Turn up the volume for a musical time capsule! We're counting down the most iconic tracks that defined 1985's soundscape. From Prince's psychedelic shift to Madonna's dance floor domination, these chart-toppers still resonate four decades later. Which anthem takes you back to the era of big hair, MTV, and musical revolution?
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00:00It doesn't hurt me, yeah, yeah, but you wanna feel how I feel.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the best chart-topping singles that turn 40 this year.
00:12You play the guitar on the MTV.
00:16Number 10. Don't You Forget About Me, Simple Minds.
00:19It's the fist pump heard round the world.
00:21Originally written for Billy Idol, who turned it down, Don't You Forget About Me became Simple Minds' biggest hit.
00:27Won't you come see about me?
00:30I'll be alone.
00:33Thanks to its iconic use in The Breakfast Club, the song is an instant time capsule for 1985.
00:38Slow change may pull us apart.
00:42When the light gets into your heart.
00:45Released just weeks before the film, the track hit number one in the US,
00:49and gave the Scottish band their first and only chart-topping single stateside.
00:53Between that unforgettable synth line and the song's bittersweet lyrics,
00:56it perfectly captures the weird magic of being young, misunderstood, and unsure.
01:01I won't harm you or touch your defenses.
01:06Even today, one listen and you are right back in that library detention, trenchcoats and all.
01:11Don't you forget about me?
01:16Number 9. Addicted to Love, Robert Palmer.
01:18This song had the riffs, the swagger, and an epic music video.
01:26Addicted to Love turned Robert Palmer into an unlikely MTV icon.
01:31His slick look and the stoic backing band of identically dressed models perfectly captured the mid-80s aesthetic.
01:36The look was so instantly recognizable, it's been parodied endlessly ever since.
01:47The track itself was a monster hit, topping the Billboard Hot 100 and earning Palmer a Grammy.
01:53With its driving guitar line and sharp-edged vocals, it blurred the lines between rock, pop, and glam.
02:02In 1985, cool didn't get much cooler.
02:05Number 8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Tears for Fears.
02:13Timeless is a word that generally doesn't apply to anything from the 1980s.
02:18Does, however, describe Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
02:20Welcome to your life, there's no turning back.
02:29Eerily relevant as ever, its shimmering guitars and laid-back grooves somehow make Cold War anxiety sound cool.
02:35Tears for Fears originally didn't even want to record it.
02:38It's my own design.
02:41They relented, resulting in their breakout US hit.
02:45It topped the Billboard Hot 100 and cemented their place in 80s pop history.
02:49The lyrics tackle power, control, and the cost of ambition.
02:53The heavy subject matter goes down smoothly thanks to a polished production and haunting vocals.
02:57I can't stand this indecision.
03:01It's existential dread you can dance to, and we're still spinning it today.
03:05Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
03:12Number 7. King of Rock. Run DMC.
03:14Rap was still finding its mainstream footing in 1985, but Run DMC came in like they owned the place.
03:20King of Rock wasn't just a song, it was a mission statement.
03:29The song featured crunchy guitars, shouted vocals, and swagger turned up to 11.
03:33The music video even features a security guard telling the group they don't belong in here.
03:44Spoiler, they absolutely did.
03:46King of Rock shattered the walls between genres, introducing hip-hop to a white audience on MTV.
03:51The track sure wasn't subtle, but it didn't need to be.
03:58It planted a flag and made sure everyone heard the sound.
04:07Number 6. We Are The World. USA for Africa.
04:11Is it a little condescending? You bet.
04:13Is it mind-blowing from a musical perspective?
04:16Not remotely.
04:17But in terms of cultural impact, this song was a juggernaut.
04:21There comes a time when we heed a certain call.
04:26Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones,
04:30We Are The World brought together the biggest names in pop for a single mission.
04:34Raise money for famine relief in Africa.
04:36Well, send them your heart so they know that someone cares.
04:43The effort was sparked by the devastating Ethiopian famine starting in 1983.
04:47Over 1 million people died with millions more displaced.
04:50This single topped charts in over 20 countries, raising tens of millions in relief.
05:01We Are The World made celebrity activism a global phenomenon.
05:05Awkward chorus and all.
05:06Number 5. The Power of Love. Huey Lewis and the News.
05:15Just ask Patrick Bateman. Huey Lewis was the unabated king of the mid-80s.
05:20The power of love is a curious thing.
05:23Written for Back to the Future, The Power of Love wasn't a mediocre movie tie-in, but was a full-blown hit.
05:29You don't need money. Don't take fame.
05:32The track gave Huey Lewis and the News their first number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
05:36The Power of Love is all slick hooks, soaring vocals, and just enough guitar to make it pop rock gold.
