Best Rock Songs of the 80s

I have to admit - if I ever heard this in the 80s, it didn't leave an impression one way or the other. I was more into Styx, Scorpions, and Bon Jovi then the hard metal rock of Motorhead. Lemmy Kilmister launched this UK band after leaving Hawkwind and his new band struggled for several years to find the right representation and their opportunity to make it big. That came with their release of the album Overkill in March of 1979. Fans were hooked and Motorhead never let down after that. The band still actively tours and there last album, Motorizer, was released in August of 2008. They've been going strong for 30 years and I still hadn't heard of them until I researched this page so it's safe to assume that I sometimes live under a rock.

Now, here's a band I am much more familiar with and I clearly remember this song making the charts in the 80s. U2's longevity is certainly given a boost by the fact that they also are still together and going strong. If you're a fan, you need to visit U2's Official Website. I spent an hour on their site, originally to check out their discography and history information but in no time at all I was playing new videos and wondering whether or not I could hock my car and swing the cost of a VIP package to their Wembley concert in August of this year. At $743 per person, not counting my airfare, hotel, etc....well, I'll have to hope MTV replays the event or look for a DVD down the road."

Ahhh! Here they are, one of my favorites when I was a teen. They had a number of popular songs in the 80s but this one deserves to be on the list for its beat, lyrics and its ability to make you bang your head like a rocker no matter how many times you've heard it. The Scorpions also have an excellent website. Hmmm...look at that - they're going to be on tour in France the end of July. Could you imagine taking a trip to France and England and getting to see both U2 and the Scorpions in concert? Much less seeing England and France in their own right (I've always wanted to go)? As a fan of 80s rock, I'm starting to drool at the possibilities.

Europe hails from Sweden and after a break in 1992, the band regrouped in 2003 and has been touring and putting out new music ever since. When this song came out in 1986, it hit the number one spot on the single music charts of at least eight countries including Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, France and the UK. Obviously, the song had a solid impact when it came out. It was inspired by a David Bowie song, Space Oddity, itself a take on the popular song, Major Tom, by Peter Schilling. Common to the best rock songs of the 80s, this song has an incredible guitar solo and a dramatic ending.

I didn't' rig the YouTube video view count, so don't blame me that one of my favorite bands is on this list twice. Obviously, I'm not alone in thinking they were awesome then and still worthy now so they've earned their second spot on this list of top rock songs of the 80s.



This song was part of the Scorpion's Love at First Sting album released in 1984.

What I didn't notice with this song until just recently is how closely the opening resembles the opening to the Eagle's song, Hotel California. Is it just me? Or, maybe everyone else already thought that and I'm just catching on.

AC/DC's heritage is Scottish and Australian (yes, I'm only just now realizing almost none of my favorite music when I was a teen came from my own country...) which you immediately pick up on if you visit AC/DC's website and hear Brian Johnson's recorded welcome.

Don't tell my teenage son (he thinks he discovered AC/DC), but AC/DC is also putting on a tour this year and, thank goodness, it includes the US. Getting from Arizona to Michigan would be much easier for me than getting to England and I could get decent tickets for $100-200. My son turns 16 next year. Could you imagine how blown his mind would be if I managed to get him to an AC/DC concert for his birthday? I have to stop doing pages on the 80s rock bands soon or I'm going to go broke.

"...the thunder from Down Under that gives you the second-most-powerful surge that can flow through your body."

Steven Tyler of Aerosmith

The first American to hit the list is not a band, but a solo recording artist and known the world over for his trend-setting 80s music. When Michael Jackson hit the scene with his unique talent, teens everywhere began practicing their moonwalking skills in the privacy of their own home so they could show off at high school dances.





If you could moonwalk, your friends wanted you to teach them how. I never could - but I tried, guided by my brother who had it down pat.

It is June 25, 2009, and I am in Manhattan on business. In my hotel, during a break, I flip on the TV for background noise while I work on some email. To my utter shock, I hear the news that Michael Jackson has passed away today. I can't believe it - it's not possible. Why is it we think stars are nearly immortal? Their passing seems so unreal, and yet, they're human, too, with all the illnesses that befall the rest of us. Still, it seems to be the end of an era - one of those historic and tragic events that is destined to stick with me through time.





RIP Michael Jackson - June 25, 2009


Your contribution to the music industry will be missed.

This particular video has had embedding disabled by YouTube but you can still watch the video. Click twice and the YouTube page will open directly so you can check it out. However, chances are good you've already seen this video. Taking the 3rd spot on the list, this video has had over 13 million unique views.



This is also AC/DC's second song on this list of Top 10 rock songs from the 80s. It's certain that their ongoing performances have inspired new fans and continuous video views. My teenage son, for example, who couldn't start high school this year without an AC/DC t-shirt.

Here's a story of when art just happens - when a group of talented people just messing around manage to put together a song that remains a hit over 20 years later. According to Wikipedia's history around this song, they put this together in five minutes. During a working session, guitarist Slash started playing a guitar solo just to be funny, someone else added a few chords to play in and they decided it might work. The song was too short, though, and it was suggested they come up with something to throw in at the end. When Axl began thinking out loud about what to do with the ending by saying "Where do we go from here" over and over, the band agreed that was exactly what they should tack in at the end of the song. Is that incredible? A joke, messing around on a guitar, and bam - a major, chart-topping, long-lasting hit on your debut album. Music magic.

This song was a major hit when it came out and we're still in love with it. Doesn't hurt that the video is like a mini-movie and runs more than 13 minutes. The dance from the video has been copied, reused, recycled, and danced the world over. I laughed hysterically when, in the movie 13 Going on 30 with Jennifer Garner, her character decides to lift the mood at a party by getting everyone to dance the Thriller dance. Jennifer's character is really a 13 year old girl who has suddenly woken up as herself in the future and, as a 13 year old, she's been dancing to this MTV video at home for awhile. Come on - if you were a teen then, too, you tried it yourself.