400. Big Country – “In a Big Country” (1983)
One of the biggest undeniably-Scottish global hits, this song blended post-punk guitar/drum stylings with anthemic new wave vocals and Celtic rock guitar pedal work.
399. Pineapples (ft. Douglas Roop) – “Come On Closer” (1983)
Italo-disco producer Roberto Ferrante is still relatively unknown in most music circles, but the story of house music in the ’80s is not complete without his electrifying work.
398. The Stone Roses – “She Bangs the Drums” (1989)
The Stone Roses’ debut is maybe better known for other lengthy era-defining singles, but this straightforward pop rock single is the best to sing along to.
397. The Rolling Stones – “Start Me Up” (1981)
Their last great single and steady concert opener, this displays Jagger, Richards and co. in total harmony with gnarly blues riffs and classically-suggestive lyrics.
396. George Michael – “I Want Your Sex, Pts 1 & 2” (1987)
Anyone not taking former Wham! frontman seriously enough were silenced by this Prince-influenced sex epic.
395. Brian Eno/David Byrne – “Regiment” (1981)
Those wanting more Talking Heads hits with their 1981 collab album were bombarded with some of the strangest art pop released through a major label like this bass-driven Middle-Eastern cut.
394. Ice-T – “6 ‘n the Morning” (1986)
Possible to say that gangsta rap starts here with Ice-T unashamedly describing Compton streets as a place of violence, dice games and the police.
393. Cheryl Glasgow – “Glued to the Spot” (1987)
Not many have heard this jazzy Balearic beat cult classic, but it will stick to your ribs on first listen.
392. Joy Division – “Atrocity Exhibition” (1980)
After practically inventing the modern post-punk sound with Unknown Pleasures, Joy Division had every intention of dismantling the scene with the harsh tribalistic sounds of Closer‘s opener.
391. Ini Kamoze – “World a Music” (1984)
With dub-inflected production and rhythm from Sly & Robbie, Kamoze brought traditional reggae to contemporary audiences.
390. Madness – “Our House” (1982)
The English band’s only major hit in the US, “Our House” is a 2-Tone new wave tale of suburbia with the familial cast all in their own world.
389. Big Black – “Kerosene” (1986)
Steve Albini was an altruistic mainstay of American indie rock as a producer, and his band was the best reflection of his artistic credentials.
388. Lisa – “Rocket to Your Heart” (1983)
A post-“I Feel Love” space disco cult classic, this single is a fascination for high-BPM/’80s club obsessives.
387. Inner City – “Big Fun” (1988)
Detroit techno producer Kevin Saunderson had the most chart success of his peers with this single being the most “fun.”
386. Suicidal Tendencies – “Institutionalized” (1983)
A true one-of-one song, this groundbreaking hardcore punk single is spoke/sung/yelled by Mike Muir with a direct lyrical approach on teenage depressive frustration.
385. The Smiths – “Panic” (1986)
The signs that Morrissey was an insular problematic snob come up here as he criticizes pop music trends with a “Hang the DJ!” sing-along outro.
384. Art of Noise – “Beat Box (Diversion 1)” (1983)
The UK avant-pop collective struck it big immediately with their first single, a simple hip-hop instrumental made interesting through a sample collage that slowly escalates into plunderphonics territory.
383. Sylvia Striplin – “You Can’t Turn Me Away” (1981)
Sylvia Striplin’s only album had no initial impact, but this soul funk track became a hip-hop favorite and lays the ground for neo-soul acts like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott.
382. A Certain Ratio – “Shack Up” (1980)
Building off the plethora of late-’70s art pop/post-punk, this UK band crafted a dance-punk cult classic to kick off the new decade.
381. Clio – “Faces” (1985)
In an alternate universe where Italo-disco reached a wide audience, this gem produced by Roberto Ferrante just crossed a billion streams.
380. Daryl Hall & John Oates – “One on One” (1982)
Not as popular as their many other early-’80s gems, this single features some of Daryl Hall’s best falsettos, a wonderfully cheap-sounding drum machine and a silky smooth sax solo.
379. Paul Simon – “Hearts and Bones” (1983)
Simon’s least-successful album commercially in his heyday features a title track that is beautifully sparse and open-hearted about his failing relationship with Carrie Fisher.
378. Ozzy Osbourne – “Crazy Train” (1980)
Guitarist Randy Rhoads’ riff is iconic, but it’s Ozzy’s melodies that made it the go-to song in his catalog.
377. Taylor Dayne – “Tell It to My Heart” (1987)
From ’87 to ’90, few artists were as popular in the US as Taylor Dayne (7 top 10 hits), and it was her first — an electrifying synth pop classic produced by Ric Wake — that started it all.
376. Prince – “Controversy” (1981)
To cap off his first era of glorified bedroom pop, Prince recognizes the drama he’s capable of stirring with his image and lyrics and fully leans into it on this seven-minute title track.
