Thursday, August 27, 2015

Pitchfork The 200 Best Songs of the 1980s


Info: "A great deal of today's music looks to the '80s for inspiration, but there are so many different ideas of what '80s as a descriptor can mean. Here we return to the source material". Pitchfork polled its staff and contributing writers for their favorite songs of the decade and it tabulated them in a Top200 chart. Complete list is available online, with a review of each song and some related tracks for further explanation. As of August 2015 twelve songs are missing from Spotify, whereof six are by Prince, who in summer 2015 removed his entire catalogue from the service. 
Source: Pitchfork
Date of publication: 24th August 2015
Spotify playlist latest update: 27th August 2015
Spotify direct links: URI / HTTP




Full list

Strikethrough songs (12/200) are not available on Spotify. Some songs may be not available in all countries.

1. Prince and the Revolution - Purple Rain
2. Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
3. N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton
4. New Order - Blue Monday
5. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
6. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
7. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
8. Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime
9. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message
10. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
11. Prince and the Revolution - When Doves Cry
12. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
13. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
14. The Smiths - There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
15. Sonic Youth - Teen Age Riot
16. Fugazi - Waiting Room
17. Madonna - Into the Groove
18. Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
19. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full / Paid in Full (Seven Minutes of Madness Mix)
20. Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
21. Prince and the Revolution - Kiss
22. Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)
23. Slick Rick - Children's Story
24. Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
25. New Order - Temptation
26. Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
27. Janet Jackson - Love Will Never Do (Without You)
28. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
29. Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out
30. Beastie Boys - Shake Your Rump
31. Frankie Knuckles / Jamie Principle - Your Love
32. N.W.A - Fuck tha Police
33. Prince and the Revolution - I Would Die 4 U
34. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
35. Sade - The Sweetest Taboo
36. Michael Jackson - Human Nature
37. Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love
38. Salt-n-Pepa - Push It
39. Cocteau Twins - Lorelei
40. The Cure - Close to Me
41. Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
42. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
43. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
44. Laurie Anderson - O Superman (For Massenet)
45. De La Soul - Me, Myself and I
46. The Jesus and Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
47. Joy Division - Atmosphere
48. Janet Jackson - When I Think of You
49. Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
50. Madonna - Like a Prayer
51. Bruce Springsteen - I'm on Fire
52. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
53. Kraftwerk - Computer Love
54. Roxy Music - More Than This
55. New Order - Ceremony
56. Bob Marley & the Wailers - Could You Be Loved
57. Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
58. Daryl Hall & John Oates - I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
59. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
60. ESG - Moody
61. Gang Starr - DJ Premier in Deep Concentration
62. Art of Noise - Moments in Love
63. Stevie Nicks - Edge of Seventeen
64. David Bowie - Let's Dance
65. Echo & the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon
66. The Replacements - Alex Chilton
67. Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child o' Mine
68. Biz Markie - Just a Friend
69. Prince - When You Were Mine
70. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
71. Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City
72. Bad Brains - Pay to Cum
73. Pixies - Debaser
74. Dinosaur Jr. - Freak Scene
75. Black Flag - Rise Above
76. Fingers Inc. - Can You Feel It?
77. Metallica - Master of Puppets
78. The Specials - Ghost Town
79. Boogie Down Productions - South Bronx
80. Zapp - Computer Love
81. Diana Ross - Upside Down
82. Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World
83. My Bloody Valentine - You Made Me Realise
84. Slayer - Angel of Death
85. Luther Vandross - Never Too Much
86. Tracy Chapman - Fast Car
