Cover art for The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s by Pitchfork

The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s

Aug. 24, 20151 viewer17.7K views

The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s Lyrics

1. Prince and the Revolution – "Purple Rain"
2. Michael Jackson – "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"
3. N.W.A – "Straight Outta Compton"
4. New Order – "Blue Monday"
5. Public Enemy – "Fight the Power"
6. Kate Bush – "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)"
7. Joy Division – "Love Will Tear Us Apart"
8. Talking Heads – "Once in a Lifetime"
9. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five – "The Message"
10. The Smiths – "How Soon Is Now?"
11. Prince and the Revolution – "When Doves Cry"
12. The Cure – "Just Like Heaven"
13. Michael Jackson – "Billie Jean"
14. The Smiths – "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
15. Sonic Youth – "Teen Age Riot"
16. Fugazi – "Waiting Room"
17. Madonna – "Into the Groove"
18. Marvin Gaye – "Sexual Healing"
19. Eric B. & Rakim – "Paid in Full" / "Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness Mix)"
20. Whitney Houston – "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)"
21. Prince and the Revolution – "Kiss"
22. Talking Heads – "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
23. Slick Rick – "Children's Story"
24. Pixies – "Where Is My Mind?"
25. New Order – "Temptation"
26. Public Enemy – "Bring the Noise"
27. Janet Jackson – "Love Will Never Do (Without You)"
28. Kate Bush – "Hounds of Love"
29. Diana Ross – "I'm Coming Out"
30. Beastie Boys – "Shake Your Rump"
31. Frankie Knuckles / Jamie Principle – "Your Love"
32. N.W.A – "Fuck tha Police"
33. Prince and the Revolution – "I Would Die 4 U"
34. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force – "Planet Rock"
35. Sade – "The Sweetest Taboo"
36. Michael Jackson – "Human Nature"
37. Tom Tom Club – "Genius of Love"
38. Salt-n-Pepa – "Push It"
39. Cocteau Twins – "Lorelei"
40. The Cure – "Close to Me"
41. Guns N' Roses – "Welcome to the Jungle"
42. Eurythmics – "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)"
43. New Order – "Bizarre Love Triangle"
44. Laurie Anderson – "O Superman (For Massenet)"
45. De La Soul – "Me, Myself and I"
46. The Jesus and Mary Chain – "Just Like Honey"
47. Joy Division – "Atmosphere"
48. Janet Jackson – "When I Think of You"
49. Neneh Cherry – "Buffalo Stance"
50. Madonna – "Like a Prayer"
51. Bruce Springsteen – "I'm on Fire"
52. The Stone Roses – "I Wanna Be Adored"
53. Kraftwerk – "Computer Love"
54. Roxy Music – "More than This"
55. New Order – "Ceremony"
56. Bob Marley and the Wailers – "Could You Be Loved"
57. Eric B. & Rakim – "Follow the Leader"
58. Daryl Hall & John Oates – "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)"
59. Depeche Mode – "Never Let Me Down Again"
60. ESG – "Moody"
61. Gang Starr – "DJ Premier in Deep Concentration"
62. Art of Noise – "Moments in Love"
63. Stevie Nicks – "Edge of Seventeen"
64. David Bowie – "Let's Dance"
65. Echo & the Bunnymen – "The Killing Moon"
66. The Replacements – "Alex Chilton"
67. Guns N' Roses – "Sweet Child o' Mine"
68. Biz Markie – "Just a Friend"
69. Prince – "When You Were Mine"
70. Pet Shop Boys – "West End Girls"
71. Bruce Springsteen – "Atlantic City"
72. Bad Brains – "Pay to Cum"
73. Pixies – "Debaser"
74. Dinosaur Jr. – "Freak Scene"
75. Black Flag – "Rise Above"
76. Fingers Inc. – "Can You Feel It?"
77. Metallica – "Master of Puppets"
78. The Specials – "Ghost Town"
79. Boogie Down Productions – "South Bronx"
80. Zapp – "Computer Love"
81. Diana Ross – "Upside Down"
82. Tears for Fear – "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
83. My Bloody Valentine – "You Made Me Realise"
84. Slayer – "Angel of Death"
85. Luther Vandross – "Never Too Much"
86. Tracy Chapman – "Fast Car"
87. Tenor Saw – "Ring the Alarm"
88. Evelyn "Champagne" King – "Love Come Down"
89. Fela Kuti – "Coffin for Head of State"
90. Blondie – "Call Me"
91. Bill Withers / Grover Washington, Jr. – "Just the Two of Us"
92. Fleetwood Mac – "Gypsy"
93. U2 – "With or Without You"
94. Change – "The Glow of Love"
95. Grace Jones – "Pull Up to the Bumper"
96. Cherrelle / Alexander O'Neal – "Saturday Love"
97. Chaka Khan / Rufus – "Ain't Nobody"
