Last Updated on 27 March 2024

I searched the Internet for lists of the best songs from the 1980s. Criteria included the songs being ranked, not just listed, and generally created by groups, whether teams or committees or based on general public voting (like Ranker.com).

I was able to find 14 lists. I took the 14 lists and added all their content into a spreadsheet, noting the rank of every song. I ended up averaging the rankings each song got (there were 387 that were on at least 2 lists) and dividing that average by a factor of the number of lists that song was on. The lowest score meant a high ranking average on many lists. The complete spreadsheet is attached at the bottom.

The songs that were on the most lists (out of 14) were:

  • When Doves Cry by Prince – 13 lists
  • Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses – 11 lists
  • Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners – 11 lists
  • With or Without You by U2 – 11 lists
  • Jump, by Van Halen – 11 lists
  • Every Breath You Take by The Police – 10 lists
  • I Love Rock N’ Roll by Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – 10 lists
  • Take On Me by A-ha – 10 lists
  • Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds – 10 lists

Here are links to the lists I used along with dates the lists were created:

Best-80s-Songs-RankedDownload

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