The 100 best songs of the 1980's

These days there is a rage among Facebook users to quote their top 10 favourite albums, books and so forth. Some friends of mine have taken it a bit further, challenging people to quote their top 100 songs of the 1980's. And so, that's exactly what I've done, the chief problem with this exercise of course being the fact that the list in all probability would look a bit different within a day or two. That little glitch aside, I am quite happy with my Top 100. Here's a link to the entire playlist in WiMP, and if you're a Spotify user I recommend you to compile the list for yourself. Hopefully you'll be pleased with what you hear.

Listen

1. Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
2. David Sylvian & Ryuichi Sakamoto - Forbidden Colours
3. Ben Watt - Waiting Like Mad
4. Prefab Sprout - When Love Breaks Down
5. Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over
6. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
7. The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
8. U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love)
9. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
10. Fantastic Something - If It Doesn't Smile (It'll Rain)

11. ABC - The Look Of Love (Part 1)
12. Roxy Music - Oh Yeah
13. Robert Wyatt - Shipbuilding
14. The Dream Academy - Life In A Northern Town
15. Danny Wilson - Mary's Prayer
16. The Pretenders - Don't Get Me Wrong
17. The The - Uncertain Smile
18. Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
19. New Order - Blue Monday
20. deLillos - Suser avgårde alle mann

21. Bruce Springsteen - The River
22. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
23. Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home
24. Chris Isaak - Wicked Game
25. R.E.M. - So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)
26. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
27. The B-52's - Love Shack
28. Steve Earle - Guitar Town
29. Johnny Cash - Highway Patrolman
30. Dire Straits - Tunnel Of Love

31. Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight
32. Tuxedomoon - In A Manner Of Speaking
33. Kirsty MacColl - A New England
34. Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
35. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
36. Gyllene Tider - När vi två blir en
37. Madonna - Papa Don't Preach
38. Fra Lippo Lippi - Shouldn't Have To Be Like That
39. Everything But The Girl - Each And Every One
40. Elvis Costello - I Want You

41. The Lotus Eaters - The First Picture Of You
42. The Psychedlic Furs - Heaven
43. The Cut - The Crowd
44. Blancmange - The Day Before You Came
45. Billy Idol - White Wedding
46. Duran Duran - Save A Prayer
47. Talk Talk - I Don't Believe In You
48. Madness - Embarrassment
49. The Specials - Ghost Town
50. The Cure - A Forest

51. Ultravox - Vienna
52. Simple Minds - Love Song
53. a-ha - Living A Boy's Adventure Tale
54. George Michael - Careless Whisper
55. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes (Annihilation Mix)
56. Cyndi Lauper - Time After Time
57. The Colors Turned Red - Too Proud To Tell
58. Bauhaus - She's In Parties
59. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
60. Depeche Mode - Master And Servant

61. Human League - Don't You Want Me
62. Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer
63. Run DMC feat. Aerosmith - Walk This Way
64. The Proclaimers - I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)
65. The Waterboys - Red Army Blues
66. Mike Oldfield - Moonlight Shadow
67. Orange Juice - Poor Old Soul (Part 1)
68. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions - Forest Fire
69. M|A|R|R|S - Pump Up The Volume
70. The Rolling Stones - Start Me Up

71. The Blue Nile - Tinseltown In The Rain
72. Van Halen - Jump
73. Nina Hagen Band - African Reggae
74. The Pogues - A Rainy Night In Soho
75. Marius Müller - Ikke tru et ord
76. Los Lobos - One Time One Night
77. Robert Palmer - She Makes My Day
78. The Colourfield - Thinking Of You
79. Nanci Griffith - Love At The Five And Dime
80. Stevie Wonder - Master Blaster (Jammin')

81. The Chesterfields - Ask Johnny Dee
82. Transvision Vamp - I Want Your Love
83. Jason & The Scorchers - Absolutely Sweet Marie
84. John Cougar - Jack & Diane
85. Womack & Womack - Teardrops
86. In Tua Nua - Don't Fear Me Now
87. The Blow Monkeys - Digging Your Scene
88. Black - Wonderful Life
89. The Young Lords - Big Burden
90. The Rainmakers - Drinking On The Job

91. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians - What I Am
92. Bill Lovelady - One More Reggae For The Road
93. Nick Lowe - I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock And Roll)
94. Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine
95. The Men They Couldn't Hang - Green Fields Of France (No Man's Land)
96. Pet Shop Boys - It's A Sin
97. Electric Light Orchestra - Yours Truly, 2095
98. The Police - Every Breath You Take
99. The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods
100. John Hiatt - Lipstick Sunset