breath away" hot and sexy.

I hope I'm not the only one who knows this song is about a stalker. I mean, listen to the lyrics:
Every breath you take,
Every move you make,
Every bond you break,
Every step you take,
I'll be watching you.

Every single day,
Every word you say,
Every game you play,
Every night you stay,
I'll be watching you.

Absolutely the best song from the Hard Rock genre. It deserves a top 10 spot.

One of the very best from Slash.

Really? I mean, 23? Come on.

This song absolutely takes me back in time to the sweet rides, waiting in the parking lot after school with your friends. Not having a care in the world but feeling on top of the world at the same time. No bills, just living, loving, and laughter. The 80s rule the world!

This song teaches you about life. It's your inspiration. I wonder why this song is in 35th place. I think it should be one of the songs with the best lyrics!

This is the best song in the world. I love it so much. Everything is perfect. I love both singers, Curt and Roland! Tears for Fears is my number-one band. Nothing can change that.

If you lived during the '80s, you know how prolific Prince was to the music scene. MTV played his stuff constantly, almost as much as Michael Jackson. Great artist.

When you try to visualize the '80s in your head, you might think of puffy hair, net tank-tops, rock or pop, but all of it looks so much more '80s when covered by Purple Rain.

Best Prince song and one of the most memorable of the '80s.

This song should've been in the top 3! It was the greatest hit of 1984, and people from all over the world were crazy about this song! Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi rule, but this song definitely doesn't deserve its place.

Doves Cry is one of the top songs of all time! Thriller was a great album, but Beat It or Billie Jean are not even close to Doves Cry. People may not like Prince, but you can't take away what he has done for music. The icon.

This song should definitely be in the top 5. This list is crazy for giving it the position it has now. It is, and always will be, an amazing, unique, and groundbreaking song.

One of the greatest songs ever recorded! Despite the controversial music video, the song conveys a very important message!

Madonna has something good going on.

Best song of all time.

I love this song so much! When I first heard it in Rocky 3, I fell in love with the song. I can't believe people like the crappy pop music of today. Oldies are way better!

This song is featured in several films, including Kicking and Screaming (2005) and The Angry Birds Movie 2 (2019), and that's rather annoying. I hate this song!

I was not alive nor born in the 20th century, but this song and the '80s are the best. If only a time machine were invented, I would go back in time and be in the video and sing it. Because when it comes to my mind at school, I feel like fighting just like they did in MJ's music video "Beat It."

This is one of the best family-friendly '80s songs for kids to listen to. It's also one of the best Australian songs of all time, alongside Men at Work's "Down Under."

Seriously, who is "Sandra," and how did she get ahead of "Back in Black" with "Maria Magdalena"?

Why is this only at 58? This clearly deserves a top 3 spot. It's one of the best songs of the 80s.

It is a timeless, wonderful song that inspired even those who weren't fans of the Swedish duo. Listen to your heart before you tell him goodbye!

This everlasting romantic sensation makes me listen to my bittersweet memories in the sands of time.

Sameera Badurdeen De Sen.

Better than Mr. Jackson.

This should be #2 instead of Living on a Prayer. It really showed what was to come in the '90s and is the best thrash song ever, period.

Best song, still brilliant 30 years later.

This is the most memorable metal song ever made. It should be at least higher up than it currently is.

I agree. I think The Final Countdown should be placed higher than it is right now. Europe turned out to be one of the most successful bands in the world when this one-hit wonder was released as a number 1 hit single in 25 countries all over the world. In the beginning, they were very slowly climbing the charts. Then this song came out, and they took off to Venus at the very top of the charts. This is one of the greatest songs of the 80's.

32nd? You've got to be kidding me. The songs above are great, but Europe's "The Final Countdown" is the DEFINITION of 80's music. Brilliant use of keyboards and vocals mixed with guitar solos that must've taken forever to perfect. When people say "80's music" to me, this is always the first song that comes to mind. Not because I like it, but because it embodies everything that makes for good 80's music.

Nobody beats the keyboard sound for a song like this. Put this on your playlist for your planned dance event and use it as the last song before the party ends.

Love Duran Duran and this song! So good live. Their melodies were the epitome of the '80s.

Sensational song from Duran Duran. Best band ever.

With this song, I associate so many beautiful memories from my teenage years.

That song is very, very romantic. I don't like Bonnie Tyler, but that song totally rocks. The lyrics are so personal: "And if you only hold me tight, we'll be holding on forever."

Hokey music video, great song. An all-time classic, and one of my personal favorite songs.

One of my personal favorites as far as all music goes. It's in the top 10.

The best song by Def Leppard, and the best song of the '80s, period.

The most popular song in my day was definitely Def Leppard's!

Great song that you can have a lot of fun with!

There is no way that there are 36 songs from the 80s better than this! It's synonymous with the most iconic symbol of the 80s: Miami Vice! B.S. this song is so low!

The best debut song from Phil Collins. This song was written for Genesis. I wonder what difference it would have sounded like. But nonetheless, I am glad that Phil performs it.

By far, the best 80s song. Iconic and great.