TopPicks Index
Top 7 Chicago Songs of the '80s
Here's a look at the cream of the crop from Chicago's distinctive if somewhat disappointing '80s phase, a list of songs far shorter than the Billboard charts back then might have suggested.
Top 8 Def Leppard Songs of the '80s
This quintet from Sheffield, England took early glam rock and British heavy metal leanings and transformed them into a hitmaking juggernaut in the '80s. And the result of that metamorphosis was, naturally, a bevy of good songs, high on hooks but still possessing a genuine hard rock drive. Here’s a look at Def Leppard’s best musical offerings of the decade that seamlessly conveyed its mostly organic, nearly always winning formula.
Top 8 Elvis Costello Songs of the '80s
Although Elvis Costello made his biggest splash in the late '70s as a pub rock/punk/new wave singer-songwriter, the decade in which he demonstrably proved his eclecticism and broad range of talents was undoubtedly the '80s. As a songwriter and performer of brilliance and distinction, Costello deepened his catalogue of great pop/rock songs throughout the decade, without the benefit of hit singles or mainstream commercial appeal. Here are some of his best songs from that period.
Top 8 Cars Songs of the '80s
Removing the Cars’ excellent first two albums from consideration would seem like a pretty devastating handicap, but the band’s consistency during its career of just under a decade ensures plenty of great '80s tunes to choose from for a best-of list.
Top 8 Duran Duran Songs of the '80s
When asked to name important artists of the '80s, very few music fans of that era would leave Duran Duran off their short lists. Here are eight reasons why the band has become so inextricably tied to the glamorous, shimmering decade it matched so perfectly.
Top 10 Bon Jovi Songs of the '80s
As arguably pop metal’s finest and most accessible band of the '80s, Bon Jovi churned out a number of arena rock classics, combining a straightforward, almost heartland rock sound with a glossy image to rule the latter half of the decade. Some were hits without being great songs, but this New Jersey band’s best work stands confidently with the best mainstream rock the '80s had to offer.
Top 8 Bryan Adams Songs of the '80s
Many people may not be aware that Canadian mainstream rocker Bryan Adams enjoyed his greatest success in the '90s as a balladeer and movie theme crooner. Nonetheless, his chart success in the '80s was nothing to scoff at, not to mention the fact that his music during that period was much more interesting. Here’s a look at some of the singer’s finest '80s performances.