What do you remember about the top 25 classic rock hits of the 80’s?
Ah, the 80’s! Days of hair bands, unbridled excess, Studio 54 and a firm belief that greed is good. And above all, a decade of some of the best rock hits ever.
So what do you remember about those days? Could you name the top 25 classic rock hits of that decadent decade? Let’s take a walk back in time to the 1980’s and revisit the songs we danced to, dated to and wrote all those last minute school papers to. Get out your platform shoes and Lycra pants…it’s time to welcome back to the 80’s!
Bon Jovi rules!
The number one rock song in the 1980’s was Livin’ On a Prayer by Bon Jovi. Considered the band’s signature song, the lyrics trace the struggles of a working class couple. Jon Bon Jovi didn’t like the original recording and almost didn’t release it. When he finally agreed, the song became an instant hit, the second off their Slippery When Wet Album.
Sweden’s “Europe” holds position number two
The Final Countdown by the Swedish band Europe is the second most popular of the classic rock hits of the 80’s. The lyrics of this song were reportedly based on David Bowie’s Space Oddity.The song reached number eight on Billboard”s Top 40, but quickly climbed to number one in Europe.
Every Rose Has It’s Thorn took Poison to number three
Glam metal was one of the unique contributions of the 1980’s music scene, and Poison was the best of the glam metal contenders. More than just showmanship, their music featured complex guitar solos and intertwining melodies. Some critics complained that some of their songs sounded more country than rock, but they retained their loyal rock metal followers.
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White Lion’s When the Children Cry took the number four position
Another glam metal band, White Lion’s passionate plea for children to correct all that the adults have done wrong in the world remains one of the best rock songs of the 80’s. The band didn’t last much beyond the end of the decade, officially disbanding in 1991, but their music remains popular.
Rock the Casbah and The Clash hold number five
Possibly one of the most recognizable songs of the 1980’s. Rock the Casbah was reportedly a response to a ban on rock music in Iran under Ayatollah Khomeini.The fact that the Casbah is Algiers, Algeria makes this theory questionable. But regardless of the inspiration, the song which reached only number 8 on the Billboard charts is still regularly played at dance clubs in the U.S. and Europe.
The remaining top 25 classic rock hits of the 1980’s include:
- Round and Round – Ratt
- We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister
- Cum on Feel the Noize – Quiet Riot
- Back in Black – AC/DC
- Nothin’ But A Good Time – Poison
- You Give Love A Bad Name – Bon Jovi
- Once Bitten, Twice Shy – Great White
- Rock You Like a Hurricane – Scorpions
- Don’t Know What You Got (Til It’s Gone) – Cinderella
- Should I Stay or Should I Go – The Clash
- Living After Midnight – Judas Priest
- Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi
- I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2
- Wait – White Lion
- 18&Life – Skid Row
- Armageddon It – Def Leppard
- The Magnificent Seven – The Clash
- Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
- Still of the Night – Whitesnake
- Born to Be My Baby – Bon Jovi
- Close My Eyes Forever – Lita Ford (with Ozzy Osbourne)
Most of these albums are available on CD. Or for those who still treasure their vinyl originals, consider making digital copies of those precious records so you can enjoy the best of the 1980’s and still preserve the originals.