Top-10 Favourite Songs From Each '80s Year

1980:

1. "Call Me" - Blondie
2. "Romeo & Juliet" - Dire Straits
3. "Turning Japanese" - The Vapors
4. "January February" - Barbara Dickson
5. "Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
6. "Army Dreamers" - Kate Bush
7. "I Got You" - Split Enz
8. "Enola Gay" - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
9. "De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da" - The Police
10. "Point Blank" - Bruce Springsteen

1981:

1. "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Wilde
2. "Our Lips Are Sealed" - The Go-Go's
3. "Chevy Nights" - Survivor
4. "The Land of Make Believe" - Bucks Fizz
5. "Cambodia" - Kim Wilde
6. "Under Pressure" - David Bowie & Queen
7. "Sat in Your Lap" - Kate Bush
8. "Mirror Mirror" - Dollar
9. "Being with You" - Smokey Robinson
10. "Promises in the Dark" - Pat Benatar

1982:

1. "Rosanna" - Toto
2. "I.G.Y." - Donald Fagen
3. "Nebraska" - Bruce Springsteen
4. "Come On Eileen" - Dexy's Midnight Runners
5. "My Camera Never Lies" - Bucks Fizz
6. "Pressure" - Billy Joel
7. "Gloria" - Laura Branigan
8. "Steppin' Out" - Joe Jackson
9. "Jack & Diane" - John Cougar Mellencamp
10. "Love Plus One" - Haircut 100

1983:

1. “Allies” - Heart
2. “99 Red Balloons” - Nena
3. “Love Is a Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
4. “Moonlight Shadow” - Mike Oldfield
5. “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" - Laura Branigan
6. “Far from Over” - Frank Stallone
7. “Baby Jane” - Rod Stewart
8. “Living on Video" - Trans-X
9. “I Won’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” - Nik Kershaw
10. “I’ll Be Here Where the Heart Is" - Kim Carnes

1984:

1. “Footloose” - Kenny Loggins
2. “The Riddle” - Nik Kershaw
3. “Forever Young” - Alphaville
4. “High Energy” - Evelyn Thomas
5. “Rough Justice” - Bananarama
6. “The Politics of Dancing” - Re-Flex
7. “Eyes Without a Face” - Billy Idol
8. “Love Resurrection” - Alison Moyet
9. “Downbound Train” - Bruce Springsteen
10. “Runaway” - Bon Jovi

1985:

1. “Dead Man’s Party” - Oingo Boingo
2. “Solid” - Ashford & Simpson
3. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” - Simple Minds
4. “The Power of Love” - Huey Lewis & The News
5. “We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)” - Tina Turner
6. “What About Love?” - Heart
7. “Sex as a Weapon” - Pat Benatar
8. “Everytime You Go Away” - Paul Young
9. “Things Can Only Get Better” - Howard Jones
10. “Glory Days” - Bruce Springsteen

1986:

1. “Somewhere Out There” - Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
2. “Playing with the Boys” - Kenny Loggins
3. “I’ll Be Over You” - Toto
4. “Big Man on Mulberry Street” - Billy Joel
5. “Live to Tell” - Madonna
6. “Schoolgirl” - Kim Wilde
7. “Master of Puppets” - Metallica
8. “Running on Ice” - Billy Joel (this has been compared to The Police, but I actually sort of see it as an acoustic eurobeat song because of its frantic pace and prominent chords on the offbeat 8ths)
9. “Code of Silence” - Billy Joel
10. “Dancing on the Ceiling” - Lionel Richie

1987:

1. “Jackie” - Elisa Fiorillo
2. “Brain Power” - Paul Engemann
3. “Happy” - Danny Elfman
4. “Beds Are Burning” - Midnight Oil
5. “Yeti” - Radiorama
6. “I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” - Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett
7. “Another Step (Closer to You)” - Kim Wilde and Junior
8. “All I Want from You” - Tami Snow
9. “Here I Go Again” - Whitesnake
10. “F.L.M.” - Mel & Kim

