The 80's List

This post is going to expose my nerdiness. I'm sorry, I can't hide it from you any longer. Last week, my brother and cousin were in town, and we finally finished a project we've been talking about for years: the 80's list. It all started when we were trying to decide what the best song from the 80's was, and it ended with each of us compiling a list of the 100 best songs of the 80's. Actually, it didn't end there, it got nerdier. We then combined the three lists and used a point system to figure out our combined top 100 list. I know, your respect for me just dropped a notch.

So here's my list. Disclaimer: This is not a list of my favorite songs of the 80's, but what I think are the best songs of the 80's. There's a difference. At the end of the list, I grudgingly stuck on a few songs that I don't love, but I figured they probably deserved a nod for one reason or another.

1	Simple Minds Don't You Forget About Me
2	A-ha Take On Me
3	U2 Where the Streets Have No Name
4	New Order Bizarre Love Triangle
5	Duran Duran The Reflex
6	Peter Gabriel In Your Eyes
7	Cure Just Like Heaven
8	OMD If You Leave
9	Michael Jackson Thriller
10	Bonnie Tyler Total Eclipse of the Heart
11	Foreigner I Want To Know What Love Is
12	Madness Our House
13	Oingo Boingo Dead Man's Party
14	Information Society What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)
15	Madonna Like a Prayer
16	Modern English I Melt With You
17	Naked Eyes Always Something There to Remind Me
18	Billy Idol White Wedding
19	Police Every Breath You Take
20	R.E.M. Stand
21	U2 With or Without You
22	Depeche Mode People Are People
23	B-52s Love Shack
24	The Smiths How Soon Is Now?
25	When in Rome The Promise
26	Bon Jovi Livin' On a Prayer
27	David Bowie and Queen Under Pressure
28	General Public Tenderness
29	Crowded House Don't Dream It's Over
30	Journey Don't Stop Believin'
31	Frankie Goes to Hollywood Relax
32	U2 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
33	Thompson Twins Hold Me Now
34	Romantics What I Like About You
35	Erasure A Little Respect
36	Tears for Fears Everybody Wants to Rule the World
37	Spandau Ballet True
38	Elvis Costello Veronica
39	George Michael Faith
40	Cars Drive
41	Bananarama Cruel Summer
42	Men At Work Down Under
43	Clash Rock the Casbah
44	Soft Cell Tainted Love/Where Did Our Love Go
45	Prince 1999
46	Toto Africa
47	Police Don't Stand So Close To Me
48	Cure Close to me
49	Flock of Seagulls I Ran (So Far Away)
50	Genesis In Too Deep
51	Mr. Mister Broken Wings
52	Stray Cats Rock This Town
53	R.E.M. Orange Crush
54	Level 42 Something About You
55	REO Speedwagon Can't Fight This Feeling
56	Police Wrapped Around Your Finger
57	Chicago Hard to Say I'm Sorry
58	EMF Unbelievable
59	Duran Duran View to a Kill
60	Billy Joel We Didn't Start the Fire
61	Heart Alone
62	Huey Lewis & the News Power of Love
63	Cyndi Lauper Time After Time
64	Talking Heads Burning Down the House
65	U2 New Years Day
66	Eurythmics Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
67	The Smiths Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want
68	Yes Owner of a Lonely Heart
69	Erasure Oh Lamour
70	Bangles Walk Like an Egyptian
71	INXS Need You Tonight
72	Survivor The Search Is Over
73	Queen Another One Bites the Dust
74	R.E.M. It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
75	Midnight Oil Beds Are Burning
76	Clash Should I Stay or Should I Go?
77	Men At Work Overkill
78	Oingo Boingo Weird Science
79	Hall and Oates Private Eyes
80	Echo and the Bunnymen Lips Like Sugar
81	Howard Jones No One is to Blame
82	Kenny Loggins Footloose
83	Police Every Little Thing She Does is Magic
84	Cure Lovesong
85	Survivor Eye of the Tiger
86	Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up
87	Harold Faltermeyer Axel F
88	Dexys Midnight Runners Come on Eileen
89	Thomas Dolby She Blinded Me With Science
90	Tommy Tutone 867-5309/Jenny
91	Pet Shop Boys West End Girls
92	Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
93	Beastie Boys Fight For Your Right
94	Alphaville Forever Young
95	Richard Marx Right Here Waiting
96	Chris DeBurgh The Lady in Red
97	Belinda Carlisle Heaven is a Place on Earth
98	Human League Don't You Want Me
99	Billy Joel The Longest Time
100	Cheap Trick The Flame

So there it is. I'm sure you're thinking, "I can't believe she put that song on there." Believe me, I already feel like making changes. But if you're really bent out of shape about it, make your own list. It's harder than it looks. Oh, and don't bother telling me that EMF's Unbelievable came out at the beginning of 1990. We figured that out just after we made the lists, and I'm too lazy to change mine.

Next up: we're making a playlist. We've figured out that between the three of us, we have just about all of the songs. So if anyone feels like OD-ing on nostalgia, you know where to go.