87. Tenor Saw - Ring the Alarm
88. Evelyn "Champagne" King - Love Come Down
89. Fela Kuti - Coffin for Head of State
90. Blondie - Call Me
91. Bill Withers / Grover Washington, Jr. - Just the Two of Us
92. Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy
93. U2 - With or Without You
94. Change - The Glow of Love
95. Grace Jones - Pull Up to the Bumper
96. Cherrelle / Alexander O'Neal - Saturday Love
97. Chaka Khan / Rufus - Ain't Nobody
98. Violent Femmes - Blister in the Sun
99. Sister Nancy - Bam Bam
100. The Church - Under the Milky Way
101. Eazy-E - Boyz-n-the-Hood
102. Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
103. Whitney Houston - How Will I Know
104. AC/DC - Back in Black
105. The Cure - Pictures of You
106. Madonna - Borderline
107. Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky
108. Frankie Knuckles - Baby Wants to Ride
109. The Smiths - This Charming Man
110. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
111. The Clash - The Magnificent Seven / The Magnificent Dance (both included)
112. Nirvana - About a Girl
113. The Isley Brothers - Between the Sheets
114. Talk Talk - Life's What You Make It
115. INXS - Never Tear Us Apart
116. Sade - Is It a Crime
117. Rhythim Is Rhythim (Derrick May)  - Strings of Life
118. Minutemen - History Lesson – Part II
119. Soul II Soul - Back to Life (However Do You Want Me)
120. Rick James - Give It to Me Baby
121. Slick Rick / Doug E. Fresh - La Di Da Di
122. Grandmaster & Melle Mel - White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
123. Run-D.M.C. - It's Like That
124. De La Soul - Eye Know
125. The Replacements - Bastards of Young
126. Janet Jackson - Control
127. Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want to Have Fun
128. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
129. This Mortal Coil - Song to the Siren
130. Phil Collins - In the Air Tonight
131. Yellowman - Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
132. Godley & Creme - Cry
133. Fleetwood Mac - Everywhere
134. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
135. Pixies - Gigantic
136. Motörhead - Ace of Spades
137. Mission of Burma - That's When I Reach for My Revolver
138. Rob Base / DJ E-Z Rock - It Takes Two
139. Spacemen 3 - Walkin' With Jesus
140. Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy
141. Beat Happening - Indian Summer
142. Tears for Fears - Head Over Heels
143. Anthony Red Rose - Tempo
144. Big Daddy Kane - Ain't No Half-Steppin'
145. Liquid Liquid - Optimo
146. David Bowie - Modern Love
147. Michael McDonald - I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near)
148. Al B. Sure! - Nite and Day
149. Shannon - Let the Music Play
150. Beastie Boys - Paul Revere
151. Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia
152. Galaxie 500 - Tugboat
153. Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
154. Tangerine Dream - Love on a Real Train
155. A Guy Called Gerald - Voodoo Ray
156. Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust
157. Orange Juice - Rip It Up
158. 808 State - Pacific State
159. George Clinton - Atomic Dog
160. Sheila E. - The Glamorous Life
161. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
162. Orchestra Baobab - Mouhamadou Bamba
163. Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
164. Hüsker Dü - Pink Turns to Blue
165. Inner City - Good Life
166. George Benson - Give Me the Night
167. Yoko Ono - Walking on Thin Ice
168. LL Cool J - I Can't Live Without My Radio
169. The Chills - Pink Frost
170. Cybotron - Clear
171. King Sunny Ade and His African Beats - Ja Funmi
172. The Sugarcubes - Birthday
173. Wipers - Youth of America
174. Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
175. K-Rob / Rammellzee - Beat Bop
176. Schoolly D - P.S.K. What Does It Mean?
177. The Pretenders - Brass in Pocket
178. Nina Simone - Fodder in Her Wings
179. The Joubert Singers - Stand on the Word
180. Patrice Rushen - Forget Me Nots
181. Womack & Womack - Teardrops
182. Strafe - Set It Off
183. Loose Joints - Is It All Over My Face
184. Wayne Smith - Under Me Sleng Teng
185. Class Action - Weekend
186. The Clash - Rock the Casbah
187. Mtume - Juicy Fruit
188. Carly Simon - Why
189. EPMD - You Gots to Chill
190. Gregory Isaacs - Night Nurse
191. Alice Coltrane - Jagadishwar
192. William Onyeabor - Good Name
193. Kano - I'm Ready
194. Too $hort - Freaky Tales
195. Jungle Brothers - Straight Out the Jungle
196. Dinosaur L - Go Bang! #5 (Francois K Mix)
197. Donald Byrd / 125th Street, N.Y.C. - Love Has Come Around
198. A Certain Ratio - Shack Up
199. Tom Zé - Nave Maria
200. Egyptian Lover - I Cry (Night After Night)

1 comment:

  1. Do you accept submissions? Because I have some great ideas I could whip together and your site seems like the perfect place to showcase those playlists...

    ReplyDelete