Nena-Falco-Schilling
The German Invasion.
I’m a little surprised no one’s said “Never say Goodbye” by Bon Jovi. I got the impression that it was THE prom song of 1987.
Billie Jean
Eddie Money should be essential listening.
If I Could Walk on Water
Baby Hold on to Me
Take me Home Tonight
Two Tickets to Paradise
All great, and they totally capture the 80’s!
Or “Any Way You Want It.”
I did, I did…in post 2, but there should definitely be more.
Okay…adding some additional songs…
Love is a Battlefield by Pat Benatar
Crazy for You by Madonna
*Like a Virgin *by Madonna
*99 Luftballons *by Nena
Take My Breath Away by Berlin (from Top Gun)
Mickey by Toni Basil
Gloria by Laura Branigan
*What’s Love Got to do With It *by Tina Turner
Voices Carry by Til Tuesday
Straight Up by Paula Abdul
*Walk Like an Egyptian *by The Bangles
Heaven is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle
Trying to narrow down my 1200 song 80s list to a few that I’d like to hear at a prom thingie is tough but here goes. I’m trying to stick mostly with stuff other people may not have considered but that I still think is definitively 80s (at least for me it is)…
The Look Of Love - ABC
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC
Goodie Two Shoes - Adam & The Ants
Lost In Love - Air Supply
You’re the Only Woman - Ambrosia
Obsession - Animotion
Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin
Always - Atlantic Starr
Love Shack - B-52s
Walk Like An Egyptian - Bangles
Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle
Take My Breath Away - Berlin
In A Big Country - Big Country
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
Suddenly - Billy Ocean
My Prerogative - Bobby Brown
Don’t Worry Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
Total Eclipse of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen
Heaven - Bryan Adams
Word Up - Cameo
Beats So Lonely - Charlie Sexton
You’re The Inspiration - Chicago
Wicked Game - Chris Isaak
Sailing - Christopher Cross
Rock the Casbah - The Clash
Sunglasses at Night - Corey Hart
Don’t Dream It’s Over - Crowded House
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Do You Really Want To Hurt Me - Culture Club
I Just Died in Your Arms - Cutting Crew
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman
Let’s Dance - David Bowie
You Spin Me Right Round - Dead Or Alive
Just Can’t Get Enough - Depeche Mode
Whip It - Devo
Come On Eileen - Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Rio - Duran Duran
I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
Mirror In The Bathroom - English Beat
Wild Wild West - Escape Club
Wrap It Up - The Fabulous Thunderbirds
Rock Me Amadeus - Falco
She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
Hold Me - Fleetwood Mac
I Ran (So Far Away) - A Flock Of Seagulls
I Want To Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Tenderness - General Public
Give Me The Night - George Benson
Careless Whisper - George Michael (Wham!)
Keep Your Hands To Yourself - Georgia Sattelites
We Got The Beat - Go Gos
The Breakup Song - Greg Kihn Band
Method Of Modern Love - Hall & Oates
What About Love? - Heart
Sea Of Love - Honeydrippers
New Song - Howard Jones
(She’s) Heart And Soul - Huey Lewis & the News
Human - Human League
What You Need - INXS
Flashdance…What A Feeling - Irene Cara
Centerfold - J. Geils Band
Nasty - Janet Jackson
Angel Eyes - Jeff Healey Band
I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Looking For A New Love - Jody Watley
Is She Really Going Out With Him -Joe Jackson
Jack and Diane - John Cougar Mellencamp
Angel of the Morning - Juice Newton
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
We’ve Got Tonight - Kenny Rogers & Sheena Easton
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Cherish - Kool and the Gang
Gloria - Laura Branigan
Trouble - Lindsey Buckingham
Hello Lionel - Richie
Head to Toe - Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam
Take It Easy On Me - Little River Band
The Kid Is Hot Tonite - Loverboy
Pump Up the Volume - MARRS
La Isla Bonita - Madonna
Shining Star - The Manhattans
Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work
Safety Dance - Men Without Hats
Conga - Miami Sound Machine
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Girl You Know It’s True - Milli Vanilli
Jungle Love - Morris Day & The Time
Suddenly Last Summer - Motels
Broken Wings - Mr. Mister
Buffalo Stance - Neneh Cherry
Bizarre Love Triangle - New Order
Wouldn’t It Be Good - Nick Kershaw
Sister Christian - Night Ranger
Forever Live And Die - OMD
Live Is Life - Opus
Ooh Ooh Song - Pat Benatar
Boom Boom (Lets Go Back To My Room) - Paul Lekakis
Straight Up - Paula Abdul
Eyes Of A Stranger - Payolas
In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
Sussudio - Phil Collins
Neutron Dance - The Pointer Sisters
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - The Police
Get It On (Bang A Gong) - Power Station
Brass In Pocket - Pretenders
Kiss - Prince
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers
Funkytown - Pseudo Echo
Heaven - Psychedelic Furs
Crazy Little Thing Called Love - Queen
Ghostbusters Theme - Ray Parker Jr.
Higher Ground - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Stand - REM
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
Jessie’s Girl - Rick Springfield
Addicted to Love - Robert Palmer
Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell
Talking In Your Sleep - Romantics
The Look - Roxette
More Than This - Roxy Music
Smooth Operator - Sade
Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox
The Warrior - Scandal
Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair) - Sheena Easton
When I’m With You - Sheriff
Don’t You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Holding Back The Years - Simply Red
Let’s Go All The Way - Sly Fox
Back to Life - Soul II Soul
I Got You - Split Enz
Oh Sherry - Steve Perry
Stop Dragging My Heart Around - Stevie Nicks with Tom Petty
Couldn’t Stand The Weather - Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Rock This Town - Stray Cats
Mr. Roboto - Styx
Heart And Soul - T’pau
It’s My Life - Talk Talk
Burning Down The House - Talking Heads
Sukiyaki - Taste of Honey
Wishing Well - Terence Trent D’Arby
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins
The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuck 3
What’s Love Got To Do With It - Tina Turner
You Got Lucky - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
Wild Thing - Tone Loc
Mickey - Toni Basil
Africa - Toto
We’re Not Gonna Take It - Twisted Sister
Pride (In The Name Of Love) - U2
Red Red Wine - UB40
Pretty Woman - Van Halen
Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
Is This Love - Whitesnake
I Wanna Dance With Somebody - Whitney Houston
Don’t Go - Yazoo
Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
Legs - ZZ Top
Okay, so my list is 160 songs long. But it was a helluva lot longer before I enlisted my wife to help cull the herd. So there! 
HA! VINDICATED! They played “Mony Mony” at our Christmas party a week ago Friday, and I joked about everyone yelling this line to Dread Pirate Jimbo, and he didn’t know what I was talking about. I thought EVERYONE who was a teenager/young adult in the 80’s knew about yelling “Get laid get fucked” during “Mony Mony.”
(Ahhh, I love the smell of vindication in the morning. 
)