TopPicks Index
Top 6 Go-Go's Songs of the '80s
The Go-Go's made quite a splash as one of rock's first entirely self-reliant, highly successful rock bands. In the process, the band released an impressive variety of quality music over three studio albums. Here's a look at the group's best.
Top 8 Huey Lewis & the News Songs of the '80s
As one of the '80s most quintessential bands, Huey Lewis & the News actually carved out a rather independent if middle-of-the-road path to pop stardom. After all, while other artists responded to changing trends and adapted to emerging genres, the Bay Area band continued to play its accessible brand of bar band heartland rock throughout the decade. And record buyers kept snapping up tunes like these with a similar level of consistency.
Top 8 Journey Songs of the '80s
Over the course of only three albums, former prog rockers turned rock balladeers Journey churned out an impressive array of hit singles and prime album tracks. Almost all are worthy of praise, but it’s also notable that a handful of these tunes have not only withstood the test of time but stand up well to focused scrutiny. The best of the best of Journey may be up for debate, but the fact that the band still matters has by now become a matter of certainty. Here are eight reasons why.
Top 10 Hall & Oates Songs of the '80s
Despite a versatility uncommon for musical artists of any era, few acts are more strongly linked to the '80s than the long-running duo of Daryl Hall & John Oates. During the first half of the decade, the pair forged an impressive status as reliable hitmakers that was simply unmatched. The songs from this period reflect a deep sense of pop songcraft but also navigate the changing waters of rock music gracefully and creatively. Along the way the duo became icons of the decade.
Top 5 Whitney Houston Singles of the '80s
Although Whitney Houston burst on the scene only when the '80s were already half over and released only two albums within the decade, she was an '80s icon through and through. Still, her small output and singles-heavy albums require a greater selectivity when it comes to compiling her best work into a list format. After all, as big a superstar as she was, Houston charted only about a dozen songs within the decade. Check out my list of the top five Whitney Houston singles of the '80s.
Top 10 Michael Jackson Songs of the '80s
With only three albums released within the decade, albeit big, successful ones, Michael Jackson is really best examined as a singles artist. As such, from a Billboard charts perspective, it’s tough to pinpoint his best work because he was such a phenomenon of the decade. Here’s a look at what I think are the top 10 Michael Jackson songs of the '80s, warts and all.