Top 100 Songs of the 80s

So I did the 90s....why stop there. Why not the 80s? Actually.....why the 80s? Why 80s? Why did you exist? You are the forgettable decade. You are the bastard stepchild everyone wants to forget. The one that brings shame upon those that grew up with their ridiculous hair, mom pants jeans and love of the echoy production values in all of your music.

Surprisingly, the 80s didn't suck as bad as we perhaps remember. Sure, the mainstream crap truly was crap. Flock of Seagulls. Kenny Loggins. Wham! But there was a rather vibrant underground music scene, so there is hope. I thought reaching 100 songs was going to be difficult, instead I've had to leave off some decent songs by some top notch artists like The Police, Springsteen and others. Its too bad because at one time I was going to include Axel F. (the theme from Beverly Hills Cop and epic ringtone).

It's still a tough list to do because there are so many completely different factions of 80s music. The cheezy pop music that topped the charts. The ridiculous hair metal bands. The fading 70s vets. Anything with a synthesizer. It's impossible to make a list to please anybody. There's also the problem that I'm simply not as familiar with 80s music as I am with other decades. So if there are any bad snubs, I'm up for some possible suggestions. But note that people like Madonna and Motley Crue and Duran Duran do not appear on this list not because I forgot about them....but because they couldn't make the cut!

100. The Final Countdown - Europe
99. Call Me - Blondie
98. One I Love - R.E.M.
97. Seek and Destroy - Metallica
96. Every Breath You Take - The Police
95. The Boys Of Summer - Don Henley
94. Crossfire - Stevie Ray Vaughan
93. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
92. The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
91. It's Like That - Run DMC
90. Desire - U2
89. Super Freak - Rick James
88. Take On Me - Aha
87. Little Red Corvette - Prince
86. Gigantic - The Pixies
85. Bad - Michael Jackson
84. Friday I'm In Love - The Cure
83. I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
82. Back In Black - AC/DC
81. Runnin' Down A Dream - Tom Petty
80. One - Metallica
79. Blue Monday - New Order
78. Total Trash - Sonic Youth
77. Rock N' Roll High School - The Ramones
76. Here Comes Your Man - The Pixies
75. Walk This Way - Run DMC ft. Aerosmith
74. High Plains Drifter - Beastie Boys
73. Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen
72. Sign O' The Times - Prince
71. Ace Of Spades - Motorhead
70. Graceland - Paul Simon
69. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
68. Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo & The Bunnymen
67. Where The Streets Have No Name - U2
66. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses
65. Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
64. Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
63. Bastards of Young - The Replacements
62. It's The End of the World As We Know It - R.E.M.
61. This Charming Man - The Smiths
60. Rock The Casbah - The Clash
59. Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
58. 99 Luftballoons - Nena
57. Don't Stand So Close To Me - The Police
56. Devil's Right Hand - Steve Earle
55. Bring The Noise - Public Enemy and Anthrax
54. Kiss Off - Violent Femmes
53. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2
52. Rocking In The Free World - Neil Young
51. Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners
50. Pride and Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
49. 1999 - Prince
48. Orange Crush - R.E.M.
47. She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
46. Monkey Gone To Heaven - The Pixies
45. Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers
44. Eminence Front - The Who
43. I Am The Resurrection - The Stone Roses
42. Cities In Dust - Siouxsie and the Banshees
41. Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
40. When Doves Cry - Prince
39. Hot For Teacher - Van Halen
38. Whip It - Devo
37. Burning Down The House - Talking Heads
36. Atmoshpere - Joy Division
35. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
34. Master of Puppets - Metallica
33. Another One Bites The Dust - Queen
32. Start Me Up - The Rolling Stones
31. Atlantic City - Bruce Springsteen
30. Welcome to the Jungle - Guns N' Roses
29. Debaser - The Pixies
28. New Year's Day - U2
27. Holiday in Cambodia - Dead Kennedys
26. Isolation - Joy Division
25. The Hungry Wolf - X
24. Shadrach - Beastie Boys
23. She Bangs The Drum - The Stone Roses
22. Beat It - Michael Jackson
21. Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie
20. Alex Chilton - The Replacements
19. Mr. Brownstone - Guns N' Roses
18. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush
17. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
16. Radio Free Europe - R.E.M.
15. Fuck The Police - N.W.A.
14. Waiting Room - Fugazi
13. This Is The One - The Stone Roses
12. Should I Stay Or Should I Go - The Clash
11. Hey Ladies - Beastie Boys
10. The Killing Moon - Echo & The Bunnymen
9. Fight The Power - Public Enemy
8. Once In A Lifetime - Talking Heads
7. Blister In The Sun - Violent Femmes
6. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses
5. Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie
4. The Message - Grandmaster Flash
3. How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths
2. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division