98. Violent Femmes – "Blister in the Sun"
99. Sister Nancy – "Bam Bam"
100. The Church – "Under the Milky Way"
101. Eazy-E – "Boyz-n-the-Hood"
102. Michael Jackson – "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"
103. Whitney Houston – "How Will I Know"
104. AC/DC – "Back in Black"
105. The Cure – "Pictures of You"
106. Madonna – "Borderline"
107. The Alan Parsons Project – "Eye in the Sky"
108. Frankie Knuckles – "Baby Wants to Ride"
109. The Smiths – "This Charming Man"
110. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – "The Mercy Seat"
111. The Clash – "The Magnificent Seven" / "The Magnificent Dance"
112. Nirvana – "About a Girl"
113. The Isley Brothers – "Between the Sheets"
114. Talk Talk – "Life's What You Make It"
115. INXS – "Never Tear Us Apart"
116. Sade – "Is It a Crime"
117. Rhythim Is Rhythim – "Strings of Life"
118. Minutemen – "History Lesson - Part II"
119. Soul II Soul – "Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)"
120. Rick James – "Give It to Me Baby"
121. Slick Rick / Doug E. Fresh – "La Di Da Di"
122. Grandmaster & Melle Mel – "White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)"
123. Run-D.M.C. – "It's Like That"
124. De La Soul – "Eye Know"
125. The Replacements – "Bastards of Young"
126. Janet Jackson – "Control"
127. Cyndi Lauper – "Girls Just Want to Have Fun"
128. R.E.M. – "Radio Free Europe"
129. This Mortal Coil – "Song to the Siren"
130. Phil Collins – "In the Air Tonight"
131. Yellowman – "Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt"
132. Godley & Creme – "Cry"
133. Fleetwood Mac – "Everywhere"
134. Queen & David Bowie – "Under Pressure"
135. Pixies – "Gigantic"
136. Motörhead – "Ace of Spades"
137. Mission of Burma – "That's When I Reach for My Revolver"
138. Rob Base / DJ E-Z Rock – "It Takes Two"
139. Spacemen 3 – "Walkin' with Jesus"
140. Bronski Beat – "Smalltown Boy"
141. Beat Happening – "Indian Summer"
142. Tears for Fears – "Head Over Heels"
143. Anthony Red Rose – "Tempo"
144. Big Daddy Kane – "Ain't No Half-Steppin'"
145. Liquid Liquid – "Optimo"
146. David Bowie – "Modern Love"
147. Michael McDonald – "I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)"
148. Al B. Sure! – "Nite and Day"
149. Shannon – "Let the Music Play"
150. Beastie Boys – "Paul Revere"
151. Dead Kennedys – "Holiday in Cambodia"
152. Galaxie 500 – "Tugboat"
153. Joe Jackson – "Steppin' Out"
154. Tangerine Dream – "Love on a Real Train"
155. A Guy Called Gerald – "Voodoo Ray"
156. Siouxsie and the Banshees – "Cities in Dust"
157. Orange Juice – "Rip It Up"
158. 808 State – "Pacific State"
159. George Clinton – "Atomic Dog"
160. Sheila E. – "The Glamorous Life"
161. U2 – "Sunday Bloody Sunday"
162. Orchestra Baobab – "Mouhamadou Bamba"
163. Peter Gabriel – "In Your Eyes"
164. Hüsker Dü – "Pink Turns to Blue"
165. Inner City – "Good Life"
166. George Benson – "Give Me the Night"
167. Yoko Ono – "Walking on Thin Ice"
168. LL Cool J – "I Can't Live Without My Radio"
169. The Chills – "Pink Frost"
170. Cybotron – "Clear"
171. King Sunny Ade and His African Beats – "Ja Funmi"
172. The Sugarcubes – "Birthday"
173. Wipers – "Youth of America"
174. Suicidal Tendencies – "Institutionalized"
175. K-Rob / Rammellzee – "Beat Bop"
176. Schoolly D – "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?"
177. The Pretenders – "Brass in Pocket"
178. Nina Simone – "Fodder in Her Wings"
179. Joubert Singers – "Stand on the Word"
180. Patrice Rushen – "Forget Me Nots"
181. Womack & Womack – "Teardrops"
182. Strafe – "Set It Off"
183. Loose Joints – "Is It All Over My Face"
184. Wayne Smith – "Under Me Sleng Teng"
185. Class Action – "Weekend"
186. The Clash – "Rock the Casbah"
187. Mtume – "Juicy Fruit"
188. Carly Simon – "Why"
189. EPMD – "You Gots to Chill"
190. Gregory Isaacs – "Night Nurse"
191. Alice Coltrane – "Jagadishwar"
192. William Onyeabor – "Good Name"
193. Kano – "I'm Ready"
194. Too $hort – "Freaky Tales"
195. Jungle Brothers – "Straight Out the Jungle"
196. Dinosaur L – "Go Bang! #5 (Francois K Mix)"
197. Donald Byrd / 125th Street, N.Y.C. – "Love Has Come Around"
198. A Certain Ratio – "Shack Up"
199. Tom Zé – "Nave Maria"
200. Egyptian Lover – "I Cry (Night After Night)"

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Release Date
August 24, 2015
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