B. Gomer
Maybe there was a better era for love songs. But it certainly didn't feel that way.
Everything about the 1980s and its music was big. The blockbuster pop album became a regular thing.
Various genres were able to score top-10 hits.
Love was also in the air, as some of the decade's biggest tunes would become wedding songs for the decades to come.
Here we countdown the greatest love songs of the 1980s, allowing just one per artist (not counting duets). Light the fire and grab a glass of wine.
80. Jennifer Warnes & Joe Cocker - "Up Where We Belong"
The song that comes with the image of Richard Gere carrying Debra Winger out of a factory at the end of "An Officer and a Gentleman." Still, "Up Where We Belong" isn't actually that great of a song. But the chorus is big enough to tug at the heartstrings.
79. Air Supply - "Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)"
Okay, so maybe Air Supply isn't the coolest band in the world. But the band's dual vocalist drive on "Here I Am" was enough to push the sad love song to the top-five on the charts.
78. Richard Marx - "Right Here Waiting"
Still holding strong to his mullet at the end of the 1980s, Richard Marx delivered one of his biggest hits with "Right Here Waiting," a song that was written as a love letter to Marx's wife.
77. Billy Ocean - "Suddenly"
The title track from Billy Ocean's breakthrough album knows how to milk a chorus. If the sweet soul sounds of Ocean's voice wasn't enough, we get a little guitar to drive home the fact that this could be baby making music, if you want it to.
76. Skid Row - "I Remember You"
Don't ever say Sebastian Bach didn't give the world anything memorable and touching.
75. Peter Cetera - "Glory of Love"
Peter Cetera was out to prove himself after leaving Chicago for a solo career. He did that with his first big solo hit in "Glory of Love," which received a boost from the "Karate Kid II" soundtrack.
74. Debbie Gibson - "Lost In Your Eyes"
Gibson was the Britney Spears of the 1980s, delivering a string of teen pop hits. The over-the-top ballad "Lost In Your Eyes" served as the lead single from Gibson's chart-topping sophomore album "Electric Youth."
73. Jennifer Rush - "The Power of Love"
Upon its release, Rush's love song became one of the biggest selling songs by a female artist ever. It has since been covered by the likes of Celine Dion and Air Supply.
72. Cheap Trick - "The Flame"
For all the ground-breaking power pop Cheap Trick delivered during the 1970s, the band got into full 80s mode with "The Flame," a cheesy soft rock anthem that went all the way to No. 1.
71. Warrant - "Heaven"
"Heaven" caught just about everyone by surprise, given that Warrant was known for the raunchy song/album "Cherry Pie." Yet, "Heaven" propelled the band to new heights, going all the way to No.2 on the charts. Of course, the 1990s wouldn't be so kind to Warrant as the grunge era was upon us.
70. Chris de Burgh - "The Lady in Red"
Chris de Burgh is an extremely talented artist whose catalog is beloved around the world. But to mainstream audiences, he's known for the massive hit "The Lady in Red."
69. Taylor Dayne - "I'll Always Love You"
Taylor Dayne's big 80s hit uses the power of the saxophone, courtesy of Billy Joel bandmember Richie Cannata.
68. INXS - "Never Tear Us Apart"
INXS's go-to ballad is serious stuff, written to the tune of the Vietnamese waltz and transformed into 80s pop gold.
67. The Style Council - "You're the Best Thing"
After leaving The Jam, Paul Weller formed The Style Council and gave the world this blue-eyed soul gem that felt a bit ahead of its time.
66. Bonnie Tyler - "Total Eclipse of the Heart"
Bonnie Tyler's massive hit could only exist in the 1980s. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" feels like a novelty these days, but has benefited from that to the tune of more than 6 millions copies sold.
65. Surface - "Shower Me with Your Love"
Surface might feel a bit like a faceless vocal group from the 1980s. But there's no denying the group's ability to deliver stellar ballads like "Shower Me with Your Love." The group topped out in 1990 with its No. 1 hit "For the First Time."
