Top 20 Dance/Club Hits of the 1980's

The 1980's was a monumental time for music. After the oftentimes boring and sometimes stagnant music scene of the previous decade, the 80's was a refreshing time when all sorts of musical genres and acts would reach new heights, changing the face of music forever. The dawn of MTV and the video age, the new wave movement and the birth of rap and hip hop were three key events that would turn out to be instrumental in a new pop culture that would endure for years to come.

Though not as mainstream as new wave or rap, the dance music that came out of the 1980's was a memorable mish mash of typical eighties sounds, with synthesizers, rhythm and blues and unusual themes. I feel fortunate to have lived my younger years during this time, as I many of these great songs hearken happy memories.

Here is a list of my top twenty favorite dance/club songs from the 1980's. Of course there are many more, and for this list I decided to omit some of the great songs from the more popular artists of the decade such as Madonna, Janet Jackson, George Michael, Prince, Michael Jackson and others. Those artists all contributed wonderful songs to the genre as well, and maybe they'll be examined at a later date. Hopefully some of these will bring back some happy memories of your own. Enjoy!

#20 - Coming Out of Hiding - Pamela Stanley

The synthesizer sound that was so popular in the eighties is all over this one, and with fun results that always had the dance floors packed. See if you remember this video from the early days of that genre.

#19 - Searchin' - Hazell Dean

This tune with the hard driving beats and the catchy chorus rocked the charts for 16 weeks in 1984. Take a listen here.

#18 - Dominatrix Sleeps Tonight - Dominatrix

This song straight out of 1983 was rather silly, really, but the irresistible melody and the taboo subject matter were enough to make this one a club smash back in the day. Check out the video for this one hit wonder here.

#17 - New Attitude - Patti LaBelle

Soul songstress Patti LaBelle gained a resurgence in popularity back in 1984 when she recorded this and another tune, "Stir It Up," for the hugely popular "Beverly Hills Cop" soundtrack. The remix of the song became a club anthem, reaching #1 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music chart and filling up dance floors everywhere. Check out the video here.

#16 - Boy - Book of Love

This sexy and irresistibly beat heavy tune still gets me moving every time I hear it. Take a look at the video for "Boy" here.

#15 - Planet Rock - Africa Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force

This groundbreaking song mixed rap, soul, funk, and electronic to spawn a whole new generation of music that would endure throughout the 1980's and beyond. Check it out here.

#14 - This Time, Baby - Jackie Moore

Originally released in 1979 in the disco genre, this soulful and hypnotic classic made a resurgence five years later and has since been covered or sampled many times. Great song! Check it out here.

#13 - Move Out - Nancy Martinez

Though included on many freestyle hits collections, this fun, fast moving ditty by the Canadian-born singer fits better in the club music category. Take a look at the video for this great dance song here.

#12 - Last Night a DJ Saved My Life - Indeep

I remember loving this song the first time I ever heard it. With an infectious bass line, hip dueling vocals between the singer and the deejay, and sound effects, this one still makes me sing and dance. The tune was infectiously popular and has been used in one way or another by the likes of Madonna and Mariah Carey, among others. Take a look at the video for "Last Night a DJ Saved My Life" here.

#11 - All in All - Joyce Sims

During the late 80's, this singer from Rochester, NY, was rocking clubs everywhere with her soulful sounds. With a string of hits including "Come Into My Life", "Love Makes a Woman" and "Lifetime Love," Ms. Sims earned her place in the annals of club music. This one is simply classic! Take a listen here.

#10 - So Many Men - Miquel Brown

This fun party tune was and still is a club anthem for women and gay men everywhere! Check out the kitschy video for "So Many men" here.

#9 - I Feel for You - Chaka Khan

This remake of the 1980 Prince song was a musical reinvention like no other. Featuring vocals by then popular rap star Grandmaster Melle Mel, Chaka's name became a funky, infectious lyric. Relive the memory here.

#8 - No Frills Love - Jennifer Holiday

Jennifer Holiday won critical acclaim for her performances as Effie in the original Broadway production of "Dreamgirls", and after that gig ended the singer went into the studio to record an album featuring this classic club anthem. The song is always a crowd pleaser and actually hit the number one spot on Billboard's Hot Dance Charts twice, in 1986 and again a decade later. Take a listen too "No Frills Love" here.

#7 - Push the Feeling On - Nightcrawlers

Though I still have no idea what this song is about or even understand some of the lyrics, it definitely is one of my favorite dance tunes ever. With a hypnotic track and soulful vocals, "Push the Feeling On" is a classic! Check it out here.

#6 - Just an Illusion - Imagination

This one can be likened to the Nightcrawlers song, with a great musical track and silky smooth vocals. This is another one of my all time favorites and was sampled by Mariah Carey on her tune "Get Your Number" with Jermaine DuPri. Watch the band performing "Just an Illusion" here.

#5 - The Glamorous Life - Sheila E

One of the greatest superstars to come out of the 1980's was Prince. Prince was not only a talented musician and performer, but he also had a knack for finding other artists with talent. One of his stalwarts during the decade was the talented percussionist/singer Sheila Escovedo, better known as Sheila E. This song was over nine minutes of infectious beats and vocals and was the singer's biggest hit. Take another look at the video here.

#4 - High Energy - Evelyn Thomas

This 1984 song was appropriately titled. The club is high energy through and through and was a stalwart in clubs everywhere. Watch it here.

#3 - One More Shot - C-Bank

This fast mover is one of the best! Take a listen here.

#2 - Set It Off - Strafe

What makes this record is the rhythmic beats that induce listeners to shake their booties. I remember deejaying a dull party once and when I put this on the whole room made their way to the dance floor. Great, great song! Listen to it here.

#1 - Let the Music Play - Shannon

When this one came out in 1983, I was floored. At the time I thought the record was so good that Shannon would rival Madonna for supremacy over the airwaves. I was wrong about that one, but the song is classic anyway. Listen to the extended mix here.

*Honorable Mentions:

Ain't Nothin Going on but the Rent - Gwen Guthrie

All Nite Passion - Alisha

IOU - Freeze

Somebody Else's Guy - Jocelyn Brown

Play at Your Own Risk - Planet Patrol

Hungry for Your Love - Hanson and Davis

Pump Up the Volume - MARRS

Release Yourself - The Aleems

It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls

To read other top ten music articles by this author, see Collected Works: Musical Top Tens.

Sources:

Personal experience

Liner notes

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:bjlvad1kv8w6~T1

http://www.discogs.com/Jackie-Moore-This-Time-Baby/release/247287

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Come_into_My_Life

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Last_Night_a_D.J._Saved_My_Life_(song)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nancy_Martinez

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Attitude_(song)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Frills_Love

http://www.hazelldean.com/html/factfile.html

http://www.pamalastanley.com/bio.html

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2454