41 Best Songs From 1982

The year 1982 was full of so many great tracks that you might not know what ones to add to your playlist. Well, we’re going to tell you the 41 best songs from 1982 below, so keep reading to find out what made our list! 

1. Eye Of The Tiger – Survivor 

Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger (Official HD Video)

Calling all fans of Rocky III, you might know the theme song from the movie, which is Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor. This was one of the biggest tracks of 1982 and was played on MTV and the radio almost constantly. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the Top Tracks chart while also hitting number one on the UK Singles chart. It’s thought to be one of the best songs of the decade and is still an iconic track to this day. 

2. Jack & Diane – John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp - Jack & Diane (Official Music Video)

Next is Jack & Diane from John Mellencamp, who was going by the name John Cougar at the time. This track is from his album American Fool, and it is thought of as one of the best songs of the century with it hitting number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and three on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It remains his most successful track and is one of the best love ballads of all time. 

3. Physical – Olivia Newton-John 

Olivia Newton-John - Physical (Official Music Video)

Olivia Newton-John made waves with Physical, which was her signature song and one of the biggest tracks of the year. The song hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed there for 10 weeks. It’s the track that made her one of the biggest pop stars in the world and changed the image she had of being an angel. 

4. Billie Jean – Michael Jackson 

Michael Jackson - Billie Jean (Official Video)

Next is the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson, who had a hit with Billie Jean from his well-known album Thriller. It went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it is one of the top songs of the year, which helped the album become the most successful album of all time. This track is all about how a guy fathered a son but denies it, and Jackson said the song was inspired by women saying his brothers had fathered kids when they were members of the Jackson 5. 

5. Always On My Mind – Willie Nelson 

Willie Nelson - Always On My Mind (Official Video)

Calling all fans of the HBO show The Newsroom, country star Willie Nelson had a hit with Always On My Mind, which hit number one on the Hot Country Singles chart and stayed on the chart for 21 weeks, with two of them being at number one. He won three Grammy Awards for this track including Best Country Song and Song of the Year. 

6. Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey 

Journey - Don't Stop Believin' (Official Audio)

Rock band Journey had a massive hit with Don’t Stop Believin’, which comes from their album Escape. This song went to four on the Billboard Hot 100 and 18 on the Pop 100 charts. While it didn’t top the charts, it has become an iconic track that is found in multiple television shows and movies and is a sports anthem worldwide. The song features a keyboard in the beginning, which is both iconic and memorable. 

7. Little Red Corvette – Prince 

Prince - Little Red Corvette (Official Music Video)

Pop star Prince is on our list next with Little Red Corvette, which comes from his album 1999, and this song uses car metaphors to talk about one-night stands. It hit six on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit two on the UK Singles chart. This was the first track he released that hit the Top 10 and has become one of his more successful songs after his passing. 

8. The Message – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five 

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - The Message (Official Video)

Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five are on the list with The Message, which comes from their debut album. This song is political in nature and talks about poverty affecting the inner city and being born into the ghetto. It’s a hip hop track that has many social components to it, and that’s why it went to four on the Hot Black Singles chart and made it to 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

9. Waiting For a Girl Like You – Foreigner

Waiting for a Girl like You

Rock band Foreigner had a hit with Waiting For A Girl Like You from their album 4, and this is a power ballad that went to number one on the Mainstream Rock chart and hit two on the Billboard Hot 100. There is a synthesizer in the song, and it’s one of the most iconic and unique aspects of this track. 

10. Even The Nights Are Better – Air Supply 

Air Supply - Even The Nights Are Better

Air Supply makes the list with Even The Nights Are Better, which comes from their album Now And Forever. This song is about a guy who lets a girl get away from him but then ends up getting with a woman who feels just as lonely as him. The track went to number one on the Adult Contemporary chart while hitting five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

11. We Got The Beat – The Go-Go’s

The Go-Go's - We Got The Beat

Rock group The Go-Go’s had a hit with We Got The Beat, which comes from their album Beauty And The Beat. This was their debut album and the single that made them a household name. It went to two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, seven on the Mainstream Rock chart, and hit three on the Canada Top Singles chart. This song is thought of as one of the tracks that helped define and create modern rock and roll. 

12. Only The Lonely – The Motels 

The Motels - Only The Lonely

Next is The Motels with Only The Lonely, which comes from the album All For One. The music video was very popular and helped the song hit number nine on the Billboard Hot 100, and it stayed there for around four weeks. You can find this track in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

13. Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire 

Earth, Wind & Fire - Let's Groove (Official HD Video)

Earth, Wind & Fire is on our list with Let’s Groove from their album Raise! This song was incredibly popular and landed at number two on the Mainstream Rock chart and four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. There is a little funk and pop in the track, and it made it chart within the top 20 in multiple countries such as the UK and New Zealand. 

