I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner became the band’s most successful single when it topped the charts in 1984. Written by Mick Jones in a single late-night session and elevated by a gospel choir, it remains one of the most emotionally direct recordings in rock history.
I Want to Know What Love Is (1984) – Foreigner Hit Read Post »
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 (1982): The Number One Hit That Defined the 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.
Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top (1983): The Guitar Anthem That Defined the MTV Era Read Post »
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.
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.
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.
Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey (1981): The Most Downloaded Rock Song of Its Era 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 by Iron Maiden (1982): The Anthem That Launched a Heavy Metal Era 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.
Like a Virgin by Madonna (1984): The Pop Recording That Defined a Decade 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 by Dire Straits (1985): The Defining Guitar Anthem of the MTV Era 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 »
