Great '80s Music

The top-selling '80s music included ABBA's "Super Trouper" in 1980 and Jive Bunny's "Swing the Mood" in 1989. Yikes. Among the biggest sellers of the whole decade were Wham's "Careless Whisper" and Stevie Wonder's "I Just Called to Say I Love You."

Even "soft rock" stations don't play these '80s music tracks anymore. I'm not alone in thinking most '80s music was grim. But it wasn't all bad. Here is some great '80s music.

Among the worst sins of '80s music was synth-heavy pop junk by some legends of the '60s and '70s. Case in point: that Stevie Wonder number. I grew up in the '80s. "I Just Called" and "Part-Time Lover" were my first unimpressive exposure to Stevie. Only years later was I blown away by "Superstition" and "Higher Ground."

Other career low points in '80s music were David Bowie's "Let's Dance," Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days" and Bob Dylan's "Empire Burlesque" album (his worst writing AND worst album cover).

Feel free to attack me and defend these records. I'll give them another listen (I own them all, by the way, mostly in compilations). Meanwhile, I offer five creators of the best '80s music, who hit their prime in a decade of overproduced pop excess.

1. The Clash - These Brits stretched punk far beyond its three-chord roots. The Clash's greatest achievement, "London Calling," was released 16 days before the 1980s began. Rolling Stone ignored those two weeks and called it the best album of the 1980s. The band's true '80s music was also terrific. "The Magnificent Seven," "Somebody Got Murdered" and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" are all among the best '80s music.

2. Midnight Oil - Most Australian bands try to emulate their American counterparts and go global or they make the tough slog across Australia's unforgiving pub circuit. A tough political band with solid pop sensibilities, Midnight Oil made some the best '80s music by achieving the latter using the former tactic. They achieved international fame with "Beds Are Burning" in 1988, but had spent the first part of the decade proving themselves in Australia.

3. Crowded House - Another Australian band (also claimed by New Zealand), Crowded House wrote perfect pop songs. They never released a lousy album, but their debut is especially impressive. Spawning several worldwide hits, it remains one of the strongest debuts of all time and ranks among the best '80s music.

4. The Cars - Another pure pop band with all the hallmarks of the 1980s. Just check out their album covers. But "Good Times Roll," "You Might Think" and "Just What I needed" stand the test of time. Ric Ocasek is a great songwriter and producer and his group of Top 10 regulars made great '80s music.

5. R.E.M. - The Georgia band had no international hits in the 1980s, but they released six fantastic albums. Their groundbreaking '80s music also launched dozens of other modern rock careers.

I could go on and on with good '80s music, but the list would start getting obscure. I figured it was only fair to compare hitmakers. The Replacements, Husker Du, Meat Puppets and the Pixies are also among the best '80s music.