14. Shake It Up – The Cars

The Cars - Shake It Up (Official Music Video)

Next is The Cars with their song Shake It Up, which comes from their album of the same name. This was the first track released from the album, and it quickly became one of their biggest hits and most successful songs. It reached two on the Top Tracks chart while peaking at four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

15. Open Arms – Journey 

Journey - Open Arms (Official Video - 1982)

Open Arms by Journey is on our list, and this song is one of their most popular tracks, coming from their album Escape. It’s all about a relationship that is falling apart, and the narrator is trying to bring it back together. The power ballad was such a hit that it made it to two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and seven on the Adult Contemporary chart. While they have had multiple hits through the years, this is one of their biggest hits in America and also one of their most memorable and recognizable songs. 

16. Do You Believe In Love – Huey Lewis & The News 

Huey Lewis & The News - Do You Believe In Love

Huey Lewis & The News made waves with Do You Believe In Love from their album Picture This. This song was thought of as their breakthrough, and it hit seven on the Hot 100 Pop Singles chart, which was the first time the band had a top 10 hit in the US. 

17. (Oh) Pretty Woman – Van Halen 

Van Halen - (Oh) Pretty Woman (Official Music Video)

Rock band Van Halen had a hit with (Oh) Pretty Woman, which comes from the LP Diver Down. This song hit one on the Mainstream Rock chart and 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was their second track to make it within the top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

18. Love In The First Degree – Alabama 

Alabama - Love in the First Degree (Official Audio)

Country group Alabama had a hit with Love In The First Degree, which comes from the album Feels So Right. This song hit number one on the Hot Country Singles chart and was also a crossover hit, making it to five on the Adult Contemporary chart and peaking at 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

19. Somebody’s Baby – Jackson Browne 

Calling all fans of Fast Times At Ridgemont High, up next is Somebody’s Baby by Jackson Browne, and this track is found on the soundtrack to the movie. It would be the last Top 10 song he would have, reaching seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The track hit 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart and hit 16 on the Canadian chart. 

20. Gloria – Laura Branigan 

Laura Branigan - Gloria (Official Music Video)

Laura Branigan is on the list with Gloria, and this was not only her biggest hit but is thought of as her signature song. It went to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed on the chart for 36 weeks, which was a record for a woman at that time. The track went to number one in Canada and Australia too. 

21. Sexual Healing – Marvin Gaye 

Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing (Official HD Video)

We can’t have this list without talking about Marvin Gaye and his iconic and memorable song Sexual Healing from the album Midnight Love. This track went to number one on the Hot Black Singles chart and peaked at three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This was the last Top 10 hit he would have and is thought of as one of the greatest songs of all time. 

22. Who Can It Be Now? – Men at Work 

Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (Video Version)

Next up is Men At Work, an Australian band that had a hit with Who Can It Be Now? This song is from their album Business As Usual, which was their first album, and it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and two on the singles chart in Australia. This was one of their most popular tracks, often thought of as their signature song, and it’s still one of the biggest and most iconic new wave music tracks to date. 

23. Mirror Mirror – Diana Ross 

Diana Ross is on the list with Mirror Mirror from the album Why Do Fools Fall In Love? This song is about losing a love and trying to figure out what made that love fall apart, and it’s done in the Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs chant of “Mirror, mirror on the wall.” This track went to two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart while peaking at number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

24. Through The Years – Kenny Rogers 

Kenny Rogers - Through The Years (Audio)

Kenny Rogers had a hit with Through The Years from his album Share Your Love. This song is all about a relationship and all of the good and bad that happens during that time. It went to 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and stayed within the top 40 for more than 11 weeks. The track is one of the biggest of his career and hit one on the Adult Contemporary chart. 

25. White Wedding – Billy Idol 

Billy Idol - White Wedding (Part 1)

Billy Idol is on the list with White Wedding, which is one of his signature songs and most famous tracks to date. This song didn’t chart that high and only made it to four on the Top Tracks chart and peaked at 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was successful internationally where it hit six on the UK Singles chart and topped the Canadian Top Singles chart. 

