Indeed but as I said I've heard the songs here and there but never really "heard" them.

Maybe you can go on a coming of age adventure while listening to really get that 80s feeling.

More coming now.

"The fire in your eyes keeps me alive"



39. She Sells Sanctuary by The Cult

"Everywhere there's music, real live music"



38. The Heart of Rock and Roll by Huey Lewis and The News

"Let me tell ya what you can do with my love"




37. Let's Groove by Earth, Wind and Fire

"You want it all but you can't have it"




36. Epic by Faith No More

39. Despite being quite an old band, The Cult are a new addition to my library. In 2019, The Year Before, my favorite music festival Rock On The Range changed its name to Sonic Temple, after the 1989 album by The Cult. Obviously I had to check it out. This alliterally titled track actually came a few years before on their Love album though. They lived up to the hype and put on a great show to close the second stage!

38. No one represents the dorky alt-rock vibe of the mid 80s more than Huey Lewis (and the News too.) You all might know him from The Power of Love in the opening scene in Back To The Future, or maybe from doing most of the soundtrack to Disney’s Oliver and Company. Dude had a ton of hits though and is still fun to listen to. He also shouts out Cleveland, before the Rock Hall even got here!

37. Earth Wind and Fire did most of their groovin in the 70s, but they still had a few grooves for 80s too. Groovy, This was on their eleventh album! Who has (arguably) their best song on their eleventh album? I sure can’t think of anyone else.

36. Mike Patton is a guy who has been in a lot of bands, eight plus his solo albums according to wikipedia. Many came and went. Some picked up some weirdos along the way like Mr. Bungle. But most people know Faith No More, and this song in particular. Besides being quality songs, I am fond of the way Grand Theft Auto used to play this and Midlife Crisis on the radio stations alot. And you gotta have some good tunes to cruise around with in a stolen car.


Well I suppose I'll see you all tomorrow. Grats to the Bucks!

Once you finish the list I'll try.

There is no try, only do ... or do not.

^Best empire quote IMO.

Luke: No, that's IMPOSSIBLE

Me: Search your feelings, you know it to be true.


More rad songs coming up in a jiff.

"One person conditioned to rule and control, the media sells it and you live the role"




35. Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne

"When I'm out walking I strut my stuff and I'm so strung out"




34. Blister In The Sun by Violent Femmes

"I just thought that with time thoughts of you would leave my head"




33. Red Red Wine by UB40

35. Crazy Train is the most uberly overplayed song I mentioned before. It used to be amongst my very favorites, but after years of working in arenas I am downright sick of being asked if I am ALLL ABOARD HA HA HA. However, the song is still badass with some pretty insightful lyrics for a metal song in this era (most of them, even the very best, were about fantasy and religion and shit, rarely touching on current events.) It’s a little sad that these words that are so drenched in cold war paranoia still hold up so well today, but I guess it is the cycle of life, and the main reason why Ozzy is still such a huge presence in the music industry.

34. Blister In The Sun is a song that I came to know through the trailers for the movie Adventureland, and hearing its sound I had assumed it was part of the late 60s, with it’s beat and cheery singing giving off a very summer of love vibe. However, much like a modern artist they obviously influenced The 1975, if you dig beyond the sunny disposition you find men who are depressed, at odds with the world and too busy shooting heroin (the worst drug!) to accomplish anything else. Still, if people like this can turn their worst days into catchy pop songs then maybe there is hope for the rest of us yet.

33. UB40 and Red Red Wine came into my life during Live 8, the reboot of 80s worldwide spectacle Live Earth. Except our version was way better because we had the Internet, which let us zoom around the globe, eight stages spread over six continents (fuck Antarctica.) U2 kicked things off and Paul McCartney closed, but there was a lot of great stuff in between too, which brings us back to UB40 who absolutely shined on the South African stage during the afternoon. It was very nice to have a reggae vibe after mostly listening to classic rock all day (though I remember the stage in Bairie, Ontario having a killer set of modern artists like Kanye, Foo Fighters and Taking Back Sunday.)


Some great tracks here huh? Well, spoiler alert, even better ones are coming up!

No Spoilers please

Nice thread and good picks.

I went out to watch the Sixers/Hawks Game 7 yesterday and wasn't in much condition to write, so I just watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets instead (holds up pretty well.) Today there is no excuse to not do a double update, so lets get going!!!!!

"I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does"




32. How Soon Is Now? by The Smiths

Clean shirt, new shoes, and I don't know where I am goin to




31. Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top

"We're leaving together, but its still farewell"




30. The Final Countdown by Europe

"Before the cream sets out too long, you must..."




29. Whip It by Devo

32. Morrisey and The Smiths might win the award for most emo of the 80s, which is not without strong competition. This epic might even be considered a little upbeat for them honestly. I’d probably have been a shut-in with the Smiths type of guy if I lived in the 80s, at least for a brief time, maybe 20-40 minutes a day.

31. ZZ Top started off as more of a southern style band, probably most well known by their hit La Grange in the late 70s (and their very long beards.) Like many people in the era, they switched to more of a stadium pop-rock sound in the 80s, but unlike many people in the era they managed to make it sound just as good, perhaps even better than the earlier, more gritty work. Sharp Dressed Man (and others like Legs and Cheap Sunglasses) are just fun party anthems, while also featuring fantastic guitar riffs and solos.

30. Like most people my age, I discovered Europe and The Final Countdown through the exploits of Mr. Gob Bluth. Then the Lonely Island decided to score the movie Hot Rod with songs from this band the majority of the run time. So I’ve associated it with comedy for most of our time together. However, over the past few years the Indians (soon to be the Spiders) have used it as the song they play before the final out. So instead of humiliation, The Final Countdown now represents victory! I have no proof, but I’m pretty sure that hearing it is why Stallone, Michael Caine and Pele went back to finish the game against the Germans!

29. Any true Devo fan will be quick to tell you that the band is more than just Whip It. I almost put other songs like Freedom of Choice in here to just prove it. But this list is meant to represent the best of the 80s, and leaving Whip It out just felt wrong. Much like the B-52s, Devo had a habit of turning their goofy new wave tracks into pop anthems. I can’t wait to see them in September at Riot Fest!


No basketball today, more will come later, unless Dogecoin dips so low that I am forced to invest in $ROPE.

Did someone order the end of the first half of the rankings? I may be late, but I still expect a tip!!!

"Coolin by day but then at night working up a sweat"



28. Push It by Salt n Pepa

"My cat is purring, it scratches my skin, so what is wrong with another sin?"




27. Rock You Like A Hurricane by The Scorpions

"Rising up above the earth, moving into the universe"




26. And She Was by Talking Heads