Top Songs of the '80s (Volume 2)

When you think of the 80s, you might think of Michael Jackson's original transformation. You might think of the big, wild hair or the big shoulder pads. You might think of the Reagan administration. But, I'm here to share with you some of the great music from that retro decade you might not know or remember.

Music videos first became popular in the 1980s, ushering in a new era in experiencing this music. When you compile a list of the 500 greatest songs of the 1980s, of course you have to include Cyndi Lauper's best, The Cars "Drive" made popular by Top Gun, and many songs by such great artists as Eddie Money or the lesser known, Taylor Dayne. These were the songs that defined the era.

I remember staying up late and seeing an info-mercial selling a collection of the 100 best songs of the '70s. It was disappointing. They weren't offering every song by every great artist of that era. So, I set off on a quest to build my own collections of the songs I remembered hearing on the radio. Many were songs from the '70s, and many were songs from the '80s. I decided to split the two, and I started finding some great music I had only heard samples of that I desperately wanted. 

Here is the second sample of a wide-spread collection of songs from an era that changed the sound of rock n' roll. It was also an era that brought about the creation of pop and hip-hop songs. Included in this collection is the fun dance music of Paula Abdul, the great rock sounds of Van Halen, and the soothing sounds of Rod Stewart. They may not be the throbbing sounds of Puff Daddy or the heavy self-deprecating sounds of Harvey Danger, but these songs are a must-have if you have any desire to live or relive the 1980s.