The 80s were a great decade for music, with many hit songs that still remain fan favourites to this day.

We have compiled a short list of some of our favourites – and some, in our opinion, of the best songs of the 80s. It’s difficult to choose from so many amazing songs and artists, but we’ve managed to compile a few:

David Bowie – Let’s Dance

Did You Know?

David Bowie wrote Let’s Dance about the conceptual dance that people do in life when they’re not honest. ‘Put on your red shoes and dance the blues’ relates to pretending to be happy when in reality you’re sad.

Queen – Another One Bites the Dust

Did You Know?

This song was used in a study to provide training to medical professionals on the correct number of chest compressions per minute when performing CPR. The British Heart Foundation recommends 100-120 chest compressions per minute, and the bassline has almost 110 beats per minute.

New Order – Blue Monday

Did You Know?

The song Blue Monday is the bestselling 12-inch single ever in Britain. It’s considered to be one of the most influential songs in Synth-pop.

a-ha – Take on Me

Did You Know?

It took approximately two years and several rewrites and re-recordings before the song became the famous version we know and love today.

Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out

Did You Know?

‘I’m Coming Out’ has been seen as an anthem for the LGBT community, being interpreted as an encouragement of self-disclosure and as a celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender identity.

Michael Jackson – Billie Jean

Did You Know?

Billie Jean is about a woman who used to stalk Michael Jackson and claim he was the father of one of her twins.

Prince – When Doves Cry

Did You Know?

Prince removed the bass from the song to achieve a different sound. To Bass Player magazine, he said: “Sometimes your brain kind of splits in two – your ego tells you one thing, and the rest of you says something else. You have to go with what you know is right.”

Toto – Africa

Did You Know?

The song has now become an internet favourite but at the time the band’s guitarist Steve Lukather thought it was the worst song in the entire album.

Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

Did You Know?

Annie Lennox has said that the song focuses on mankind’s quest towards finding fulfillment in life and how mankind is motivated by their ‘sweet dreams’.

Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)

Did You Know?

The track’s producer Narada Michael Walden says that Houston came up with ‘Don’t you wanna dance, say you wanna dance’ in the studio.

Salt-n-Pepa – Push It

Did You Know?

Salt-n-Pepa hated the song, considering it to undermine their rap credibility. They also said they thought the song didn’t have any lyrical direction that they could support.