64. The Proclaimers - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"
For a song like The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be" to become a hit, the stars really have to align. Interestingly enough, that didn't actually happen when the song premiered in 1988. It wasn't until it appeared on the "Benny & Joon" soundtrack in 1993 that The Proclaimers' signature song became a hit.
63. DeBarge - "All This Love"
The backing melody to DeBarge's "All This Love" became a popular sample for hip hop producers. Not surprising, considering how hypnotic it is.
62. Bon Jovi - "I'll Be there For You"
In the catalog of Bon Jovi ballads, "I'll Be There" doesn't sit at the top, falling behind songs like "Always" and "Never Say Goodbye." But it's pure 1980s rock and better than 90 percent of the hair metal ballads that came out of the decade.
61. Luther Vandross - "So Amazing"
Vandross originally produced "So Amazing" as a 1983 song by Dionne Warwick. Of course, he had to go and hijack it three years later, recording the song himself for his Grammy nominated "Give Me a Reason" album.
60. Patti Austin and James Ingram - "Baby, Come to Me"
You know as song can make you feel the love when it gets picked up by a soap opera. "General Hospital" made "Baby, Come to Me," a love theme for its star character Luke Spencer, helping the song go full mainstream.
59. Aerosmith - "Angel"
Before "I Don't Wan to Miss a Thing," there was "Angel," Aerosmith's highest charting song at the time coming years (and years) after the band first debuted.
58. Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack - "Tonight, I Celebrate My Love"
The standout track from Bryson and Flack's duets album is also the song that makes Bryson the most unlikely artist to land on a 1980s and 1990s love songs list. He also sings on the soundtrack release to "Aladdin's" "A Whole New World."
57. Paul Young - "Everytime You Go Away"
Hall & Oates first recorded "Everytime You Go Away" in 1980, but never released it as a single. Paul Young found a way to make the song sound even more depressing and, thus, viable to mainstream audiences. It hit No. 1 in the summer of 1985.
56. Survivor - "The Search Is Over"
No doubt you remember Survivor for "Eye of the Tiger." But the band had other big hits, including the ballad "The Search Is Over," which peaked at No. 4.
55. Rick Astley - "Never Gonna Give You Up"
Perhaps no song on this list has lived on in pop culture as much as this modern prank anthem.
54. Chicago - "You're the Inspiration"
Chicago built a stellar reputation early in its career with a run of jazz-fusion albums that produced some major hits. But the Chicago most people now know stems from its big 1980s soft rock run, led by "You're the Inspiration." Corny? Yes. But there's no denying people ate this stuff up.
53. Michael Bolton - "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You"
Not satisfied with Laura Branigan's 1983 version of the song he co-wrote, Bolton closed out the 1980s with his own version of "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" that made him a pop superstar.
52. Kool & The Gang - "Cherish"
When you think Kool & Gang, you typically think of dance songs. But, perhaps, the group's most impressive composition is the ballad "Cherish," a crossover smash that became the biggest adult contemporary song of the 1980s.
51. Huey Lewis and the News - "The Power of Love"
In 1985, Huey Lewis and the News scored big with "The Power of Love," a song written for the "Back to the Future" soundtrack. That might seem like an odd pairing, but it worked wonders for both the band and the movie.
50. Lionel Richie - "Hello"
It's almost impossible to detach Lionel Richie's hit ballad from its corresponding video where he essentially stalks a blind woman. It's the ultimate Craigslist missed connections song if there ever was one.
49. Spandau Ballet - "True"
Few songs have a better intro (or chorus for that matter) than Spandau Ballet's "True." You could make the argument it's kind of downhill from there. But, more so, it's just schmaltzy 1980s.
48. New Kids on the Block - "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)"
The real question surrounding the chart-topping ballad from NKOTB's "Hangin' Tough" album is whether or not Jordan Knight can actually hit these notes these days.
47. Whitesnake - "Is This Love"
David Coverdale may be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his time withe Deep Purple. But, come on. He's most remembered for his time leading Whitesnake. Coverdale originally wrote "Is This Love" with Tina Turner in mind, but kept it for Whitesnake. The song went to No. 2 and was a mainstay on MTV thanks to its video featuring Tawny Kitaen.