05:42That's a power of love.
05:44That's the power of love.
05:46It will forever be linked to Marty McFly, The DeLorean, and one very confused panel of Battle of the Band's judges.
05:52Lewis even has a cameo in the film, rejecting his own song as too darn loud.
05:59Number 4. Money for Nothing. Dire Straits.
06:02That guitar riff? Iconic.
06:11That animated video? Straight-up MTV history.
06:14Money for Nothing was Dire Straits' biggest hit, powered by Mark Knopfler's strong guitar work and a satirical take on Rockstar Excess.
06:21Look at them yo-yos. That's the way you do it.
06:25You play that guitar on the MTV.
06:27Bonus points for Sting, who co-wrote the chorus and lent those famous I-want-my-MTV vocals.
06:33The song hit number one in the U.S. and helped launch the Brothers in Arms album into the stratosphere.
06:38We got to install microwave ovens. Custom kitchen delivery.
06:45Money for Nothing's self-referential snarky lyrics captured both the glamour and the absurdity of 80s pop culture.
06:51That ain't working. That's the way you do it.
06:55Money for nothing and your chicks for free.
06:57Walk of Life, the album's other major single, gave the band its most joyful and most sports-montage-friendly hit.
07:10Number 3. Into the Groove. Madonna.
07:13By 1985, Madonna wasn't just on the rise.
07:16She was already running the show.
07:18You can dance.
07:21For inspiration.
07:22Into the Groove wasn't even released as a single in the U.S., but that didn't stop it from becoming one of her signature hits.
07:29Music can be such a revelation.
07:33Originally recorded for the film Desperately Seeking Susan, the song's blend of dance-pop beats and flirtatious swagger made it a club anthem.
07:40Into the Groove.
07:42Boy, you got to prove your love to me.
07:46In the U.K., it became her first number one single, and it's since landed on just about every Madonna Greatest Hits collection.
07:53If Like a Virgin made her a star, Into the Groove proved she could make you move.
07:58Get up on your feet, yes, up to the speed, the world will it be.
08:04Number 2. How Will I Know? Whitney Houston.
08:07The year 1985 introduced the world to one of the greatest vocalists in the history of modern music.
08:13There's a boy I know, he's the one I dream of.
08:19How Will I Know? was Whitney Houston's breakout pop hit.
08:22The bubbly, synth-driven track paired with a powerhouse vocal performance made it crystal clear.
08:27She was destined for icon status.
08:33She'd already shown off her vocal chops on Saving All My Love For You, but this track proved she could own the dance floor, too.
08:43The music video, full of bright colors and big hair, became an MTV staple, and helped Houston cross over from R&B to full-on pop superstardom.
08:51The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and solidified her place in the charts for years to come.
09:04Before we unveil our top pick, here are some honorable mentions.
09:08There must be an angel playing with my heart.
09:10Eurythmics.
09:11Annie Lennox soars while Stevie Wonder adds harmonica magic to this heavenly hit.
09:15Must be talking to an angel.
09:18Must be talking to an angel.
09:20You spin me round like a record.
09:21Dead or Alive.
09:22Dropped in late 84, this high-drama dance banger kept spinning straight through its parent album's 1985 release.
09:29You spin me right round, baby, right round.
09:33Like a record, baby, right round, round, round, round.
09:36Small Town, John Cougar Mellencamp.
09:38A heartland anthem that made Small Town Pride sound like a stadium-sized chorus.
09:42Yeah, I can be myself here in this small town.
09:47And people let me be just what I want to be.
09:50Running up that hill, a deal with God.
09:52Kate Bush.
09:53Haunting, urgent, and running back to superstardom through Stranger Things decades later.
09:58If only God, I'd make a deal with God.
10:02And I'd get him to swap out loses.
10:05Summer of 69, Bryan Adams.
10:08A nostalgic blast of guitars and glory days that made growing up sound like an anthem.
10:13Standing on your mama's porch.
10:15You told me that he'd last forever.
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10:35Number 1.
10:36Raspberry Beret.
10:37Prince.
10:38Only Prince could turn a second-hand store crush into one of the most beloved songs of the 80s.
10:43Raspberry Beret marked a stylistic shift from the synth-heavy sounds of Purple Rain to something more psychedelic and playful.
10:56He brought something new and interesting, incorporating strings and tambourines with his unmistakable charisma.
11:04Released as the lead single from around the world in a day, it became a top-five hit and an instant fan favorite.
11:18Backed by the revolution, Prince created a world that felt romantic, rebellious, and totally his own.
11:24What classic songs take you back to 1985?
11:33Take us on in the comments.
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