THE
ESSENTIAL 200 SONGS
OF THE
1980s
These
are the songs that mattered most in terms of breaking new ground; changing the
musical landscape and influencing the music that followed. These 200 songs
helped shape the music of the present day and / or captured that timeless
quality.
To
be eligible for the list, a song had to have first appeared –on an album or
single- between Jan. 1980 and Dec. 1989.
Let’s go back to the decade that gave us Live Aid, Ronald
Reagan, The Moonwalk, Margaret Thatcher, Princess Diana, Pac-Man, the compact
disc, Tiananmen Square, AIDS, Gorbachev, MTV and when the Berlin Wall came
down…
190 LITTLE RED CORVETTE
PRINCE
-1982
By the end of this song, you were in
no doubt that it was not
about a car! Prince delivers his sexiest vocal on one of the most erotic of the
decade; while maintaining his soul credentials.
189 IT’S RAINING MEN
THE
WEATHER GIRLS - 1983
Instantly, this song became an anthem
for women and, more particularly, gay men. Martha Wash is the vocal equivalent
of a bulldozer here. She would become the voice of Black Box and C+C Music
Factory by the end of the 1980s.
188 TAKE ON ME
A-HA
-1985
Norway hadn’t ever produced a
consistent chart act until A-Ha put the country on the pop music map. A
creative music video helped launch this photogenic but equally talented trio.
187 RUSSIANS
STING
- 1985
An early solo hit for The Police lead
vocalist, this serves as a snapshot of the Cold War. In hindsight, we had
little to worry about as countries sided with the USA or Russia. 30 years on,
Putin is a very real concern; for Russians and the world in general.
186 ORIGINAL SIN
INXS
- 1984
This song attracted controversy in the
USA simply because it dealt with an interracial relationship. Nile Rodgers made
INXS even funkier with this mighty song. Sadly, the division between black and
white still exists.
185 LOVE SHACK
THE
B-52s - 1989
Early releases from The B-52s were
quirky but had an element of fun. The zany group struck gold with “Love Shack”;
an irresistible floor filler and party favourite to this day.
184 O SUPERMAN
LAURIE
ANDERSON - 1981
This song is still one of the most
uniquely unusual singles ever recorded. The tones and beats are haunting and
its quasi-spoken word edge encouraged musical experimentation.
183 I CAN’T GO FOR THAT (NO CAN DO)
HALL
& OATES - 1981
Daryl Hall & John Oates had been
perfecting their brand of blue-eyed soul since the 1970s with “She’s Gone” and
“Rich Girl”, It came together best on this (their only) R&B chart #1. The
duo enjoyed a string of pop hits in the ‘80s.
182 THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
DIONNE
(WARWICK) & FRIENDS (STEVIE WONDER, ELTON JOHN & GLADYS KNIGHT) - 1985
This song marked a shift in attitude
towards the A.I,D.S. crisis that became a major global health issue during the
1980s. Thanks to efforts by celebrities such as Elizabeth Taylor and Princess
Diana, the stigma of being HIV+ started eroding. This disc was a charity record
to raise funds and awareness, from one of the hardest hit industries: the arts.
President Reagan, who had previously sat idle as the virus spread, finally acknowledged
A.I.D.S. in 1987, 6 years after the first reported cases in the gay communities
of New York and California.
181 HOLDING BACK THE YEARS
SIMPLY
RED - 1985
Just as the UK had done during the
1960s, its blue-eyed soul acts exposed a younger generation to the joys of
R&B and soul music. Mick Hucknall’s vocals enticed many to his
interpretation of songs such as this, “Money’s Too Tight (To Mention)”, “If You
Don’t Know Me By Now” and “Heaven”.
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