47. Atlantic Starr - "Secret Lovers"
It took a song about marriage infidelity to earn Atlantic Starr the breakthrough it so richly deserved in the 1980s. It helps when you have members Barbara Weathers and David Lewis singing their hearts out.
46. The Smiths - "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"
"To die by your side...Well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine..." You'd be surprised what a mix of raw emotion and humor can do to emo kids. Morrissey's lyrics (inspired by the film "Rebel Without a Cause") remain some of the most iconic in Britpop history.
45. Bryan Adams - "Heaven"
Bryan Adams raspy voice made his perfectly written pop-rock songs sound unique. "Heaven" almost feels like a 1980s ballad by the numbers, with its piano melody and well-timed drums and guitar parts.
44. Simply Red - "If You Don't Know Me by Now"
Simply Red's Mick Hucknall was a huge fan of Harold Melvins & the Blue Notes and it shows in the cover of "You Don't Know Me By Now." Hucknall milks the song for everything its worth, crafting a blue-eyed soul tune that would go all the way to No. 1.
43. Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes - "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"
For a lot of people, this is it - The best of the best when it comes to 1980s love songs, mostly because it ends "Dirty Dancing." Yet, even the single version of the song is (too) long, suggesting listeners wouldn't want it to stop. They were mostly right.
42. Cutting Crew - "(I Just) Died in Your Arms"
As tragic as Cutting Crew's song sounds, it actually stems from a French metaphor for an orgasm. So, not that tragic. Mostly just weird...but very catchy.
41. Willie Nelson - "Always on My Mind"
Willie Nelson was certainly not the first person to cover "Always on My Mind." But his version became the definitive one, which is impressive considering Elvis Presley had a top-20 hit with it as well.
40. LL Cool J - "I Need Love"
Hip-hop, especially in the 1980s, didn't have much to do with love, until LL Cool J made it that way. "I Need Love" stands as one of the boldest rap songs of all time and LL was really the only emcee with enough charisma to pull it off.
39. Grover Washington Jr. - "Just the Two of Us"
The Bill Withers-penned tuned stands as one of the most beautiful love songs of the 1980s. It also went big in Japan when the track was covered by Toshinobu Kubota in the early 1990s.
38. Eric Carmen - "Hungry Eyes"
The better song from the "Dirty Dancing" soundtrack comes from Cleveland's own Eric Carmen and better captures the powerful love affair at the center of the movie.
37. Mr. Mister - "Broken Wings"
Mr. Mister had a huge 1985, releasing two singles that would go to No. 1. "Broken Wings" led the way, putting the group in the spotlight before a huge tour opening for Tina Turner.
36. A-ha - "Take On Me"
"Take On Me" is a song that sits with a rather vague meaning. Ultimately, it feels like one of the most honest love songs of the 1980s, asking someone for a chance at a relationship with baggage in one hand.
35. Foreigner - "I Want to Know What Love Is"
Had we opened this list up to more than one song from an artist, Foreigner would have easily scored two songs. As it stands we're going with the band's biggest showcase. "I Want to Know What Love Is" is a monumental ballad that's stood the test of time.
34. REO Speedwagon - "Keep On Loving You"
Given its uplifting sound, "Keep on Loving You" has made its way into numerous movies. It may just be the quintessential 1980s soft rock song.
33. The Cars - "Drive"
Given all the 1980s love songs, finding a new metaphor for romance was quite an achievement. Fittingly, The Cars use driving as the starting point for a series of questions about potential devotion. It became the band's highest charting single.
32. Tears for Fears - "Head over Heels"
Interestingly enough, one of Tears for Fears' signature tunes took two years to get released. A live version combined with "Broken" appeared on the blockbuster album "Songs from Big Chair," but it was "Head over Feels" that stuck in your head.
