Decade consensus · Hard Rock & Metal · 3 year-end countdowns + 1 decade countdowns

The best hard rock songs of the 1980s

This ranking of the 1980s combines 3 year-end countdowns from 1980 through 1989 with one “songs of the decade” countdowns aired by KISW. The top song of the '80s is “Back in Black” by AC/DC, which charted on 2 countdowns and reached number one one times. The decade’s most-charted artists are AC/DC, Journey, Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard and Van Halen.

89songs charted

3year-end countdowns

1decade countdowns

Top 100 songs of the '80s

#	Song	Strength	Lists	Best	#1s	Year
1	Back in Black AC/DC	196	2	#1	1	1980
2	Don't Stop Believing Journey	180	2	#3	–	1981
3	Another One Bites the Dust Queen	168	2	#3	–	1980
4	I Love Rock-N-Roll Joan Jett	160	2	#4	–	1981
5	Crazy Train Ozzy Osbourne	140	2	#6	–	1980
6	Rebel Yell Billy Idol	108	2	#3	–	1983
7	Start Me Up The Rolling Stones	100	2	#9	–	1981
8	Sweet Child o' Mine Guns N Roses	100	1	#1	1	1988
9	For Those About to Rock AC/DC	100	1	#1	1	1981
10	Photograph Def Leppard	100	1	#1	1	1983
11	And the Cradle Will Rock Van Halen	96	1	#2	–	1980
12	Unchained Van Halen	96	1	#2	–	1981
13	Sharp Dressed Man ZZ Top	96	1	#2	–	1983
14	Jump Van Halen	92	1	#3	–	–
15	Jukebox Hero Foreigner	88	2	#6	–	1981
16	Anyway You Want It Journey	88	1	#4	–	1980
17	Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Journey	88	1	#4	–	1983
18	New Year's Day U2	84	1	#5	–	1983
19	You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC	84	1	#5	–	1980
20	Pour Some Sugar On Me Def Leppard	84	1	#5	–	–
21	Centerfold J. Geils Band	84	1	#5	–	1981
22	Cum on Feel the Noize Quiet Riot	80	1	#6	–	1983
23	Here I Go Again Whitesnake	80	1	#6	–	–
24	Don't Stand So Close to Me The Police	76	1	#7	–	1980
25	Owner of a Lonely Heart Yes	76	1	#7	–	1983
26	The Stroke Billy Squier	76	1	#7	–	1981
27	Gimme All Your Lovin' ZZ Top	72	2	#15	–	1983
28	In the Air Tonight Phil Collins	72	1	#8	–	1981
29	Bark at the Moon Ozzy Osbourne	72	1	#8	–	1983
30	The Zoo Scorpions	72	1	#8	–	1980
31	Hit Me With Your Best Shot Pat Benatar	68	2	#17	–	1980
32	Let's Dance David Bowie	68	1	#9	–	1983
33	Whip It Devo	68	1	#9	–	1980
34	Livin' on a Prayer Bon Jovi	68	1	#9	–	–
35	Flying High Again Ozzy Osbourne	64	1	#10	–	1981
36	Kickstart My Heart Motley Crue	64	1	#10	–	1997
37	Even It Up Heart	64	1	#10	–	1980
38	Holy Diver Dio	64	1	#10	–	1983
39	Tom Sawyer Rush	60	2	#12	–	1981
40	High N Dry Def Leppard	60	1	#11	–	1981
41	Against the Wind Bob Seger	60	1	#11	–	1980
42	Pink Houses John Mellencamp	60	1	#11	–	1983
43	Seek and Destroy Metallica	56	1	#12	–	1983
44	Rock You Like a Hurricane Scorpions	56	1	#12	–	–
45	Let My Love Open The Door Pete Townshend	56	1	#12	–	1980
46	Every Breath You Take The Police	52	1	#13	–	1983
47	I Won't Back Down Tom Petty	52	1	#13	–	–
48	Edge of Seventeen Stevie Nicks	52	1	#13	–	1981
49	Love Stinks J. Geils Band	52	1	#13	–	1980
50	Once in a Lifetime Talking Heads	48	1	#14	–	1980
51	We're Not Gonna Take It Twisted Sister	48	1	#14	–	–
52	Foolin Def Leppard	48	1	#14	–	1983
53	The Waiting Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers	48	1	#14	–	1981
54	Master of Puppets Metallica	44	1	#15	–	2022
55	I Don't Know Ozzy Osbourne	44	1	#15	–	1980
56	Live Wire Motley Crue	44	1	#15	–	1981
57	Fashion David Bowie	40	1	#16	–	1980
58	You Better You Bet The Who	40	1	#16	–	1981
59	Dude Looks Like a Lady Aerosmith	40	1	#16	–	–
60	Mr. Roboto Styx	40	1	#16	–	1983
61	Living After Midnight Judas Priest	36	1	#17	–	1980
62	Who's Crying Now Journey	36	1	#17	–	1981
63	Big Log Robert Plant	36	1	#17	–	1983
64	Lick It Up Kiss	32	1	#18	–	1983
65	Urgent Foreigner	32	1	#18	–	1981
66	Shake It Up The Cars	28	1	#19	–	1981
67	Shout at the Devil Motley Crue	28	1	#19	–	1983
68	Keep On Loving You REO Speedwagon	28	1	#19	–	1980
69	Sunday Bloody Sunday U2	24	1	#20	–	1983
70	With or Without You U2	24	1	#20	–	1987
71	Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic The Police	24	1	#20	–	1981
72	Hells Bells AC/DC	24	1	#20	–	1980
73	Bad Reputation Joan Jett	20	1	#21	–	1980
74	Sister Christian Night Ranger	20	1	#21	–	1983
75	Stop Draggin' My Heart Around Stevie Nicks & Tom Petty	20	1	#21	–	1981
76	If Looks Could Kill Heart	20	1	#21	–	–
77	Freewill Rush	16	1	#22	–	1980
78	Destroyer The Kinks	16	1	#22	–	1981
79	Rainbow in the Dark Dio	16	1	#22	–	1983
80	Over the Mountain Ozzy Osbourne	12	1	#23	–	1981
81	Summer of '69 Bryan Adams	12	1	#23	–	1990
82	Turn Me Loose Loverboy	12	1	#23	–	1981
83	Love Is A Battlefield Pat Benatar	12	1	#23	–	1983
84	Mr. Crowley Ozzy Osbourne	8	1	#24	–	1980
85	Pride and Joy Stevie Ray Vaughan	8	1	#24	–	1983
86	Hold On Loosely .38 Special	8	1	#24	–	1981
87	I Will Follow U2	4	1	#25	–	1981
88	Middle of the Road The Pretenders	4	1	#25	–	1983
89	Limelight Rush	4	1	#25	–	1981

Station countdowns of the '80s

Listener-voted “best of the decade” countdowns as broadcast.

KISW · 2021 KISW Top 25 Rock Songs from the '80s 25 songs

About this ranking

The 1980s ranking adds together two kinds of evidence: the year-end countdowns from each year of the decade, and the retrospective “songs of the decade” countdowns that stations aired afterwards. Year-end lists capture what listeners loved at the time; decade countdowns capture what lasted. Every appearance earns percentile-based points, and the totals are ranked. See the methodology for details.