300. LL Cool J – “I Can’t Live Without My Radio” (1985)
Def Jam was the leading label in hip-hop as it became a mainstream phenomenon, and LL was the first rapper with an album with Radio featuring its legendary quasi-title track.
299. Class Action – “Weekend” (1983)
This track was originally made by the post-disco group Phreek for Atlantic records, but Larry Levan and Sleeping Bag records would remake it and turn the single into a UK and dance chart success.
298. Flipper – “Sex Bomb” (1982)
A defining characteristic of ’80s American punk was high BPM, but Flipper slowed it down and leaned on the texture of their guitar distortion.
297. Kool & the Gang – “Get Down on It” (1981)
A timeless dance staples, this top 10 Billboard hit proved that many of the ’70s disco/r&b songcraft could still easily translate to the new decade.
296. King Sunny Adé and His African Beats – “Ja Funmi” (1982)
King Sunny Adé was a major traditionalist force in Nigeria, but with his 1982 release Juju Music, he updated the namesake genre to include synthesizers and drum machines which garnered global attention.
295. Sinéad O’Connor – “Mandinka” (1987)
This high-octane Celtic pop rock single introduced a singular uncompromising voice to the world and was, for now, welcomed with open arms.
294. Daryl Hall & John Oates – “Out of Touch” (1984)
Their final number one hit ranks up there as one of the most infectious synth pop singles of the era.
293. Kraftwerk – “Numbers” (1981)
The most jittery song in Kraftwerk’s catalog, this Computer World track would be a foundational sample across electro and hip-hop for the next two decades.
292. The Fall – “The Classical” (1982)
Mark E. Smith’s nihilistic and confrontational persona is on full display on his band’s defining release, a spoken word post-punk epic.
291. Tom Zé – “Nave Maria” (1984)
Nearly two decades into his career, the Brazilian avant-pop aesthete had refined his sound into a downright giddy affair that had no contemporaries.
290. Adonis – “No Way Back” (1986)
With his upbringing in bass guitar, Adonis crafted house music with a heavy sound that paved the way for acid house’s takeover.
289. Madonna – “Express Yourself” (1989)
Just five years after “Material Girl”, the biggest pop diva of the ’80s proclaimed that jewelry and cars don’t compare to true love expressed on this worldwide smash hit.
288. Crowded House – “Don’t Dream It’s Over” (1986)
When Split Enz broke up, some of its members continued on as this pop rock group that exploded internationally with this blue-eyed soul classic.
287. Too $hort – “Freaky Tales” (1987)
The story of hip-hop took a massive left turn with one man from Oakland who would brag about his sexual endeavors with no filter for 9+ minutes.
286. Earth, Wind & Fire – “Let’s Groove” (1981)
Boogie’s defining anthem (it’s in the opening line) comes from r&b band’s last platinum-selling single.
285. Bad Brains – “Pay to Cum” (1980)
The seminal (semen-al?) hardcore punk band escalated the Ramones punk sound into overdrive with this debut single where lyrics were spat out in one syllable.
284. Yazoo – “Situation” (1982)
The synth-pop duo greatly advanced the synth-pop genre with Upstairs at Eric’s and its signature single.
283. Prince – “When You Were Mine” (1980)
Prince played every instrument on this early classic that melded new wave and power pop songwriting with the Minneapolis synth funk sound for a style all his own.
282. The Sugarhill Gang – “8th Wonder” (1980)
Most discuss this revolutionary hip-hop group as just the act that made “Rapper’s Delight”, but this follow-up single is every bit as electrifying and danceable.
281. Bob Marley & the Wailers – “Redemption Song” (1980)
Marley likely knew that this final song off Uprising would be his last artistic gift to the world, so he left it with the spare instrumentation of an acoustic guitar and one of his best vocal performances.
280. Simple Minds – “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (1985)
Even with 21 studio albums, this band will forever be associated with the fist pump of Judd Nelson as the iconic chorus plays over the credits.
279. The Police – “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” (1981)
The most sonically adventurous of their massive hits, this Ghost in the Machine single included a guest keyboardist that wonderfully counter-balances the reggae rock sound.
278. Shirley Lites – “Heat You Up (Melt You Down)” (1983)
Frank Fioravanti and Joe Parente both worked in the Philadelphia soul scene in the ’70s and then shifted to Hi-NRG disco to produce and write this under-heard dance classic.
277. Audio Two – “Top Billin'” (1987)
Originally the B-side, this classic hip-hop song’s spare production inspired a great number of table-pounding beats.
276. Minor Threat – “In My Eyes” (1981)
The straight edge mantra of these hardcore pioneers was laid out in this signature song that derides the common excuses for taking drugs.
275. Men at Work – “Overkill” (1983)
The sax-driven Australian band has more popular songs, but this Billboard top 5 hit single holds up best on repeat listens.
