Top movie songs of the '80s: the top 20

Are you ready for the epic conclusion to our list of the Top 80 movie songs of the 1980s? Did you throw a party to celebrate the unveiling? Skip work, get a pony keg, rent the entire Karate Kid franchise on DVD? Oh man, I am so there.

This has been a tough list to put together. Remember, the major hitch is that the song must invoke the movie. Only songs are here; scores and orchestrations will be a future list. Basically any song in the top 40 is a top 10 contender of any of our personal lists. But the readers have spoken, common sense has played out, and a top 20 must be chosen.

Today's big winner: Probably Netflix or Blockbuster.com, because you're going to want to run out and rent these killer movies again. (Well, not Hard to Hold or Electric Dreams, but the rest are solid gold.)

TOP MOVIE SONGS OF THE '80s: The top 20
(See 21-40, 41-60, 61-80. Click artist name to see video.)

20. To Live And Die In L.A. - Wang Chung (To Live and Die in L.A.)

19. Slave To Love - Bryan Ferry (9 1/2 Weeks)

18. Jungle Love - Morris Day & the Time (Purple Rain)

17. Together In Electric Dreams - Philip Oakey & Georgio Moroder (Electric Dreams)

16. Love Somebody - Rick Springfield (Hard to Hold)

15. Million Miles Away - The Plimsouls (Valley Girl)

14. Somebody's Baby - Jackson Browne (Fast Times at Ridgemont High)

13. Fame - Irene Cara (Fame)

12. Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles (Less Than Zero)

11. Man in Motion - John Parr (St. Elmo's Fire)

10. Melt With You - Modern English (Valley Girl)

9. Highway to the Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins (Top Gun)

8. Purple Rain - Prince & the Revolution (Purple Rain)

7. Footloose - Kenny Loggins (Footloose)

6. If You Leave - OMD (Pretty in Pink)

5. I'm Alright - Kenny Loggins (Caddyshack)

4. Power of Love - Huey Lewis & The News (Back to the Future)

3. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor (Rocky III)

2. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel (Say Anything)

1. Don't You Forget About Me - Simple Minds (The Breakfast Club)

THE RATIONALE: Any of the top 10 songs could be in the No. 1 spot, but Don't You Forget About Me is not only the symbol of John Hughes' signature flick, it was perhaps the signature anthem of anyone who grew up in the '80s.

OK, so what songs are missing? Which are overranked or underranked?

Comments

[Marissa]

"Melt With You" doesn't conjure up VALLEY GIRL for me, but that movie doesn't hold a special place in my memory. The soundtrack is awesome, but I admit I've only seen it once. I say that knowing I'm probably the only person who feels that way.

The rest of the top 10 I agree could be anywhere. However, I agree the Simple Minds tune is perfectly placed.

[Cat]

I'm all hopped up on sugar from the FREE RAY'S DONUTS!

I love ~SLAVE TO LOVE~ & it automatically makes me think of 9 1/2 weeks, & so does the song > I like bread & butter, I like toast & jam.

Bryan Ferry is HOT! To me he transcends generations. All of his ROXY MUSIC stuff still sounds perfectly `FRESH` to me, like it could have been just released yesterday. And another thing, Bryan "cares" enough to take care of himself, dress well & look good. And the ladies appreciate that.

On the other end of the spectrum is that crabby old Ringo who will NOT accept any more fan mail after Oct. 20. I thought he got by with a little help from his friends? He's getting to be a boring old Beatle! Must be >> MAN~O~PAUSE. Ringo needs to get his hormones bioidentically balanced!

[Jeff in Cuba]

Steve,

I can't gripe with the top slot, but what about the troika at 15, 16, & 17?

Those are three of my favorite 80's movie tunes (or 80's tunes in general) and I know you feel the same way. So why are they huddled there on the fringe of the top 20?

It's your list! Embrace the power of the bully pulpit, and take care of your songs!

(Unless, of course, I disagree with you, in which case you should embrace the democratic ideals that make this country great)

[Michelle]

Did I miss the "She's Having a Baby" songs? "This Woman's Work" and "Crazy Love" are tied to that movie for me.

[Dan]

The Blues Brothers

Release Date:
20 June 1980 (USA)

Can you think of ANY songs you might want to add, knowing this little tidbit of info?

[Bassnote]

Gimme Some Lovin' would work from the Blues Brothers.

I can't complain about this top 20. sure, some songs might rank higher than others in my book, but this is a darn good top 20.