31. Sister Sledge - "Thinking of You"
If Sister Sledge's "Thinking of You" sounds like a Chic song, that's for good reason. Like the group's other trademark songs, it was produced by Chic duo Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. Their signature guitar and bass sounds are at the songs center, making it the kind of disco track that could exist in any era.
30. The Bangles - "Eternal Flame"
It might not seem like it, but The Bangles are actually one of the more successful female led acts of all time. A big part of that is "Eternal Flame," one of three No. 1 hits the group released and a song that became a worldwide sensation.
29. Cameo - "Candy"
Not every love song has to be slow. Cameo's "Candy" is a declaration of romance. But what pushes it over the top is the fact it's also a magnum funk opus still played at weddings.
28. Pete Townshend - "Let My Love Open the Door"
Just about everyone associated with Pete Townshend was iffy on whether or not he should release such a blatant new wave song. Of course, "Let My Love Open the Door" became one of the biggest things he did outside of The Who.
27. Stevie Wonder - "I Just Called to Say I Love You"
Leave it to Stevie Wonder, one of the greatest composers of our time, to turn a simple (and awesome) gesture into a classic love song.
26. The Police - "Everything Little Thing She Does Is Magic"
You were probably expecting "Every Breath You Take" to make this list. But we don't find stalker songs all that loving. Instead, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" serves as Sting's great love song.
25. Rufus and Chaka Khan - "Ain't Nobody"
"Ain't Nobody" was originally released as a bonus track. But Chaka Khan's voice over the dance-happy tune was something to marvel at, making it one of her most popular songs.
24. Journey - "Open Arms"
Aside from "Don't Stop Believin,'" "Open Arms" is Journey's most essential song and, perhaps, the greatest vocal performance of Steve Perry's career. It's been covered various times but never with this kind of conviction.
23. Whitney Houston - "Saving All My Love For You"
You may not have known Whitney Houston's "Saving All My Love For You" was a cover song. That's because anything her voice touched, she owned from that moment on. It's one of simplest songs Houston ever recorded, but her vocal power is on full display.
22. Modern English - "I Melt with You"
Modern English's amazing "I Melt with You" feels at once totally 80s (oh, that epic montage scene in "Valley Girl"), while also being a song that could come out today and still be a massive hit.
21. Berlin - "Take My Breath Away"
The love theme from "Top Gun," Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" has drama for days. It's also essential to the blockbuster film it scores, given that it makes a relationship that's not really in jeopardy feel like it's the most combustible thing on the planet.
20. Michael Jackson - "The Way You Make Me Feel"
Michael Jackson might be one of the most underrated songwriters of all time, given how many chart-toppers he wrote on his own. One of them is "The Way You Make Me Feel," the funky love song from "Bad" that came in the middle of Jackson racking up hit after hit after hit after...well, you get it.
19. Heart - "Alone"
After earning serious rock cred in the 1970s, Heart tackled "Alone," a song written by Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly. Heart slayed its ballad version of the song, making it the band's signature song with mainstream audiences and a regular showstopper on "American Idol."
18. Yaz - "Only You"
A huge hit in the UK, Yaz's "Only You" didn't make huge waves in the U.S. upon its release. But it has since become one of the most beloved retro songs of all time, featured in your favorite movies or TV shows both in original and cover form.
17. Anita Baker - "Sweet Love"
You could easily make the case the artist most responsible for popularizing the quiet storm genre was Anita Baker, whose album "Rapture" was the blueprint. Songs like "Sweet Love" set the template for the genre that would really blow up in the 1990s.
16. Phil Collins "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"
Written for the 1984 film of the same name, Phil Collins' "Against All Odds" has proven the more memorable commodity (by a long shot). The song about reconciliation is one Collins' most covered songs. It's a beautifully written song that's kind of hard to mess up.
15. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie - "Endless Love"
There are better songs on this list. But you could be easily forgiven for calling "Endless Love" the greatest love song of the 1980s. It's such an essential and timeless ballad from two of the best two of the best to ever do it.
