A way to look at '80s music in a broader, more specific way is to break down the decade's events, albums and songs by year. This gives a much more complete picture of the artists and styles that were particularly popular, significant or simply highly listenable throughout the wide expanse of the decade.

Top 10 Songs of 1980

Top 10 Songs of 1981

Top 10 Songs of 1982

Top 10 Songs of 1983

Top 10 Songs of 1984

Top 10 Songs of 1985

Top 10 Songs of 1987

Top 10 Songs of 1986

Top 10 Songs of 1988

Top 10 Songs of 1989

     80s music is still alive and well and in great demand. There are still many thousands of fans who love the 80's music and they listen to it often. The 80's music can be heard on many radio stations and also on the internet. There are many websites that allow members to listen to the music while they are online surfing the net, reading email, or working. There are also many sites where the music can be downloaded onto the computer, mp3 player, etc. CDs and videos of the 80's music can be purchased online or offline. There are many new 80's compilations which have been released recently so the fans can still enjoy it. Some fans may want to fill in the gaps of their collections and the compilations are a way of doing it.

was formed in Sidney, Australia in 1973. There were two brothers who started the band. They were Angus and Malcolm Young. They were one of the bands who were pioneers of the heavy metal music. Led Zeplin, Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath were some of the others who played heavy metal music in that same time frame. The music was very hard for some to listen to but others really appreciated it. A lot of parents cringed when their kids began listening to this type of music and it was very hard on the ears when it was turned up loud. AC/DC released their first album, High Voltage, in 1975. Then in 1979 they recorded their very successful album, Highway To Hell.

  The band had a few member change before the release of this album. The bass player Cliff Williams was replaced with Mark Evans in 1977. In 1980 the lead singer and co-songwriter, Bon Scott died and was later replaced with singer Brian Johnson. Later in 1980 their biggest selling album, Back In Black, was released.

   MADONNA after a star reaches a certain point, it's easy to forget what they became famous for and concentrate solely on their persona. Madonna is such a star. Madonna rocketed to stardom so quickly in 1984 that it obscured most of her musical virtues. Appreciating her music became even more difficult as the decade wore on, as discussing her lifestyle became more common than discussing her music. However, one of Madonna's greatest achievements is how she manipulated the media and the public with her music, her videos, her publicity, and her sexuality. Arguably, Madonna was the first female pop star to have complete control of her music and image.
    MADONNA moved from her native Michigan to New York in 1977, with dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. She studied with choreographer Alvin Ailey and modeled. In 1979, she became part of the Patrick Hernandez Revue, a disco outfit that had the hit "Born to Be Alive." She traveled to Paris with Hernandez; it was there that she met Dan Gilroy, who would soon become her boyfriend. Upon returning to New York, the pair formed the Breakfast Club, a pop/dance group. Madonna originally played drums for the band, but she soon became the lead singer. In 1980, she left the band and formed Emmy with her former boyfriend, drummer Stephen Bray. Soon, Bray and Madonna broke off from the group and began working on some dance/disco-oriented tracks. A demo tape of these tracks worked its way to Mark Kamins, a New York-based DJ/producer. Kamins directed the tape to Sire Records, which signed the singer in 1982.

    A-HA is a band from Norway who are the best selling Norwegian Band in the world with over 75 million albums and singles sold. They are also nominated for a Grammy Award. The group achieved their fame in the 1980's and were successful around the glob into the 1990's and 2000's. The group consisted of three members. Those who made up the trio were Morton Harket (vocals from 1982 to 1994 and again from 1998 to the present). Magne Furuholmen (keyboard from 1982 to 1994 and again from 1998 to the present), and Paul Waaktaar- Savoy (guitar from 1982 to 1994 and again from 1998 to the present).
   The trio stayed together for the duration of their career with no substitutes. This is very rare in the music world. Others have changed band members frequently and there are very few bands who stay together like this one did.

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In 1984, Bob Geldof and Midge Ure founded a supergroup Baind Aid from many of the most popular British and Irish performers of the time to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia by releasing the record "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The single exceeded expectations. The record was released on 3th December  and went straight to No. 1 in the UK singles chart. It became the fastest-selling single of all time in the UK, selling a million copies in the first week alone. It stayed at No. 1 for five weeks, selling over three million copies and becoming the biggest-selling single of all time in the UK.

Raising money for Ethiopia continued with an unforgettable global event called Live Aid on July 13, 1985. It was held simultaneously over a 16 hour period Wembley Stadium in London and JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, with some acts performing at other places. With all-time satelite tv broadcast it is estimated that across 100 countries over 1.5 billion viewers watched the event.