10) Def Leppard: 'Pour Some Sugar on Me'
Producer Mutt Lange wanted a song that would make the band more accessible to mainstream audiences. Joe Elliott was messing around with a riff when Lange told him to take it further. Elliott later commented that it was the most important song the band did, because it was about sex.
9) Cyndi Lauper: 'Time After Time'
Many of the lyrics refer to things that were going on in the studio while Lauper and Rob Hymen wrote the song. The line "the second hand unwinds" refers to music producer Rick Chertoff's watch winding backwards.
8) Bon Jovi: 'Livin' on a Prayer'
The band was not satisfied with the original recording of the song. However, guitarist Richie Sambora convinced Bon Jovi that the song was great. They reworked it, and it spent four weeks on the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The original track recording can be found as a hidden track on the album '100,000,000 Bon Jovi Fans Can't Be Wrong.'
7) Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: 'If you Leave'
The song was recorded for the John Hughes film Pretty in Pink and gained notoriety in the U.S. reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. However, in the band's native England the song had minimal success reaching only No. 48.
6) The Police: 'Every Breath you Take'
Despite the possessive lyrics and overall negative tone singer Sting wrote the song in, many perceive it to be a positive love anthem. Sting insists that the song is about control and dominance. He was going through a divorce at the time and continues to tell fans that it is not a love song, but a song about stalking.
5) Prince & the Revolution: 'When Doves Cry'
The director of 'Purple Rain' told Prince to write a song to fit a certain scene of the movie dealing with both parental stress and a love affair. The next morning Prince had two songs written, one of them was 'When Doves Cry.'
4) Michael Jackson: 'Thriller'
Released as a single in 1984 , this is one of Jackson's signature pieces. For more of Michael Jackson's hits, check out the 10 Best Michael Jackson Songs.
3) A-Ha: 'Take on Me'
Lead singer Morten Harket demonstrates the use of his gifted vocals tremendously in 'Take on Me' by hitting notes within a range of 2 and 1/2 octaves, just in the chorus!
2) Simple Minds: 'Don't You (Forget about Me)'
Billy Idol was approached by the authors of the song to record it for the cult classic movie The Breakfast Club. Idol refused, but in 2001 he recorded his own version for his 2001 Greatest Hits album.
1) Journey: 'Don't Stop Believin''
This '80s favorite has an interesting song structure with the chorus playing only once at the end. The song regained popularity in 2007 after being featured in the finale for the HBO drama 'The Sopranos.' Since then it has been featured in the 'Rock Band' video games, the musical Rock of Ages and Fox sitcom 'Glee.' This quintessential rock song of the '80s just won't stop.
Listen to Awesome '80s Radio
1. what about welcome to the jungle or paradise city or sweet child of mine
Posted at 2:53PM on Jul 29th 2009 by me