14. U2 - "With or Without You"
Having "With or Without" you as your wedding song (which many people have done) is to misunderstand the meaning. Bono wrote U2's epic ballad about being torn between his life as a musician and a family man. However, in that, it's one of the more honest love songs ever written.
13. Tina Turner - "What's Love Got to Do with It"
Tina Turner's signature song (as a solo artist) is powerful in so many ways. First, it was her comeback hit after breaking away from Ike Turner. It also comes fused with touches of rock that give it an edge fans weren't used to. It's quite a declaration by a woman with a wall up: "Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?" That's real.
12. New Order - "Bizarre Love Triangle"
One of the greatest synthpop and new wave songs ever written finds New Order perfectly combining desperation and sensuality, which is no small accomplishment.
11. Peter Gabriel - "In Your Eyes"
I suppose we could just show you the video from "Say Anything" to justify this placement. Interestingly enough, while "In Your Eyes" is associated with love, it's mean to be rather ambiguous. It's as much about God as it is a romantic relationship.
10. Sade - "Your Love Is King"
No one made sexier music than Sade. She knew it. We knew it. No one has topped it. Songs like "Your Love Is King" are meant to be played while in a bathtub sipping champagne. Whether you're alone or not is up to you.
9. Guns N' Roses - "Sweet Child o' Mine"
It began as a throwaway guitar melody for Slash that Axl Rose overheard. The singer wrote the lyrics about his girlfriend and convinced his reluctant bandmates to record what would become one of the biggest hard rock hits of all time.
8. New Edition - "Can You Stand the Rain"
The departure of Bobby Brown and his massive solo success did nothing to slow New Edition down. In fact, the group released its biggest album with 1988's "Heart Break." The singles dominated the charts. But it's "Can You Stand the Rain" that's endured most as one of the 1980s most essential R&B songs.
7. Cyndi Lauper - "Time After Time"
It's no knock on Cyndi Lauper to say "Time After Time" could have been a hit by anyone. It's her voice and its restraint that makes the perfectly written song so easily digestible. For that reason, it's been covered, well, time after time. But the original remains the most heartfelt.
6. Soft Cell - "Say Hello. Wave Goodbye"
Soft Cell had one major hit in the U.S. and that was, of course, "Tainted Love." But it's not even the band's best song. Soft Cell was a monster act in the UK during the 1980s thanks as much to songs like "Bedsitter," "What!" and the amazing "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye." The song from "Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret" is one of the best album closers of the 1980s or any decade really.
5. Prince - "I Would Die 4 U"
"Purple Rain" might be the song that stands out from Prince's iconic movie, and for good reason. But it can be a vague exercise in songwriting. "I Would Die 4 U" is pretty straight-forward. It's also the moment in the movie the celebration begins. No tears, no heartache. Just raw dance power and a synthpop anthem for the ages.
4. The Cure - "Just Like Heaven"
Robert Smith's range as a songwriter was quite astonishing. The guy could write the most depressing songs in the world, while also evoking such a blissful sense of nostalgia on "Just Like Heaven." It is The Cure's most beautiful song and one that immediately consumes your heart.
3. Madonna - "Crazy For You"
Even with all her singles that helped define pop culture during the 1980s and 1990s, "Crazy For You" remains Madonna's most timeless song. No gimmicks, dance crazes or crazy metaphors. Her vocal performance and its conviction stand on their own.
2. Marvin Gaye - "Sexual Healing"
Calling Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" a comeback single can be a bit misleading in that it suggests it led to another brilliant run for one of the greatest singers of all time. Gaye died two years after its release. Instead it was his last hurrah, and the greatest song about sex ever created.
1. George Michael - "Careless Whisper"
Though it was featured on Wham!'s "Make It Big" album, 1984's "Careless Whisper" was very much a star is born moment for George Michael. The song set up one of the greatest solo careers of the 1980s and sold more than 6 million copies worldwide. "Careless Whisper" combines every great element of 1980s love songs, from the heartbreaking declarations to that unforgettable saxophone playing. No wonder it stands out as an iconic pop song during one the biggest years in music history.
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