[Lauri J]

Hey - cool, 3 of my picks were listed! Doesn't get any better than Rick Springfield's "Love Somebody" - a song 1,000 times better than its movie, though I thought Hard to Hold was cute and fun. All that great singing! "Power of Love" and "Fame" just belong to the 80s too - great choices. This was fun!

[Tonianne]

4 hours...2 picture changes...and still not one El DeBarge fan clamoring for the inclusion of "Who's Johnny."

You're welcome.

[Johnny Chicago]

"Changes" by ZZ Top, from the so-gawd-awful-it's-kinda-funny movie "The Whoopie Boys," starring Paul Rodriguez and that guy from Caddyshack (the lead guy). Thankfully I've created a DVD from the long long long OOP VHS tape I've got...

Also, I recently put "Electric Dreams" on DVD for myself to watch, and the soundtrack is a classic (I "put" that on CD too, since both the VHS tape is long long OOP and the soundtrack's expensive to buy).

I have way too many OOP VHS tapes from the 80's that I have put to DVD, you name it, I've got it.

Sad, isn't it?

[Miguel]

All righty! Nice list,Spearsy! Although Slave to Love could be higher or Togehter in Electric Dreams.

I liked the inclusion of Somebody`s Baby and Melt With You (althoguh overplayed,it`s an iconic movie song).

Worst moment on the list:Fame!! Urghhh!

[Mike in Austin]

Unfortunately we all pick our top movie songs differently. Mike in Austin say: my criteria? how cool I look lip synching while driving in my car (with kids in the car, they sing also) OR how cool I look "throwing it out" (80's new wave term for dancing) in front of the bathroom mirror. Subjective judging of course.

[Mike in Austin]

Oh and Marissa, Valley Girl only once?? That's like saying.......I won't go there. If I was single, I'd fly you into Austin, wine and dine you and have a special showing of the greatest movie EEEEEEVVVVVVVEEEEEEEERRRRRR, like for sure, totally. Better yet, a double feature is in order: Reckless.

MinA

[Peter C.]

I have to throw in "Please, Please, Please (Let Me Get What I Want)" by the Smiths in Sixteen Candles... it's a poignant song in a poignant scene in the movie.

[80sfan]

The first song that comes to mind that is missing from the list is Bonnie Tyler's Holding out for a Hero

[Miguel]

Missing from these lists are The Blues Brothers and Monty Python songs!

[Roy, UK]

I would have swopped Peter Gabriel with Simple Minds for the No.1 spot, though that's a personal thing.

Only just occured to me- what about a list of the best overall soundtracks? That would shake things up a bit in the Stuck In The 80s nation...

[Spears]

"Please Please Please" in Ferris is actually the instrumental version by the Dream Academy. That will most likely be highly ranked when I do a "best movie instrumental/score of the 80s" list.

[Bassnote]

I agree with the person who said "Fame" was their least favorite on the list.

[Aaron]

Good list, but there are some songs missing, like Never by Moving Pictures from Footloose, Shellshock by New Order from Pretty in Pink,Moving in Stereo by The Cars from Fast Times at Rigdemont High, and psychedelic furs by Love my way from Valley Girl.

[Melissa]

Besides netflix being the big winner, I think it will be iTunes in my house. Argh - thanks for draining what money I had saved. Oh well, my pesky kids didn't need any lunch money anyway...mamma needs more tunes.

[Alyfox]

So here I go, risking eternal banishment from this site with what some will say is heresy. I consider myself a child of the 80's, hence my love of this site. But a huge majority of recalling that glorious decade is mentioning a movie/song/TV show and having others say "Yeah, I totally remember that!"
I like to think of myself as in tune with this sort of thing, so please, others let me know if I am WAAAAY of base with this rationale, but hear me out: The theme from ELECTRIC DREAMS? The movie was a flop, barely anyone remembers it, and I don't even remember EVER hearing that song on the radio! I am not REMOTELY saying that it is necessarily a bad song, but one of the Top 20 Movie songs of the whole DECADE? Really? More memorable or emblematic a tune then MANIAC from FLASHDANCE or WEIRD SCIENCE or PRETTY IN PINK?
I only point this out because it seems that this song gets referenced an awful lot, but have yet to meet any of my 80's mates who even remember it.
Irrational or rational, let me know.
Way to go at #4, Huey, way to go.