1988:

1. “A Little Respect” - Erasure
2. “Sleeping Single” - Roxette
3. “Where Is My Mind?” - Pixies
4. “Pamela” - Toto
5. “Breakaway” - Big Pig
6. “My Brain Is Like a Sieve” - Thomas Dolby
7. “Something to Believe In” - The Bangles
8. “Piano in the Dark” - Brenda Russell
9. “Love Bites” - Def Leppard
10. “Circle in the Sand” - Belinda Carlisle

1989:

1. “I Won’t Back Down” - Tom Petty
2. “Boom Boom Dollar” - King Kong & D. Jungle Girls
3. “I Want It All” - Queen
4. “The Look” - Roxette
5. “Sweet Lover” - Laurie
6. “Rhythm Nation” - Janet Jackson
7. “Don’t Look Back” - Fine Young Cannibals
8. “Poison” - Alice Cooper
9. “Deeper Understanding” - Kate Bush
10. “Good Thing” - Fine Young Cannibals

The band is actually Yello and the song is titled "Oh Yeah". It's also from 1985, though it was popularized in 1986 thanks to Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Also, "Bette Davis Eyes" is by Kim Carnes, not Kim Wilde. Wilde's signature song "Kids in America" did come out the same year, but the two singers have very different voices.

By the way, I love your choices for 1989! I almost put "She Drives Me Crazy" on my top 10 for that list, but just ended up going with FYC's two followups instead.

Ah, that's right actually! That's another typo I didn't pick up on when I was about to publish my post. Oops. 

Thanks! Yeah, I was actually a little bit surprised when I noticed that you didn't include "She Drives Me Crazy" in your list for 1989, because I remember you listed it in the Top-10 list you made on inthe00s. 

That's fair enough. To be honest, i'm not sure if I am actually familiar with "Good Thing" and "Don't Look Back". They don't exactly ring a bell to me, but then again, I guess there's a good chance that I have heard them before and I simply can't remember what the songs are like. Either way, i'll definitely make sure to check them out when I get a chance, especially if they are as good as how you are describing them. 

October 2019 update:

1980

1. "Crazy Train" - Ozzy Osbourne
2. "I Got You" - Split Enz
3. "Can't Help Myself" - Flowers
4. "Just Keep Walking" - INXS
5. "Ant Music" - Adam and the Ants
6. "(Just Like) Starting Over" - John Lennon
7. "We Can Get Together" - Flowers
8. "Another One Bites The Dust" - Queen
9. "No Secrets" - The Angels
10. "Another Brink In The Wall" - Pink Floyd

1981

1. "Once in a Lifetime" - Talking Heads
2. "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield
3. "Lonely In The Night" - Billy Squier
4. "In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
5. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey
6. "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett
7. "Counting The Beat" - The Swingers
8. "Whip It" - Devo
9. "Stars on 45 Medley" - Stars on 45
10. "Bette Davis Eyes" - Kim Wilde

1982

1. "If You Want My Love" - Cheap Trick
2. "Tainted Love" - Soft Cell
3. "Living On The Ceiling" - Blancmanc
4. "Open Arms" - Journey
5. "Jack & Diane" - John Mellencamp
6. "Dancing With Myself" - Billy Idol
7. "Don't Change" - INXS
8. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" - The Clash
9. "I Love Rock 'n Roll" - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
10. "Africa" - Toto

1983

1. "Love is a Stranger" - Eurythmics
2. "Photograph" - Def Leppard
3. "Uptown Girl" - Billy Joel
4. "Let's Dance" - David Bowie
5. "99 Red Balloons" - Nena
6. "Reckless" - Australian Crawl
7. "Blister In The Sun" - Violent Femmes
8. "Billy Jean" - Michael Jackson
9. "Little Red Corvette" - Prince
10. "Come Said The Boy" - Mondo Rock

