50) Van Halen- “Hot For Teacher”
The epitome of campy, 80s horn dog, rock fun. “Hot For Teacher” is an unadulterated stick of dynamite, from the moment it opens with Alex Van Halen’s deliciously unconventional drum solo, on through David Lee Roth’s bawdy vocals and raunchy spoken interplay, and Eddie Van Halen’s intoxicating boogie rock riffs. And like so many tracks on this list, its music video lives on as one of the definitive 1980s pop-culture visuals as well.
49) R.E.M.- “So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)”
It would still be several years before R.E.M. scored a true hit, but their time spent toiling on the alternative peripheral of mainstream rock and pop during the mid-80s remains a sterling period of artistic development and expression to explore. As their first song performed on national television, “Central Rain” serves as the centerpiece of this time, and was a more than promising foreshadowing of the jangly and brooding brilliance that Michael Stipe and the group would provide in the years ahead.
48) Rush- “The Body Electric”
Rush became one of the fortunate late-70s rock bands to successfully navigate the changing landscape of the video-driven mid-80s by pivoting their sound toward a more synthesized soundscape. They did this without completing sacrificing the harder rock spirit of their earlier work, and without succumbing to the gaudy glam-metal machinations like so many of their contemporaries. “The Body Electric” is a a stellar showcase of this balance they achieved, all while pairing it with the kind of mysterious, futuristic story that proved to be music video catnip.
47) The Cars- “You Might Think”
A candy-coated mixture of rock riffs, pop hooks, and shimmering New Wave synth, “You Might Think” is the pinnacle of The Cars’ work with producer, Mutt Lange. Ric Ocasek’s cheeky and sardonic vocals provide the proverbial cherry on this snappy sonic sundae that is so deceptively catchy it feels invasive. And as cheesy and aged as the video’s computer graphics may seem today, they were a groundbreaking visual achievement in pop music at the time, ultimately scoring the group the inaugural Video of the Year Award at the first VMAs.
46) Ricky Skaggs- “Uncle Pen”
The early 80s Urban Cowboy movement in country music was perhaps the most unlikely era for traditional bluegrass to experience a mainstream resurgence, but here comes the virtuosic and unassuming superstar, Ricky Skaggs, sending a Bill Monroe standard to the top of the country radio charts, smack dab in the summer of 1984. But in reality, it’s often-times the movements that veer furthest from music’s origins that birth a roots revival as a polar-opposite, palate-cleansing response. In turn, Skaggs proved to be a crucial bridge over the gap between 80s country-pop and the neo-traditionalist-based boom that the genre enjoyed in the late 80s and early 90s.
45) Prince and the Revolution- “Let’s Go Crazy”
How fitting that the omnivorous opening-salvo of the legendary Purple Rain record be the first of its numerous appearances on the countdown. Only Prince could so perfectly execute such an irresistibly layered anthem, what with its mysterious funeral-organ fueled “eulogy for life” introduction that electrically explodes into an all-out celebration of existence and all its complications. It all gloriously happens on the back of the singer’s incomparable charisma and a wave of glitzy funk-fueled rock.
44) Depeche Mode- “People Are People”
“People Are People” served as Depeche’s North American breakthrough, helping to establish the Brit squad as one of the creative leaders among the crowed pack of New Wave bands. Not only did the band manage to keep their sound fresh and distinctive through the endless sea of synths that drowned the decade, they set themselves apart with the social concerns at the heartbeat of so many of their songs, with this one being no exception. Proof that there was still plenty of grit hiding underneath all of the glitz and flash of the decade.
43) Run-DMC- “Rock Box”
Essentially the birthplace of rap-rock, thanks to Eddie Martinez’s prominent guitar work, “Rock Box” served as a seismic shift for the upstart Hip-Hop genre. Its willingness to embrace a classic rock & roll spirit and naturally marry it with rap’s equally rebellious and anthemic spirit, the track captured the attention of both mainstream radio and MTV, making DMC the first rappers to be prominently supported on the channel. It quickly made them cult-heroes for those listeners that looked and sounded like them, while likewise fascinating those that didn’t. A landmark for Hip-Hop’s first golden age.
42) George Strait- “Does Fort Worth Ever Cross Your Mind”
One of the country king’s first bona-fide golden cuts, with the young singer and future icon leaning full-throttle into his twangy Texas inflections and a shuffling, tear-stained honky tonk arrangement. It was already boldly evident that when George Strait indulged in a bout of country crooning, it would naturally stack up against the classics from eras past, present, and future.
41) Stevie Wonder- “I Just Called to Say I Loved You”
The R&B giant’s most lucrative career hit, and one of this list’s many soundtrack cuts (in this case, The Woman in Red), “I Just Called” remains one of Wonder’s most tenderly romantic renderings. The superstar’s ability to sing for the heavens has always been well-established, but this smash truly conveyed how beautifully powerful his voice was in its most subdued and intimate settings.
40) Tina Turner- “Private Dancer”
“You don’t think of them as human/You don’t think of them at all/You keep your mind on the money/Keeping your eyes on the wall.” Originally written by Mark Knopfler to be recorded by Dire Straits, it’s impossible now to imagine anyone but Tina Turner imbuing this stripper’s (and potentially prostitute’s) battle cry with the perfect balance of dark sexiness and despair that it requires. When she escalates the dramatic desperation in the later chorus? Game over.
