Readers' Poll: The 10 Worst Songs of the 1980s

rolling stone ^ | 10/6/2011 | Andy Greene

[SoFloFreeper]

A few weeks ago we asked our readers to vote for their least favorite songs from the 1990s, so it was the obvious next move to dial it back 10 years and see what you guys hated in the 1980s. The results are sure to infuriate a lot of people. For the record, I personally disagree with most of these selections. In fact, I love a lot of these songs...

10. Rick Astley - 'Never Gonna Give You Up'...

9. Taco - 'Puttin' On The Ritz'...

8. Toni Basil - 'Mickey'...

7. Bobby McFerrin - 'Don't Worry Be Happy'...

6. Falco - 'Rock Me Amadeus'...

5. Men Without Hats - 'The Safety Dance'...

4. Wham! - 'Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)'....

3. Chris de Burgh - 'Lady In Red'....

2. Europe - 'The Final Countdown'...

1. Starship - 'We Built This City'...

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

Nobody does Springsteen better than....

An early 60s doo-wop band named Manfred Mann’s Earth Band.

[DCBryan1]

....and even though she's hawt....Kylies songs sucked, esp Locomotion:

[Califreak]

Toooralooralooraloorayeah!

(ducking now)

[Hardastarboard]

Anything by Stevie Wonder

Amen, Amen, Amen!!! I always say that the real tragedy of Stevie Wonder was that he was blind and not deaf.

[DCBryan1]

....up for the top 20 bad 80s song....too shy shy by Kangaroo?

[DCBryan1]

sunglasses at night top 20:

[CrimsonTidegirl]

I agree that video was incredibly gay but Billy Squier’s “ Rock Me Tonight” is just as gay, or gayer. Good song but very unfortunate video which did huge damage to Squier’s career. Squier must have been extremely high to agree to that disaster.

“Rock me Tonight” gives “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” a run for its money in the “gay” department.

[DCBryan1]

Eddy Grant:

LOL...forgot about him! AGreed!

[OldMissileer]

She was also in "Bachelor Party" as Tom Hanks' fiancée.

I forgot all about her so I just searched for her bio and photos. Between plastic surgery and her lifestyle she is a human dumpster fire.

[CharlesMartelsGhost]

Worst songs of the 80’s:

Luka- Suzanne Vega

Party All the Time-Eddie Murphy

Heartbeat- Don Johnson

I Know What Boys Like-The Waitresses

Kids in America- Kim Wilde

Toy Soldiers- Martika

Kokomo- Beach Boys

Get Outta My Dream, Get Into My Car- Billy Ocean

We Didn’t Start the Fire- Billy Joel

Hangin’ Tough- New Kids on the Block

Physical- Olivia Newton-John

[DCBryan1]

How can Millie Vanilli not be on the list?

[DCBryan1]

Stacy Q...Two of Hearts...another hottie one hit wonder:

[Ulmius]

Oh my gosh! You just reminded me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3rg4psdHxw

This video is on their official page, on top of it all... how they haven’t taken it down baffles me! I think they keep it up as a joke, to be honest.

[Hardastarboard]

Dude!!! Peter Cetera is a SWEAR word! I’m turning you in for abuse!!!

[DCBryan1]

BDE

[dangus]

FAIL.

I can easily see how every song listed could be really annoying, even if I didn’t find every last one annoying myself. But these are all songs which made a lasting impression on you. Hating on them is merely a meme.

Here’s some truly awful, yet popular songs most people probably forgot:

Let’s Wait A While, by Janet Jackson
Secret Lovers, by Atlantic Star
Nothing’s Gonna Change My Love for You by Glenn Medeiros
Rock Steady by the Whispers
Carribean Queen by Lionel Richie knock-off Billy Ocean
Another Day in Paradise by Phil Collins
A Groovy Kind of Love by Phil Collins
Baby I Love Your Way by Will to Power
Do They Know It’s Christmas. (Well, no, since they’re Orthodox Christians, they think it’s 12 days before Christmas.)
Girl, I’m Going to MIss You by Milli Vanilli
Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car by yes, Billy Ocean. #MeToo! >:D
My Prerogative by Bobby Brown
Just a Friend by Biz Markie. (OK, that one is SO bad, it’s almost good.)

But that’s not to say some truly terrible songs haven’t endured

Tainted Love, a remake by Soft Cell
Don’t Stop Believing, by Journey. (Seriously... pay close attention, and you’ll be amazed at how bad it is.)
Every Rose Has Its Thorn by Poison
More Than Words by Extreme
Everybody Have Fun Tonight; Everybody Wang Chung Tonight.
Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard

[DCBryan1]

Get Outta My Dream, Get Into My Car- Billy Ocean

[Ulmius]

For my generation, he’s an absolute legend.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

We call this video the “rick roll”. It usually comes when you find a clickbait YouTube link, not knowing where it goes. I’ve been a victim of the rick roll several times, usually for “full movies”

It became such a phenomenon, Astley actually started performing again. The rick roll has almost half a billion views.

[DCBryan1]

My all time most hated song was Nasty by Janet Jackson. SUCKED. Still hate it and we used it against Manuel Noreaga as PSYOPS when he was hiding in the Vatican embassy:

[CrimsonTidegirl]

I agree about “Werewolves of London”. Hate that song.

I actually love “Total Eclipse of The Heart” and “Centerfold” though.