26. Why Do Fools Fall In Love – Diana Ross 

Diana Ross - Why Do Fools Fall In Love

Next up is iconic singer Diana Ross with her cover of Why Do Fools Fall In Love, and this song went to number two on the Adult Contemporary chart while hitting seven on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was internationally successful and went to number four on the UK Singles chart while hitting one in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

27. Caught Up In You – 38 Special 

38 Special - Caught Up In You (Official Music Video)

Next is 38 Special, and this Southern rock band had a massive hit with Caught Up In You from their album Special Forces. The track went to number one on the Mainstream Rock chart and hit 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart while peaking at nine on the Canadian Top Singles chart. This was the first time they had a number-one song on the Top Tracks chart, and it’s one of their biggest songs in America. 

28. Gypsy – Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac - Gypsy (Official Music Video)

Fleetwood Mac had a hit with Gypsy from the album Mirage and was one of the biggest and most successful songs from that album. You may know this track as it was featured in the Netflix show of the same name, but it was an acoustic version and not the album version that Stevie Nicks recorded specifically for the show. 

29. I Melt With You – Modern English 

Modern English - I Melt With You (Official Video)

New Wave band from Britain Modern English is on the list with I Melt With You, which is from the album After The Snow. This song hit seven on the Mainstream Rock chart and was in the movie Valley Girl. 

30. Atomic Dog – George Clinton 

Next is George Clinton with his song Atomic Dog from the album Computer Games. This track is popular and hit number one on the R&B chart and has been sampled several times in various hip hop songs through the years.

31. I Know What Boys Like – The Waitresses 

I Know What Boys Like

Calling all fans of the movie I Was A Teenage Zombie, you may know I Know What Boys Like by The Waitresses since it’s found in the film. This track comes from their debut album titled Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? Thought of as a one-hit wonder, the song made it to 23 on the Top Tracks chart and 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

32. Hallowed Be Thy Name – Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden - Hallowed Be Thy Name (Live at Long Beach Arena)

Metal band Iron Maiden had a hit with Hallowed Be Thy Name from their successful album The Number Of The Beast. This is one of their signature songs, and it went to nine on the UK Singles chart and 16 on the Irish Singles chart. 

33. Rock The Casbah – The Clash 

The Clash - Rock the Casbah (Official Video)

Punk band The Clash had a massive hit with Rock The Casbah, which is on the album Combat Rock. This song was the only track that made it into the Top 10 in the US, reaching number eight on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

34. Just Can’t Get Enough – Depeche Mode

Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (Remastered)

On the list next is Depeche Mode with the song Just Can’t Get Enough from the album Speak & Spell. This track went to number one on the UK Indie chart and eight on the UK Singles chart. It also hit 26 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart and was the last single that Vince Clarke, a founding member of the band, wrote before he left. 

35. It’s Raining Men – The Weather Girls

The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (Video)

A song we all know is It’s Raining Men, which was a popular song by The Weather Girls and comes from their album Success. This track was a huge hit that had soul, R&B, and disco elements in it, and it’s all about being excited about men. This song is one of the best tracks of all time, and it hit number one on the Hot Dance Club Play chart while peaking at 46 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

36. Leader Of The Band – Dan Folgelberg

Dan Fogelberg - Leader of the Band (from Live: Greetings from the West)

Dan Folgelberg had a hit with Leader Of The Band coming from his album The Innocent Age. This song hit number one on the Adult Contemporary chart and nine on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This track was a tribute song that he wrote for his father who was the lead singer of a band, and he was able to do interviews about the song before he died shortly after its release. 

37. Making Love – Roberta Flack 

Next is Roberta Flack with the song Making Love from her album I’m The One. The track made it to seven on the Adult Contemporary chart and 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and is one of her most well-known songs. 

38. Hungry Like The Wolf – Duran Duran 

Duran Duran - Hungry like the Wolf (Official Music Video)

Coming in at number one on the Top Rock Tracks chart is Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran from the album Rio. This song made it to three on the Billboard Hot 100 and five on the UK Singles Chart, and it got a ton of airplay on MTV. The band even won a Grammy Award for the music video! 

39. Let It Whip – Dazz Band 

Next is Dazz Band with Let It Whip from the album Keep It Live, and this is their signature song and biggest track to date. They won a Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group With Vocals for this song, and it hit number one on the Hot Soul/Black Singles chart while peaking at five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. 

40. Take It Easy On Me – Little River Band 

Take It Easy On Me (Remastered 2010)

Little River Band had a hit with Take It Easy On Me, which comes from their album Time Exposure. This song went to 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 14 on the Adult Contemporary chart and was their last hit that reached the Top 10 in America. 

41. Think I’m In Love – Eddie Money 

Eddie Money - Think I'm In Love

Eddie Money concludes our list with Think I’m In Love, which comes from the album No Control. This song hit number one on the Top Tracks chart and went to 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was his first major hit in a long time, which allowed him to have a brief comeback before falling off once again, although this song is still played often on the radio.

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