39) Alabama- “If You’re Gonna Play In Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle In the Band)”
With an astonishing run of forty-plus No. 1 country singles, it’s no small feat to narrow down Alabama’s true career-song. But few of their classics perfectly sum up the exuberant musicianship, Southern pride, and flat-out charm of their catalog as proficiently as “If You’re Gonna Play”. You see that grand finale fiddle breakdown coming from a mile away, even on the first listen, but it still blows you over with unmitigated joy. Every. single. time.
38) Huey Lewis & the News- “The Heart of Rock & Roll”
Plenty of staunch rock purists may have groaned when Huey Lewis and his squad used their classically lighthearted pop-fusion to profess the survival of tried and true rock & roll in the midst of the glossy 80s landscape. But if there was any group that exemplified the untethered fabric of fun running through the rock canon’s bloodline, not to mention the 1980s decade as a whole, it was the News. Don’t overthink it, and just jam out already.
37) Billy Idol- “Rebel Yell”
Now if there was a young rock musician on the pop charts who those aforementioned purists could hitch their wagons to, it was likely Billy Idol. Building on the brooding intensity of “White Wedding”, “Rebel Yell” finds Idol reaching a new stratosphere with his peak-form growl and rip-roaring sound. Equally catchy and ravenous.
36) Tears For Fears- “Shout”
One of the most entrancing hit songs of all time. Period. Like any true classic, you can hear it a million times, and still be sucked in the moment the record begins. This brooding touchstone accomplishes this thanks to an undeniable hook, spine-tingling power vocals from Roland Orzabal, and a haunting and polished production that raised the bar for all the dramatic excesses of the 80s.
35) Metallica- “Creeping Death”
The Egyptian plague described in this song’s story may have been methodical and “creeping”, and one might even describe the ever-increasing cult-popularity of Metallica and thrash-metal as such as well, but the roaring intensity of this performance should be classified as anything but. It’s a full-throttle tour-de-force from the word, “go”.
34) The Judds- “Mama He’s Crazy”
Previous single, and countdown entry, “Had a Dream (for the Heart)” may have been a revelation in its own right, but “Mama He’s Crazy” was The Judds’ true coming-out party. It was a vibrant, wholly-realized showcase of all the elements that made the soon-to-be superstars such a dazzling act for country fans: Wynonna’s Patsy-recalling power-vocals, Naomi’s subtly shivering harmonies, a musically rich roots tapestry, and a storyline that perfectly played into the layered and fascinating mother-daughter tension that gave their music an extra spice.
33) Genesis- “That’s All”
A bluesy soft-rock standard that remains as freshly captivating as ever, thanks to its utterly hypnotizing sonics, and one of the most biting vocals of Phil Collins’ career. Collins has outwardly expressed that The Beatles served as an influence in the creation of the song and the track, and it’s not too far-fetched to imagine this might have been what The Fab Four had sounded like had they existed during the New Wave movement.
32) Bob Marley and The Wailers- “One Love/People Get Ready”
The later recording of this number received a renewed life three years after Bob Marley’s death, and while the breezy intimacy of The Wailers’ reggae mantra felt as out-of-place in the mainstream during this year as any other, that’s precisely why it became such a refreshing dark-horse chart success in 1984. Its stripped sound and timeless vows of love and forgiveness served as an organic tonal reprieve from all of the melodrama of the times.
31) Pat Benatar- “We Belong”
A flawlessly gorgeous offering of power-pop balladry that served as the perfect counterpoint to Benatar’s more ferociously fiery hits. Beautifully tender and reigned in, without outright sacrificing the raw and striking passion of her blood-churning voice.
30) Hank Williams Jr.- “All My Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over Tonight”
At his peak powers in terms of combining honky tonk, Southern-Rock, and pure boogie-woogie like nobody before or since, Hank Jr. delivered the ultimate country boy’s bachelor-party anthem. But unlike the countless insufferable bro anthems would clamor for and fail to capture this magic in the decades that followed, Bocephus’ classic managed to appeal far beyond the song’s limited target audience. There’s a universal spirit to this song that related to a wide swath of listeners, thanks to the affable charm and welcoming joy with which Williams performs it.
29) Queen- “I Want To Break Free”
There’s such a palpable and crystalline sense of passion, urgency, and release throughout the progression of Freddie Mercury’s performance here that it easily ranks among one of his low-key best vocal performances. Queen unsurprisingly had no issue leaning into the glammier overtures of 80s pop and rock, and were naturals for the video-age as well, though their use of drag in the song’s video proved even too hot for MTV to handle at the time. Consequently, that side-legacy for the song has only further positioned itself as a true-blue queer anthem for a generation now.
28) Madonna- “Borderline”
While preceding single, “Holiday” had laid the groundwork by introducing Madonna to the widespread public eye, “Borderline” was the bombshell’s true breakthrough, securing her the first top-ten hit, and truly bona-fide classic, of her epic career. It remains one of her most passionately convicted and evocative performances, cascading across a vibrant post-disco palate with an indictment that escalates from flirtatious to autonomous in contagiously gripping fashion.
27) Dead Or Alive- “You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)”
A prime example of all the musical gaudiness of the time at its absolute best. Fronted by the inimitable Pete Burns, Dead or Alive tackle this performance with every ounce of campy, melodramatic, and intense abandon that they could possibly muster. The results remain an absolutely messy but delicious feast for our ears all these decades later. I just know you’re screaming along with Burns on that climactic post-chorus each and every time.
26) Eurythmics- “Here Comes the Rain Again”
There simply is not another aural experience like this song anywhere in the popular music canon. Annie Lennox’s voice is on a beautifully ethereal level all its own, and while her later solo catalog did it plenty of justice, the best showcase of its power for my money remains when its accompanied by the pristine synth-rock sounds of Eurythmics on this chilling masterclass.
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