[specialkness]

Electric Dream may be a forgettable movie but the song isn't. You were probably only listening to Top 40 radio where the song didn't receive much airplay (at least it didn't in my area) but we had a great station that would play New Wave and other alt. music last at night that I would spend hours listening to and trying to record songs off of the radio.

[specialkness]

Great list by the way!

[Spears]

"Together in Electric Dreams" makes it that high on the list for several reasons.

1) It's so much better than the movie itself.

2) It's actually the last encore that The Human League plays during their American tours.

3) It's a freakin' brilliant, fun, happy tune. It's actually my ring tone. And it reminds me of this summer, the Regeneration Tour and the Vegas Girlfriend.

[Joe]

Spears is dead on--Electric Dreams is a freakin' brilliant, fun, happy tune, and it was played daily on radio station WXRT in Chicago during the 80s.

[Bassnote]

"Together In Electric Dreams" is totally deserving of top 20 status. As Joe said, it was played all the time in Chicago back in the 80s, and the video was all over MTV.

[don in tulsa]

i've noticed a very distinct lack of metal and punk on this list. is it because you don't care for them steve? i always thought that "hungry for heaven" by dio from vision quest was a great, great song and would certainly have placed it somewhere on the list. or how about something from repo man? of course we all have our own preferences and thoughts.

[Marissa]

Oh Mike in Austin! Hmmm There are a lot of things I've done only once. If you were single I'd share those stories with you. But alas you are not. However, thanks for the hypothetical offer.

**best offer I've had all day**

[isha]

where is View to a Kill? it's the only james bond song to ever reach number one on the charts and the video was amazing....

[Spears]

View to a Kill is on the list, but not in the Top 20.

I wouldn't even call it the best Bond song of the decade.

[Mark in East Texas]

Spearsy, you don't have to justify your pick for the top spot - it's the obvious choice. In fact, the other I had a friend describe Simple Minds as a "soundtrack band." I argued with him, of course, but he wouldn't listen.

[Spears]

Simple Minds doesn't really have a ton of other songs on soundtracks. I'd love to know which band does, but I'm guessing these bands would have a lot:

- Billy Idol
- Psychedelic Furs
- Echo and the Bunnymen
- REO Speedwagon
- Journey
- Oingo Boingo
- John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
- Survivor
- Berlin
- Kenny Loggins (obviously)

[Douglas Arthur]

Electric Dreams may have been a forgettable film, but the song was certainly memorable and received airplay where I lived. The movie was well hyped prior to release focusing on the unique storyline of the sentient computer getting involved in some sort of weird love triangle with a human,but failed to deliver and was shunned by audiences. That doesn't mean the song sucked. Certainly not my cuppa Joe, but memorable and brings about faint wisps of nostalgia for me when I think about it...mostly memories of washing dishes.

[Davy]

OK, did I see "Endless Love" by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross? Was this song the longest-running chart-topper of the 1980's? Could it not be argued that it was the biggest song of the 80's? Then certainly it deserves to be in the Top 80, right???

[JESSICA/TAZZ]

I AGREE WITH #1 BUT EYE OF THE TIGER SHOULD BE 2 AND FAME BY IRENE CARA SHOULD BE HIGHER THAT #13 BUT #15, #16 AND #17 ARE WAY TOO HIGH

[sarcasmisonemoreserviceioffer]

I just can't believe my eyes.lol Moving in Stereo by the cars is nowhere to be seen. All I have to hear is the opening notes for that song and I immediately think of Fast Times at Ridgemont High. You must add it now!lol Please?lol :o)

[Miguel]

Has i posted before,i like "Together in Electric Dreams" so much i would put it in a higher place on the list.I absolutely agree it`s not a forgetable tune.I never watched the movie actually,but i listened the song a lot thru radio,so top 20? Correct!

"Every Sperm is Sacred" by our Monty Python Gods,could be on the list,dude!

[Miguel]

"Every Sperm is sacred
every sperm is great,
if a sperm is wasted,
God gets quite irate."

EVERYBODY!

Oh,crap!

[AutoBat]

What?! No Yello - Oh Yeah, from Ferris Bueller's Day Off!
a travesty!

