This one's gonna be tricky, as I have a lot of favourites from each year of the '80s, but I'll try to narrow them down for each year:

 

1980 Blondie - Call Me

1981 Human League - Don't You Want Me

1982 Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

1983 Orange Juice - Rip It Up

1984 Propaganda - Dr Mabuse

1985 Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)

1986 A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV

1987 Scarlet Fantastic - No Memory

1988 Belinda Carlisle - Heaven Is A Place On Earth

1989 Beautiful South - Song For Whoever

1980 - Barbara Streisand - Woman In Love

1981 - ABBA - One Of Us

1982 - Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me

1983 - Ultravox - Hymn

1984 - Jim Diomand - Should Have Known Better

1985 - Jennifer Rush - Power of Love

1986 - Starship - Sara

1987 - T'pau - China In Your Hand

1988 - Angry Anderson - Suddenly

1989 - Alice Cooper - Poisons

1980 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

1981 Jam - That's Entertainment

1982 Abba - The Day Before You Came

1983 Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

1984 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

1985 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

1986 Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

1987 U2 - With Or Without You

1988 Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices

1989 Madonna - Like A Prayer

 

80 Blondie "Atomic"

81 Grace Jones "Pull Up To The Bumper"

82 Patrice Rushen "Forget Me Nots"

83 Indeep "Last Night A DJ Saved My Life"

84 Shannon "Let The Music Play"

85 Madonna "Into The Groove"

86 Joyce Sims "You Are My All N All"

87 Bananarama "I Heard A Rumour"

88 Inner City "Big Fun"

89 808 State "Pacific State"

 

And they said the 80s were rubbish?

 

Yeah, right! These choices walk all over my 90s choices!

1980 Donna Summer - On The Radio

1981 Diana Ross & Lionel Richie - Endless Love

1982 Shalamar - A Night To Remember

1983 Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton - Islands In The Stream

1984 Sister Sledge - Thinking Of You

1985 Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You

1986 Whitney Houston - The Greatest Love Of All

1987 Whitney Houston - Didn't We Almost Have It All

1988 Whitney Houston - One Moment In Time

1989 Lisa Stansfield - All Around The World

 

Can you tell I'm Whitney Houston obsessed? :lol: These are a lot harder if you haven't lived through them. I had a few different options for the late 80s but the early 80s was tough because I'm much less familiar with them.

From 1977 to 1985 I compiled an annual best of top 40 so the records listed for the years 1980 to 1985 are the songs I chose at the time.

 

1980: Going Underground - The Jam

1981: Make That Move - Shalamar

1982: You're The One For Me - D Train

1983: Oblivious - Aztec Camera

1984: Soul Train - Swans Way

1985: Into The Groove - Madonna

 

I'm not 100% that the songs I listed from 1981 and 1983 were the actual number ones though I think they were. Going Underground is still my all time favourite single and Into The Groove is 3rd with Le Freak by Chic at #2. After 1985 I stopped compiling a year end chart so my favourite songs from the following years are based not on what I like now but rather what I recall liking a lot at the time and what I listened to the most.

 

1986: Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent - Gwen Guthrie

1987: Pump Up The Volume - M/A/R/R/S

1988: Fools Gold - Ghost Dance

1989: Ride On Time - Black Box

 

Fools Gold was released in 1987 but I only got to hear it in 1988. It's a gem of a song but little known and very hard to find anywhere that has it uploaded to listen to. In fact I can't find it anywhere...

And they said the 80s were rubbish?

 

its often been the case that one generation 'disses' the last generations music... mods hated rockers, punks hated hippies, and it became fashionable in the 90's to 'diss' the eighties, especially in the mid 90's when an early 70's style revival took place.. :puke2:

 

however this was of course utter carp... the 80's had plenty of good music, and even the dodgy fashion statements were 'of the time' and ok. anyone who 'writes off' a whole decade is an arsehole!

1980 Dexys Midnight Runners - Dance Stance

1981 Human League - Sound of the Crowd

1982 Associates - Club Country

1983 Jimmy the Hoover - Tantalise (oh oh we yeah yeah)

1984 Prince - When Doves Cry

1985 Animotion - Obsession

1986 Wham! - Edge of Heaven

1987 Eric Clapton - Behind the Mask

1988 Adventures - Broken Land

1989 808 State - Pacific State

1980 Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

1981 Jam - That's Entertainment

1982 Abba - The Day Before You Came

1983 Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

1984 Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time

1985 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

1986 Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

1987 U2 - With Or Without You

1988 Pet Shop Boys - Left To My Own Devices

1989 Madonna - Like A Prayer

 

Can't fault any of these choices, well, maybe Billie Jean (I think it's slightly over-rated - just my opinion). The rest - fantastic!