274. Dinosaur Jr. – “Little Fury Things” (1987)
The opener to one of the most influential indie rock albums of all time is a masterclass in heavy guitar with distortion and feedback adding prickly texture to every melody.
273. N.W.A. – “Express Yourself” (1989)
A detour from the gangsta rap of Straight Outta Compton, this single was a showcase for Dr. Dre’s more-than-capable abilities as a rapper.
272. Paul McCartney – “Waterfalls” (1980)
A McCartney hidden gem, this minimalist love song is far from silly, as its spare icy textures balance the earnestly direct metaphors.
271. George Clinton – “Atomic Dog” (1982)
The P-Funk sound spilled over into the ’80s with its leader going “solo” (P-Funk mainstays played on this) and this single becoming a major hip-hop reference point.
270. The Blue Nile – “The Downtown Lights” (1989)
The Scottish band crafted synth pop that thrived in mellow downtempo soundscapes, antithetical to what got radio airplay in the ’80s.
269. Gregory Isaacs – “Night Nurse” (1982)
One of reggae’s best vocalists, Isaacs is best-known for this thinly-veiled metaphor for marijuana healing a broken heart.
268. INXS – “Need You Tonight” (1987)
The Australian band’s commercial peak came with this funky, flirty single whose influence can be seen in bands today like The 1975.
267. Michael Jackson – “Thriller” (1982)
From its world-stopping music video to revolutionary recording techniques, this title track remains one of the most expensive endeavors in pop music history, and the resulting critical and commercial adoration speaks for itself.
266. Inner City – “Good Life” (1989)
This Billboard dance number one hit is one of Detroit techno’s greatest achievements, influencing many tackier worldwide dance hits in its wake.
265. U2 – “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (1987)
Working as the thesis statement of U2’s American journey for Joshua Tree, this number one hit is mainstream rock at its most spiritually uplifting.
264. Orange Juice – “Rip It Up” (1982)
In this single, the Scottish band stood apart from their new wave contemporaries by looking towards Nile Rodgers as a main influence rather than just post-punk bands of the time.
263. Def Leppard – “Photograph” (1983)
A famous guilty pleasure for glam metal haters, this breakthrough single for the UK band is unrelenting in its air-guitar-worthy riffs and sing-along lyrics.
262. Lil Louis – “French Kiss” (1989)
The Chicago house identity was not such a monoculture by the late-’80s with this erotic acid trance hit having some fun with tempo slowdowns and speedups.
261. Pixies – “Monkey Gone to Heaven” (1989)
With its cultish biblical imagery and environmental lyrics, this Doolittle lead single remains enigmatic and thrilling to this day.
260. Eric B. & Rakim – “I Know You Got Soul” (1987)
Just within the first 30 seconds of this hip-hop classic, you should hear the intro to Aaliyah’s “Try Again”, the hook to “Pump Up the Volume” and in general, the drum sounds that would define hip-hop in the ’90s.
259. Bruce Springsteen – “Hungry Heart” (1980)
The Boss entered the ’80s as mostly just a critical darling, but this lead single from The River made him a household name in heartland rock.
258. Phuture – “Acid Tracks” (1987)
Originally called “In Your Mind”, this 12-minute foundational acid house single was properly re-named by the Chicago club crowds due to its trippy, looping, bleeping production.
257. Cocteau Twins – “Carolyn’s Fingers” (1988)
Blue Bell Knoll was sung entirely in Elizabeth Fraser’s invented language making every high-pitched melody so beautifully inscrutable.
256. Boogie Down Productions – “My Philosophy” (1988)
KRS-One led the charge in socially conscious hip-hop adopting a persona as “The Teacher” in this By All Means Necessary opener.
255. Pet Shop Boys (ft. Dusty Springfield) – “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” (1987)
The decision to duet with Dusty Springfield was a bold choice for the rising synth-pop duo as the record label wanted a more relevant act, but Neil Tennant insisted and revived her career in the process.
254. A Guy Called Gerald – “Voodoo Ray” (1988)
The meteoric rise in techno began to reach the UK with this popular single helping solidify the Manchester acid house sound.
253. When in Rome – “The Promise” (1987)
The short-lived English synth-pop band had little success in their homeland, but the twinkling piano and romantic lyrics of this single worked for the US.
252. Talking Heads – “Road to Nowhere” (1985)
As the future’s outlook gets bleaker, this last-call sing-along anthem continues to offer a little hope on what our communal journey ends up being.
251. Schoolly D – “P.S.K. ‘What Does It Mean’?” (1985)
This classic from the Philadelphia rapper is influential for its gangsta rap lyrics and its reverb-heavy drums that inspired an array of artists from Ice-T to Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Bitter Melodies 