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Best 1980s Rock Songs

The best rock songs of the 1980s (80s), ranked — each linking to the album it's from, on vinyl, CD or Amazon Music.

  1. 1
    AC

    Back in Black

    AC/DC · from Back in Black (1980)

    A monstrous riff and a roar.

  2. 2
    QU

    Another One Bites the Dust

    Queen · from The Game (1980)

    A funk-driven, bass-led smash.

  3. 3
    PO

    Every Breath You Take

    The Police · from Synchronicity (1983)

    A sleek, faintly sinister mega-hit.

  4. 4
    ZT

    Sharp Dressed Man

    ZZ Top · from Eliminator (1983)

    Boogie riffs meet 80s synths.

  5. 5
    VH

    Jump

    Van Halen · from 1984 (1984)

    A synth hook and a sky-high chorus.

  6. 6
    BS

    Dancing in the Dark

    Bruce Springsteen · from Born in the U.S.A. (1984)

    His biggest hit, restless beneath the gloss.

  7. 7
    DS

    Money for Nothing

    Dire Straits · from Brothers in Arms (1985)

    A riff, a sneer and an MTV-era satire.

  8. 8
    U2

    With or Without You

    U2 · from The Joshua Tree (1987)

    The slow-burn that made them stadium-sized.

  9. 9
    GN

    Sweet Child o' Mine

    Guns N' Roses · from Appetite for Destruction (1987)

    A tender riff turned anthem.

Tap the artwork or "Listen" to find the track on Amazon Music; "Watch" opens a YouTube search; the song title opens its album page. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases and sign-ups.