Classic hits from the 80s

By Rob Sheffield. Lighters up for the late, great Biz Markie, one of the most beloved music heroes of the Eighties or any other decade. The Diabolical One. The Human Beatbox.

The s may have been the decade of questionable fashion choices, but we'll probably say the same about the s in a few years It was also the decade of great movies, the rise of video games and downright fantastic music. We've attempted the ridiculously hard but not in any way a chore task of picking the very best s songs ever. Here are our picks - are your favourites in there? You might not have realised it, but Neil Diamond first recorded this song back in But it's UB40's cover that became the most well-known in

Classic hits from the 80s

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. That's the big question. This was the golden era of some of our most beloved stars, even in , from Madonna to Prince, characterised by big hair, scrunchies, and weirdly big shoulder pads. And the music? Well, it's utterly timeless. This was a golden time era for music, and let's never forget it. In , Houston was still very much a fresh-faced siren with the crystal-clear voice and a world of possibilities at her feet. Her approach to this song — which, when you break it down, is more about loneliness than love — says a lot about her ability to radiate warmth and positivity through her singular sound.

EMI bosses were hesitant to release the song with its original title of 'A Deal with God' due to possible negative reactions because of its use of the word 'God'. One of the best-selling singles of the s, this surprising Christmas number one sold over 1.

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By Rob Sheffield. Lighters up for the late, great Biz Markie, one of the most beloved music heroes of the Eighties or any other decade. The Diabolical One. The Human Beatbox. The class clown of old-school hip-hop. You got what I neeeed! Then I knew it was gonna be a good record. A German girl sings about nuclear apocalypse in a perky New Wave bop about the end of the world.

Classic hits from the 80s

Synthesizers, catchy lyrics, and unique melodies were the foundation of the best 80s songs of the era. The 80s had much more to offer than just big hair, fanny packs, and neon fashion, as some of the most iconic anthems ever produced came from the decade. This famous song from Madonna focuses on the glorious feeling of being in love with a new person. The song also appears on our best songs about loneliness playlist. The song peaked at 11 on the Billboard Hot in

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The dance-pop anthem has lived long in the memory thanks to the Rickroll craze that still goes on today, and the video has been streamed over 1 billion times. Feminist metal leather girls from the U. Why 'Why do I find it hard to write the next line? Written after Sting separated from his first wife, the song's creation was fraught with in-fighting within the band who were actually physically punching each other in the studio with Sting saying that the time of its release that "it's a nasty little song, really rather evil. Featuring whispers from Harvey Fuqua, the sexually-charged became one of his biggest and best-known songs. So there was nothing for anybody to have a reference to. This catchy s anthem was the first single to be released from Paul Simon 's iconic album Graceland. Slick DJs! Joan Armatrading taught herself guitar growing up in a West Indian immigrant family in England. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God! Instead of being about death, the words were written as an invitation to love. His records were as much comedy albums and demonstrations of sampling as pretentious works of art, which made them even greater works of art. Maybe not surprising, coming from a band named after an amphetamine, but the UK group propels the juddering rhythms of its classic single like a dynamo, chugging through tempo changes while picking up steam for the big finish. Fog machines and laser rays!

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Shy boys without Bananarama? This is Gabriel at his most playfully groovy. A chart-topper in both the UK and US, the song caused heated discussions about its content at the time. It's Prince at his best, a song that remains as impactful today as it was nearly 40 years ago. On December 5th of that same year, Mozart dies. Kevin Rowland and crew trotted out of the U. It all got a bit complicated. Put this mix tape in the boombox, pump up the volume, and hit play. He asked the driver to wait a couple of minutes while he grabbed something from his motel room. This '80s classic actually flopped twice before it was finally a hit around the world. Bee Gees - You Win Again Released when he still in the boyband with Andrew Ridgeley , the song topped the charts around the world. But it's UB40's cover that became the most well-known in