GMYH All-Decade Songs - 1980s

Ahh, the '80s. Aqua Net, fluorescence (everywhere), the Sunset Strip, voodoo economics, Swatch watches, and a constant, paralyzing fear of nuclear winter. If you weren't alive in the 1980s, then you simply weren't alive. What a weird and fascinating decade. The music was just as weird, from new wave to hair bands. No matter what, it was all about excess. This was another tough round for me, at least separating the third team from the honorable mention. Marvin Gaye is proving to be the ageless wonder, as he is making an appearance on the list for the third consecutive decade. (I don't want to play the role of the spoiler, but he will not be on the '90s or '00s lists.) In case you haven't been paying attention to this blog for the past 2 years and 10 months, I love hair band music.

First Team
Take On Me by a-ha
Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard
Rocket Queen by Guns N' Roses
Fuck Tha Police by NWA
Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen

Second Team
Paul Revere by The Beastie Boys
You Got Me Runnin' by Def Leppard
Kiss Me Deadly by Lita Ford
Used to Love Her by Guns N' Roses
Fallen Angel by Poison

Third Team
Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams
Same Ol' Situation by Motley Crue
Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye
Your Love by The Outfield
At This Moment by Billy Vera & The Beaters

Honorable Mention
Back in Black by AC/DC
Making Love Out of Nothing at All by Air Supply
Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
Born to Be My Baby by Bon Jovi
Wanted Dead or Alive by Bon Jovi
Before You Accuse Me by Eric Clapton
Sussudio by Phil Collins
Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
High 'N' Dry (Saturday Night) by Def Leppard
You're the Best by Joe Esposito
Mr. Brownstone by Guns N' Roses
One Night in Bangkok by Murray Head
Dancing With Myself by Billy Idol
Devil Inside by INXS
The Prisoner by Iron Maiden
Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson
Don't Stop Believin' by Journey
Watching the Wheels by John Lennon
Hip to Be Square by Huey Lewis & The News
Redemption Song by Bob Marley
Authority Song by John Cougar Mellencamp
Think I'm In Love by Eddie Money
Live Wire by Motley Crue
Straight Outta Compton by NWA
So Lonely by The Police
1999 by Prince
Waiting on a Friend by The Rolling Stones
Tricky by Run D.M.C.
Under Pressure by Queen & David Bowie
Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads
Love Song by Tesla
Africa by Toto
We Are the World by USA for Africa
Romeo Delight by Van Halen
Wait by White Lion