375. Whitney Houston – “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (1987)
A permanent fixture of wedding dance floors and any ’80s party playlist, this exuberant single gleefully stands apart from most of her ballad hits.
374. Daniel Johnston – “Walking the Cow” (1983)
Self-releasing cassettes while working at McDonald’s, the lo-fi legend made pop music as pure and whimsical as anyone’s ever achieved.
373. The Cars – “Drive” (1984)
It took 8 years and 5 albums for a band named the Cars to make a car-themed single, and thankfully, it’s one of the best synth pop tracks of the era.
372. Alice Coltrane – “Jagadishwar” (1982)
This track from Turiya Sings is Coltrane’s first work featuring her vocals, initially just a privately-pressed cassette of Sanskrit hymns that has become an essential work in her quietly illustrious career.
371. Michigan & Smiley – “Diseases” (1982)
A critical track in dancehall’s first wave, this Henry “Junjo” Lawes-produced song is an oft-copied/sampled rhythm in Jamaican music.
370. Tatsuro Yamashita – “Sparkle” (1982)
The rise in Japan’s city pop has coincided with a critical reappreciation of its central figure whose summer-y sound peaked here.
369. RUN-D.M.C. – “Peter Piper” (1986)
Raising Hell brought hip-hop to the masses, and it kicks off with the Adidas-rocking crew at their most fun.
368. My Bloody Valentine – “You Made Me Realise” (1988)
Kevin Shields had more to prove with his guitar tones, pedals and production, but even on their earliest releases, MBV offered shockingly distinct and heavy sounds that drowned out their peers.
367. Fleetwood Mac – “Little Lies” (1987)
Christine McVie was Fleetwood Mac’s George Harrison, quietly offering up some of the best pop rock tunes of her era but forever in the shadow of Buckingham/Nicks.
366. The Police – “Every Breath You Take” (1983)
The most played song in radio history and honored with every accolade you can think of, this mellow rock single is permanently engrained in our collective DNA.
365. Vangelis – “Love Theme” (1982)
The Greek composer is in contention for being the greatest soundtrack producer of all time, and his signature work is sci-fi malaise at its finest.
364. Michael Jackson – “Dirty Diana” (1987)
The most prickly that Jackson sounded in his reign was this hard-rock bashing of groupies.
363. Whodini – “Friends” (1984)
Its iconic chorus and influential electro beat repeatedly come up as samples in Public Enemy, Dr. Dre and Kendrick Lamar songs.
362. Altered Images – “Happy Birthday” (1981)
The breezy new wave single with production by Martin Rushent put the Scottish band on the map and remains their most notable song.
361. Visage – “Fade to Grey” (1980)
This Kraftwerk-indebted synth pop single off the UK band’s debut album was a global hit everywhere except for the US.
360. Elton John – “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” (1983)
Alongside “I’m Still Standing”, this single off Too Low for Zero proved he could adapt just enough with the times to still be one of the best-selling artists in the world.
359. The Outfield – “Your Love” (1985)
Few rock radio singles from the mid-’80s hold up to scrutiny, but with its clever pacing and sing-along worthy lyrics, “Your Love” stands the test of time.
358. Devo – “Whip It” (1980)
Their singular fashion sense and punchy writing style came at the perfect time for the MTV era, even if their earlier fans bemoaned how this made them seem like a novelty act.
357. The Go-Go’s – “We Got the Beat” (1981)
The biggest hit off the Go-Go’s debut album, this single is just no-frills rock & roll that would’ve done numbers in any era of the genre’s heyday.
356. Spacemen 3 – “Walkin’ with Jesus” (1986)
This British band was in their own lane, influenced by the dreamier aspects of the Velvet Underground to craft a softer neo-psychedelia than their peers.
355. New Order – “True Faith” (1987)
More lyrically-straightforward than their other classic singles, this single helped the UK band chart in the US top 40 for the first and only time in the ’80s.
354. The Jesus and Mary Chain – “Head On” (1989)
Casting off the hazy guitar feedback of their earlier records, the Scottish band made waves on the alternative rock charts with this post-punk new wave blend.
353. This Heat – “Health and Efficiency” (1980)
Wedged between two classic experimental rock albums was this 8-minute post-punk epic that starts fairly accessible and then delightfully goes off the rails in their trademark style.
352. Imagination – “Music and Lights” (1982)
The British R&B trio had major success on their first two albums, and the best of their singles is this Jolley and Swain production that exists in the realm of exotic disco maximalism.
351. Inner Life – “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1981)
Toppling Gaye’s & Terrell’s version as being the definitive feat is too tall of a task, but the disco studio group of Inner Life damn near did so with an insane vocal performance by Jocelyn Brown.
Bitter Melodies 