[Alyfox]

ELECTRIC DREAMS follow-up: Well, as I said in my initial post, I'm not saying it is a bad song, I even CAPITALIZED the point. I did NOT say it sucked or was unforgettable. But we are talking about the BEST movie songs of the entire decade. And I know that the criteria was open to people's interpretation, and I love the movies as much as the songs, so I always feel the movie has to be just as good (thus my total agreement with the #1 slot). Just because a band plays the song in thier concerts in 2007-08 doesn't mean that it's place in the 1980's gets any better. Also, it seems that most of the pro-E.D. posts mention Chicago air play. Great. If you're in Chicago. I guess my point is that the majority of this site is dedicated to the pop culture recognition of all things 80's, and I would bet that more people (JUST as an example) hear the opening notes of MANIAC and start tapping their toes and visualize a woman getting watered down on a chair. I bet those same people would not know the E.D. theme until it got to the chorus.
AGAIN, not a bad song, just not Top 20 material in my opinion.
But hey, I asked for defenders, and I got defenders, so what do I know? If I had my way, I would rig Huey Lewis, Kenny Loggins and John Williams to be the top 20 . . . After my post, no one agreed with me, so I'll suck it up and admit defeat.
Hey Spears and Sean, since no John Williams tune made the top 80, how about a podcast about him? He certainly rules the 1980's movie score throne.
-Alyfox, (a.k.a. Dan Vhay)

[StarvinMarvin, Houston]

where is "You're The Best, Around"??? (Karate Kid) ?? that one could easily replace many in at least top 40...

[nonya]

INXS had a ton of soundtrack tunes, none to make this list however.

you MIGHT be missing Ghostbusters (lame song) but surely might be considered "top".

[William Zabaka]

No "Your the Best around" from Karate Kid?

Might as well wipe your rear with your "list."

SHAMEFUL

Worst. List. Ever

[strangdang]

I would have to say alyfox (Dan) is correct on his statement about "Together in Electric Dreams". Just by seeing the name of any other song on this list, I can start singing it. Even if I think the song is crap, I can still sing some of it. However, I couldn't remember this one, so I checked the Youtube - I've never heard it at all! And just in case someone says I only listened to top 40, I worked at a record store in Evanston IL until the early 80's, then I moved to Austin Tx to play in a band. So I certainly kept up with the music scene. Actually, I listened to much more alternative stuff than WXRT, so maybe that's the problem. It was just too pop, and very regional - just Chicago: not Evanston ;~)

[Gina Vivinetto]

Didn't you, Sean and I film a video to the song "Highway to the Danger Zone?"

[Kat from Texas]

I missed "If You Were Here" by the Thompson Twins. I mean, c'mon - Molly Ringwald in taffeta and Michael Schoeffling looking oh-so-hot sitting on a glass table with a blazing birthday cake? Ahhhh - takes me back!!

[Spears]

Hey Gina -- it was either "Danger Zone" or the other theme orchestration that we did our video to. I wish I still had a copy. I loved the expression on your face when I picked you up and shook you.

[tev]

I have to agree with alyfox and strangdang. As much as I love "Together in Electric Dreams"...I am a child of the 80's and most of my friends of the same age group don't even remember the song. The only time I heard it on the radio was on the old "Rock Over London" radion show on Sunday nights or on MTV.

[Bex]

Seriously, don't you forget about me is one of my few all time favourite songs. I'd like it played at my funeral when I kick it

[Dennis]

Oh, come on, did Kenny Loggins really transfer that much money for that list???

[julie in nc]

I think I would switch 1 and 2. Mainly because I own Say Anything and "In Your Eyes" is in my iPod.
After that, I'd switch stuff all over the place, based on if I'd even seen the movie or not and if the song meant anything to me at all.
:)

[sparky]

Spearsy, got to disqualify Hazy Shade of Winter since it was a redux of Simon & Garfunkel. Where in the Blue Hell is Secret of My Success?

[cpastrick]

OK...I have to agree with most of the list, but really!? "Valley Girl?" ... I love "Melt With You" but that song has become FAR bigger than the film. I thought the idea was the song is equal with the film, it brings the film immediately to mind...if that's the case, "Melt With You" fails miserably. As for some of the other picks..."Slave to Love" should have been "You Can Leave Your Hat On" ... a MUCH more synonymous title with "9 1/2 Weeks"....and "In Your Eyes" was far too big a hit BEFORE "Say Anything" for it to be synonymous with the film.

just some thoughts.
great GREAT blog and podcasts, by the way

[cpastrick]

Sorry...but I have to add my 2 cents with the "Together in Electric Dreams." BRILLIANT SONG! totally agree in its perfection as a pop song. But I would have to agree it should be a bit lower.

And, yes, Yello's "Oh, Yeah" should be there.