1984

1. "When Doves Cry" - Prince
2. "You Might Think" - The Cars
3. "Too Late for Goodbyes" - Julian Lennon
4. "Let's Go Crazy" - Prince
5. "Radio Ga Ga" - Queen
6. "Panama" - Van Halen
7. "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" - Dead or Alive
8. "Born in the USA" - Bruce Springsteen
9. "Everything She Wants" - Wham!
10. "Purple Rain" - Prince

1985

1. "Glory Days" - Bruce Springsteen
2. "Life in a Northern Town" - Dream Academy
3. "Raspberry Beret" - Prince
4. "Out of Mind, Out of Sight" - Models
5. "Rain" - The Cult
6. "Road To Nowhere" - Talking Heads
7. "Summer of '69" - Bryan Adams
8. "Get Into The Groove" - Madonna
9. "Shout" - Tears For Fears
10. "Working Class Man" - Jimmy Barnes

1986

1. "Kiss" - Prince
2. "Manic Monday" - The Bangles
3. "Don't Dream It's Over" - Crowded House
4. "The Final Countdown" - Europe
5. "You're The Voice" - John Farnham
6. "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" - Wang Chung
7. "I Can't Wait" - Stevie Nicks
8. "Walk This Way" - Run-DMC
9. "Bizarre Love Triangle" - New Order
10. "Livin' On a Prayer" - Bon Jovi

1987

1. "Animal" - Def Leppard
2. "The One I Love" - R.E.M
3. "Luka" - Suzanne Vega
4. "Little Lies" - Fleetwood Mac
5. "Here I Go Again" - Whitesnake
6. "Got My Mind Set on You" - George Harrison
7. "Electric Blue" - Icehouse
8. "Hysteria" - Def Leppard
9. "Beds Are Burning" - Midnight Oil
10. "Bad" - Michael Jackson

1988

1. "Orange Crush" - R.E.M
2. "Bring Me Some Water" - Melissa Etheridge
3. "Stand" - R.E.M
4. "Handle With Care" - Travelling Wilburys
5. "Better Be Home Soon" - Crowded House
6. "Pressure Down" - John Farnham
7. "Fast Car" - Tracy Chapman
8. "Simply Irresistible" - Robert Palmer
9. "Touch" - Noiseworks
10. "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" - Billy Ocean

1989

1. "Poison" - Alice Cooper
2. "She Drives Me Crazy" - Fine Young Cannibals
3. "The Look" - Roxette
4. "The Best Thing" - Boom Crash Opera
5. "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" - The Proclaimers
6. "You Got It" - Roy Orbison
7. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" - Poison
8. "I Want It All" - Queen
9. "I'm On My Way" - The Proclaimers
10. "I Won't Back Down" - Tom Petty

was not the biggest fan of 81's selection

( Skipped 1980, I can’t think of any for that year, so it’s only gonna be 9 years )

1981~ Tom Sawyer By Rush, Tainted Love By Soft Cell, Urgent By Foreigner, In The Air Tonight By Phil Collins.

1982~ I Ran By A Flock Of Seagulls.

1983~ Separate Ways By Journey, Rock Of Ages By Def Leppard, Sweet Dreams By Eurythmics, Send Me An Angel By Real Life, Foolin By Def Leppard, Big Log By Robert Plant.

1984~ Rock You Like A Hurricane By Scorpions, Turn Up The Radio By Autograph.

1985~ Don’t You Forget About Me By Simple Minds, Take On Me By A-Ha, I Can’t Wait By Stevie Hicks.

1986~ Take Me Home Tonight By Eddie Money, Living On A Prayer By Bon Jovi.

1987~ Heaven Is A Place On Earth By Belinda Carlisle, Is This Love By WhiteSnake, Hysteria By Def Leppard.

1988~ Love Bites By Def Leppard, Circle In The Sand By Belinda Carlisle.

1989~ Poison By Alice Cooper, Black Velvet By Alannah Myles