Maneater by Hall & Oates spent four weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1982. Written as a commentary on New York City’s materialistic culture, the track wrapped sharp social criticism in an irresistible groove that still resonates today.
Hall & Oates – Maneater (1982) No. 1 Pop-Rock Hit Read Post »
Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac is one of the most personal and enduring recordings in the band’s catalogue, a Stevie Nicks lyric that reached number one and became an MTV landmark.
Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac: The Hit That Defined Mirage Era Read Post »
Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top is one of the defining guitar anthems of the MTV era, the song that transformed a Texas blues-rock trio into one of the most commercially successful acts of the early 1980s.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 and became one of the defining pop singles of the decade, drawn from the breakthrough album Songs from the Big Chair.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World (1985): Tears for Fears Read Post »
Let’s Dance by David Bowie is the most commercially successful recording of his career, a Nile Rodgers production that took Bowie to number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
Let’s Dance by David Bowie: His Biggest Commercial Hit Read Post »
Rock You Like a Hurricane by Scorpions is one of the most recognisable hard rock anthems of the 1980s, the recording that made a German band into a global stadium act.
Rock You Like a Hurricane: Scorpions’ 1984 Hard Rock Anthem Read Post »
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey is one of the most enduring rock recordings in American music history, a song that has grown from a 1981 hit into a permanent cultural landmark.
Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’: Most Downloaded Rock Song Read Post »
Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden is one of the most explosive singles in heavy metal history, the song that introduced Bruce Dickinson to the world and drove The Number of the Beast to number one.
Run to the Hills: Iron Maiden’s Heavy Metal Anthem (1982) Read Post »
Like a Virgin by Madonna is one of the most commercially dominant pop recordings of the 1980s, spending six weeks at number one and establishing her as an international superstar.
Madonna’s Like a Virgin: Pop Recording That Defined the 80s Read Post »
Money for Nothing by Dire Straits is the defining guitar anthem of 1985, a sardonic masterpiece that became the very thing it was satirising.
Money for Nothing: Dire Straits’ MTV Era Guitar Anthem Read Post »
Back in Black by AC/DC is the best-selling rock album in history, a recording built from grief and defiance that has outlasted every trend since 1980.
Back in Black by AC/DC (1980): The Greatest Rock Album Ever Made Read Post »
The One I Love by R.E.M. is a dark, guitar-driven track that broke the band into the mainstream in 1987, a song widely misread as romantic but rooted in something far more unsettling.
R.E.M.: The One I Love (1987) – Alternative Rock Anthem Read Post »
