27 Best Songs From 1984

11. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

Song Year: 1984

Recorded in 1983, “Time After Time” became one of the all-time great love songs, even though Lauper wrote it in the wake of relationship troubles. Despite the success of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” in 1983, “Time After Time” was her first number one.

12. “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” by Elton John

Song Year: 1983

Too Low for Zero, Elton John’s 17th studio album, dropped in the spring of 1983, and “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” was the lead-off single in April. That it appeared on multiple year-end charts from 1984 is a testament to how long the song remained on the charts, effectively serving as the Song of the Summer for two straight years.

Oh, and that’s Stevie Wonder on the harmonica.

13. “Like a Virgin” by Madonna

Song Year: 1984

“Like a Virgin” dropped in late 1984 but was an instant hit. Madonna, being the provocateur she was and remains, embraced the song’s innuendo and overt sexuality. It quickly reached number one.

The video featured Madonna and a lion, the implication being that it was hard to tell which one was hungrier. “Like a Virgin,” while not being overtly sexual in lyrical content, is one of the more lustful songs you’ll ever hear.

14. “New Moon on Monday” by Duran Duran

Song Year: 1984

If 1983 was The Year for Duran Duran, 1984 was the sequel. The year opened with “New Moon on Monday” charting in the top ten— not as big a hit as “The Reflex,” but still a successful track. It followed the usual Duran Duran rules of being sophisticated but also fun.

There’s some irony, here, though. Duran Duran revolutionized the video music industry, but the band members universally loathe this video. Note how uncomfortable drummer Roger Taylor is in the everybody-dance-together part at the end. Yikes.

15. “Nobody Told Me” by John Lennon

Song Year: 1984

Though John Lennon was murdered in 1980, “Nobody Told Me,” an unfinished piece he’d been recording at the time of his death. He wrote it for Ringo Starr to use on a planned 1981 album, but Starr dropped it after Lennon died.

Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, completed the recording process and released it as part of a 1984 album, one of several posthumous releases for the Lennon estate. “Nobody Told Me” was a worldwide top-ten hit, and it was nice to hear John singing again after such a tragic and wasteful loss.

16. “Better Be Good to Me” by Tina Turner

Song Year: 1984

Another single from Private Dancer, “Better Be Good to Me” was a cover of a 1981 Spiders song. It won Turner one of her three Grammys at the 1985 ceremony. Despite not writing it, Turner made the song her own, and she seems to be announcing to the world— on this song from her comeback album— that I’m Tina Turner, you schmuck. Do not mess.

17. “Hard Habit to Break” by Chicago

Song Year: 1984

Arranger and producer David Foster had a huge hand in the success of Chicago throughout the 1980s, ending up as important to the band’s sound— arguably— as Peter Cetera’s distinctive high tenor voice.

Although it was a huge hit, “Hard Babit to Break,” from the band’s 1984 album 17, was unusual for a Chicago song. It wasn’t written by the band members, and it favored synthetic strings over the group’s legendary horn section. Fans weren’t so disappointed that they didn’t drive the song to a number three spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

18. “Pink Houses” by John Cougar Mellencamp

Song Year: 1983

The landscape of rock hits remains littered with songs that people have no idea of their content. Such is the case with “Pink Houses.” It dropped in late 1983 but was a staple of ‘84 airwaves as red-blooded Americans misinterpreted the song’s lyrics as a paean to how great the country is, when in fact they are Marxist to the core.

No one cared. The song ended up as a top-five hit in ‘84 and still gets played at political rallies.

19. “Head Over Heels” by The Go-Gos

Song Year: 1984

The percussive piano opening is unmistakable and irresistible. “Head Over Heels” peaked at number ten, making it a lesser hit than “We Got the Beat,” but it’s a glorious piece of pop music. Does it make a political statement? No. Did it address the socioeconomic ills of the day? No way. That’s why it’s so delightful.

And they’re just so obviously having fun. It’s hard not to love it just for that.

20. “Wrapped Around Your Finger” by The Police

Song Year: 1984

The fourth single from the Police’s swan song album Synchronicity, “Wrapped Around Your Finger” is a dark and brooding song that came on the heels of the ubiquitous “Every Breath You Take.” It may be the only top ten hit to reference Greek mythology and Faust in five minutes.