Top 1984 Songs

Not only was 1984 the year that Apple unveiled their Macintosh computer (a dinosaur to the revolutionary iPod) — it was the year the ‘Thriller’ album won a record-breaking eight Grammy’s, including Album of the Year.

However, as the Top 1984 Songs (rated by AOL Radio listeners) illustrate, there was plenty more radio play in 1984 than just “Thriller” though witnesses might disagree.

10: Pride (In The Name Of Love)- U2

The song was originally intended to be about Ronald Reagan’s pride in America’s military power but ended up being in tribute to civil rights pioneer Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

09: ‘Round and Round’- Ratt

The video briefly features legendary comedian Milton Berle, whose nephew Marshall Berle was Ratt’s band manager at the time.

08: ‘It’s My Life’- Talk Talk

The original version of this 1984 song and No Doubt’s ubiquitous 2004 cover were featured in ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ and ‘Rock Band,’ respectively.

07: ‘Jump’- Van Halen

The song’s producer spliced parts of two different takes to create what Eddie Van Halen calls “The favorite solo [he] never wrote.”

06: ‘Easy Lover’- Phil Collins

The song was used as the theme song in the WrestleMania 1 theme.

05: ‘How Soon Is Now’- The Smiths

In 1984, this song was considered an anthem for “Manchester gay club culture.”

04: ‘Drive’- The Cars

The music video features supermodel Paulina Porizkova, who later married lead singer Ric Ocasek.

03: ‘Time After Time’- Cyndi Lauper

The line “the second hand unwinds” refers to their producer Rick Chertoff’s watch which was looping backward.

02: ‘When Doves Cry’- Prince & The Revolution

There is no bass line in this 1984 dance classic, which Prince took out because he considered the bass in the song “too conventional.”

01: ‘Thriller’- Michael Jackson

The song’s hook was changed to “Thriller! In the night…” from the original “Starlight! Starlight sun…”

What Songs Did You Love More In 1984?

Be sure to tell us what your favorite songs from 1984 are in the comments below.