1988 Adventures - Broken Land

 

For '88, I was torn between this & Belinda Carlisle.

 

This is a fantastic tune. Very good choice

For '88, I was torn between this & Belinda Carlisle.

 

This is a fantastic tune. Very good choice

Broken Land is a great song, it would probably be in my top 10 of that year. I liked The Adventures, had two of their songs, Another Silent Day and the rather excellent Send My Heart, both from 1984.

 

I preferred Circle In The Sand to Heaven Is A Place On Earth though the latter song, and I Get Weak, were both good.

1980 David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

1981 Queen/Bowie - Under Pressure

1982 Yazoo - Only You / ABBA - Day Before You Came (impossible choice - both absolute classics)

1983 New Order - Blue Monday

1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power of Love / Alison Moyet - Love Resurrection (as above)

1985 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

1986 Depeche Mode - A Question of Lust /It's Immaterial - Driving Away From Home

1987 The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (a song that Bassey should cover - it'd be incredible) / Bananarama - I Heard a Rumour (classic pop)

1988 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek-a-boo

1989 Kate Bush - This Woman's Work / The Sensual World - both incredible pieces of music

1980 David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes

1981 Queen/Bowie - Under Pressure

1982 Yazoo - Only You / ABBA - Day Before You Came (impossible choice - both absolute classics)

1983 New Order - Blue Monday

1984 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - The Power of Love / Alison Moyet - Love Resurrection (as above)

1985 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)

1986 Depeche Mode - A Question of Lust /It's Immaterial - Driving Away From Home

1987 The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (a song that Bassey should cover - it'd be incredible) / Bananarama - I Heard a Rumour (classic pop)

1988 Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peek-a-boo

1989 Kate Bush - This Woman's Work / The Sensual World - both incredible pieces of music

 

its immaterial 'driving away from home (jims tune) ' is superb... very 60's esque, great rhythm, melody, production... how come theyt only scored 1 decent hit?...

Their other single 'Ed's Funky Diner' was even better - and I love the album, too.

1980 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

1981 Stand and Deliver - Adam & the Ants

1982 Ghosts - Japan

1983 Blue Monday - New Order

1984 When Doves Cry - Prince

1985 She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult

1986 Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk

1987 Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy

1988 Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.

1989 Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses

1980 Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division

1981 Stand and Deliver - Adam & the Ants

1982 Ghosts - Japan

1983 Blue Monday - New Order

1984 When Doves Cry - Prince

1985 She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult

1986 Life's What You Make It - Talk Talk

1987 Rebel Without A Pause - Public Enemy

1988 Freak Scene - Dinosaur Jr.

1989 Fool's Gold - The Stone Roses

 

'lifes what you make it' was brilliant... and still sounds good today, p***ing all over the current 'indiewannabes' in the charts atm...

 

imho 'stand and deliver' was the ultimate pop song... one of the best ever, melody, theme, uptempo beat, silly lyrics (da diddly qua qua...pmsl)

1980 Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach / O.M.D - Messages

1981 Siouxsie And The Banshees - Spellbound

1982 Tears For Fears - Mad World

1983 Icehouse - Hey Little Girl

1984 The Cars - Drive

1985 Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls / Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

1986 Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It / Genesis - Land Of Confusion

1987 The Christians - Forgotten Town

1988 Roachford - Cuddly Toy

1989 Pet Shop Boys - It's Alright / Electronic - Getting Away With It

I'll have to think about this for a while

Ooh, top of the head on this one...

 

1980 - Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

1981 - The Specials - Ghost Town

1982 - The Clash - Rock the Casbah

1983 - New Order - Blue Monday

1984 - Jesus and Mary Chain - Upside Down

1985 - Julian Cope - Sunspots

1986 - New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle

1987 - Pet Shop Boys - It's a Sin

1988 - My Bloody Valentine - You Made Me Realise

1989 - Carter USM - Sheriff Fatman

1980: Michael Jackson - Rock With You

1981: Ultravox - Vienna

1982: Soft Cell - Torch

1983: Yazoo - Don't Go (favourite song of the whole 80s)

1984: Sister Sledge - Lost In Music

1985: Madonna - Dress You Up (Sheryl Lee Ralph - In The Evening an honorary 2nd, wanted to say this)

1986: Erasure - Sometimes

1987: Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin (birth year)

1988: S*Express - Theme From S*Express

1989: Madonna - Cherish

Edited January 6, 20169 yr by mr_pmt