The 100 greatest songs of the 1980s, ranked

https://www.smoothradio.com/features/top-songs/1980s-songs-best-ranked/ ^ | 10/26/23 | Tom Eames

[DallasBiff]

1. Michael Jackson - 'Billie Jean'

There are several claims on the meaning behind this classic song’s lyrics. One suggests that they came from a real-life experience, in which a female fan claimed that Michael Jackson (or one of his brothers) had fathered her twins. However, Jackson stated that it was actually based on groupies he had encountered.

[SeafoodGumbo]

Another big Devo fan here. Almost everything pre-Shout was incredible.

There's a guy and girl band on YouTube - The Fantastic Plastics - that do some very good Devo covers, theramin playing and all.

Gut Feeling

Gates of Steel

[T.B. Yoits]

There are any one of hundreds of songs that would be ahead of most on that list.

Any one of many by artists such as Thomas Dolby, Dexy's Midnight Runners, Eurythmics, Talking Heads, Billy Idol, Billy Squier, The Kinks (in particular 'Destroyer'), David Bowie, Dire Straits ('Money for Nothing' is the ultimate 80s MTV tune), Men At Work ("Who Can It Be Now?", "Down Under", and "Be Good Johnny" off of their 'Business as Usual' album would outrank more than half that list), Yes (especially "Owner of a Lonely Heart"), Rush, Blondie, Joan Jett, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Motley Crue, Ozzy Osbourne, ZZ Top, Dio, etc.

There are some albums where almost every song would displace most of that list from the top 100, such as the 'Back in Black' album from AC/DC, 'Eliminator' from ZZ Top, 'Pyromania' by Def Leppard, and 'Perfect Strangers' by Deep Purple.

[crusty old prospector]

Shoplifters of the World.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Touch of Gray - Grateful Dead

[Kenny500c]

“Brooklyn is crawling
with famous people.”

It took an English bloke to see this.