Here’s Part 2 of my favorite songs for each year from 1980 through 1999. I’ve written in some detail about several of these songs in previous posts over my eight-plus years of blogging, so won’t write lengthy narratives about any of them here. Just the year, the song and the artist, and the best video I could find for each one.
1980 CALL ME – Blondie
1981 BETTE DAVIS EYES – Kim Carnes
1982 MANEATER – Daryl Hall & John Oates
1983 EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE – The Police (my #1 song of the 1980s)
1984 WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT – Tina Turner
1985 EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD – Tears for Fears
1986 WEST END GIRLS – Pet Shop Boys
1987 WITH OR WITHOUT YOU – U2
1988 WHAT HAVE I DONE TO DESERVE THIS? – Pet Shop Boys with Dusty Springfield
1989 GOOD THING – Fine Young Cannibals
1990 NOTHING COMPARES 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor
1991 LOSING MY RELIGION – R.E.M. (my #1 song of the 1990s)
1992 CONSTANT CRAVING – k.d. lang
1993 THE CRYING GAME – Boy George
1994 STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA – Bruce Springsteen
1995 TAKE A BOW – Madonna
1996 ONE SWEET DAY – Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
1997 ONE HEADLIGHT – The Wallflowers
1998 BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY – The Verve
1999 SMOOTH – Santana featuring Rob Thomas
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 
This is a great idea…i might do this
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It’s a fun exercise.
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Yes, yes, yes 👍 to everything on your list. I love returning to 80s in music too.
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Yay! Happy to oblige Michelle.
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I did it by album for every year of my life.
https://odonnellweb.com/pelican/favorite-albums-for-every-year-of-my-life.html
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Great songs all around, and each brings back very distinct memories! And I’m glad to see Pet Shop Boys on here twice… They’re one of my favorite acts!
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Thanks Marc. I was/am a big fan of the Pet Shop Boys too!
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Another great list, though it is interesting how my tastes move in a more indie pop and rock direction from the early 1990s on.
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My music tastes have been all over the place, though I really disliked rap, hip-hop and grunge in the 90s, and didn’t come to appreciate them until later.
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Great second part. I know almost all of the songs and also like the vast majority.
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Another great list Jeff! One of my favorites has to be the Pet Shop Boy’s and ” What have I done to deserve this” with Dusty Springfield. Then Blonde, KD Lange, Tina Turner, Boy George, etc. Where has all of the time gone?
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Thank you Chuck. So many great songs, and yes, the years have flown by.
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The R.E.M. one just hits like a ton of bricks. Huge song for me at the time.
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Me too!
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I LOVE “Streets of Philadelphia”! Great follow-up list. Looking forward to the next part!
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Thanks Horacio!
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Apart from a single one, I love every one of these songs. Great choices ❤️
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Thanks Cathy. I’m curious, which song do you not like?
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I am sure you already guessed it, but Mariah and Boyz II Men
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Yep, that was my guess. I rarely go for sappy songs like that, not to mention the fact I’ve never been a fan of Boyz II Men, but I love it. Part of it might be because it was a tribute to the many people who died of AIDS.
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My thought was that you must have an emotional connection to the song, just like you have a connection with all the other songs too ❤️
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Also, 1996 was a rather weak year for music in my opinion, and the pickings were slim for me. So, “One Sweet Day” sort of wins by default.
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Fair play – I haven’t looked up what else was released that year, but if I remember correctly, I was really into German punk and rap at that time. (Keep in mind, I was only 13)
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Not going to lie, I only know of Blondie’s “Call Me” because of Lucy Hale singing it on ‘American Juniors,’ which was the kid’s version of ‘American Idol.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNpCDtAXm60
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With One Headlight I started to listen more to the radio again at that time. The next year The Verve really got me also. I was also happy to hear REM broke through to the mainstream at the time after listening to them for years.
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