The 80s, with its broad appeal and sing-along melodies, played a pivotal role in popularizing Pop music like no other decade before. It brought a new glamour, charm, and diverse music forms, shaped by influences from Glam rock, Punk, Disco, Kraftwerk, David Bowie, and Blondie. The convergence of these influences resulted in one of the most significant explosions in music history—the New Wave supernova.
New Wave, functioning as an overarching term, was remarkable for its diversity, encompassing a festival of music genres. The technological advancements of the era, coupled with the launch of MTV, transformed the music landscape, elevating the visual image's importance alongside the music itself. This visual emphasis led to iconic figures like Madonna, Michael Jackson, Prince, and George Michael, who not only dominated the charts but also profoundly influenced popular music and culture.
Simultaneously, in and out of the mainstream, the charts were shaped by the likes of Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, The Cure, and The Smiths—chart favorites that continued their influence into subsequent decades. This rich musical tapestry culminated in the Top 100 80s songs chart, where a multitude of factors were considered to showcase the era's musical brilliance.
- Official releases only
- Maximum two song per artist
01. New Order - Blue Monday
02. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
03. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
04. The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
05. Bronski Beat - Small Town Boy
06. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
07. a-ha - Take On Me
08. Visage - Fade To Grey
09. Echo & Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
10. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
11. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
12. Kraftwerk - The Model (1981)
13. Madonna - Like A Prayer
14. The Human League - Don't You Want Me
15. New Order - True Faith
16. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
17. OMD - Enola Gay
18. Talk Talk - It's My Life
19. Alphaville - Big in Japan
20. Eurythmics - Love Is A Stranger
21. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
22. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down
23. Ultravox - Vienna
24. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
25. The Clash - Rock The Casbah
26. David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
27. The House Of Love - Shine On
28. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Spellbound
29. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
30. The Stranglers - Golden Brown
31. The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
32. Depeche Mode - Everything Counts
33. The Cure - Charlotte Sometimes
34. Gary Numan - Cars
35. Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
36. Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
37. Dear Or Alive - You Spin Me Around (Like A Record)
38. Prince - Sign O' The Times
39. Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face
40. Blondie - Atomic
41. Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
42. Roxy Music - Avalon
43. Desireless - Voyage Voyage
44. Duran Duran - Planet Earth
45. Spandau Ballet - To Cut A Long Story Short
46. Fine Young Cannibals - She Drives Me Crazy
47. Yazoo - Don't Go
48. Enya - Orinoco Flow
49. The KLF - 3AM Eternal
50. Kim Wilde - You Keep Me Hanging On
51. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin
52. The Stranglers - Always The Sun
53. INXS - Need You Tonight
54. The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies
55. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
56. MARRS - Pump Up The Volume
57. Japan - Quiet Life
58. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
59. Tanita Tikaram - Twist In My Sobriety
60. U2 - New Year's Day
61. Sade - Smooth Operator
62. Tears For Fears - Mad World
63. The Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion
64. Morrissey - Every Day Is Like Sunday
65. Killing Joke - Love Like Blood
66. a-ha - The Sun Always Shine On TV
67. Black - Everything Is Coming Up Roses
68. The Stone Roses - She Bangs The Drums
69. Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (81/82/83/84)
70. Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm
71. Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
72. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
73. Bryan Ferry - Don't Stop The Dance
74. Talk Talk - Live's What You Make It
75. Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
76. Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder - Together In Electric Dreams
77. Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
78. Spandau Ballet - True
79. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Happy House
80. Heaven 17 - Temptation
81. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
82. Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
83. Wham! - Everything She Wants
84. R.E.M - Pop Song '89
85. Bauhaus - She's In Parties
86. Bananarama - Cruel Summer
87. Laura Branigan - Self Control
88. Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
89. Kate Bush & Peter Gabriel - Don't Give Up
90. Erasure - Little Respect
91. Inner City - Good Life
92. S'express- Theme Form S'express
93. Sinead O'Connor - Troy
94. The Church - Under The Milkyeway
95. Robert Palmer - Johnny and Mary
96. The Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang
97. Laurie Anderson - O Superman
98. Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach
99. Thompson Twins - Hold Me Now
100. Electronic - Getting Away With It