Best Songs of 1985 Ranked: 50 Hits & Hidden Gems

50 best songs of 1985, ranked from #50 to #1 — mixing huge 80s hits with new wave, synth-pop, alternative favorites and a few hidden gems that deserve another spin. This is our very opinionated favorite songs of 1985 list, featuring Simple Minds, Tears for Fears, a-ha, INXS, Depeche Mode, The Cure, OMD, Eurythmics, Prince, Kate Bush and plenty more. And yes, there is a suspicious amount of synthesizer involved. If this countdown starts unlocking completely unrelated 80s memories, that's basically what my other channel Just A Midlifer is for:    / @justamidlifer   Songs featured — alphabetical so I don't spoil the ranking: a-ha — Take on Me a-ha — The Sun Always Shines on T.V. ABC — How to Be a Millionaire Baltimora — Tarzan Boy Commodores — Nightshift Dead or Alive — You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) Depeche Mode — It's Called a Heart Depeche Mode — Shake the Disease Dire Straits — Money for Nothing Duran Duran — A View to a Kill Elton John — Nikita Eurythmics — Would I Lie to You? Godley & Creme — Cry Hoodoo Gurus — Bittersweet Howard Jones — Things Can Only Get Better Huey Lewis & The News — The Power of Love INXS — What You Need James Brown — Living in America Jan Hammer — Miami Vice Theme Kate Bush — Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) Level 42 — Something About You Love and Rockets — Haunted When the Minutes Drag Madonna — Into the Groove Mike + The Mechanics — All I Need Is a Miracle Mike + The Mechanics — Silent Running Mr. Mister — Broken Wings Mr. Mister — Kyrie Oingo Boingo — Weird Science Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark — Secret Phil Collins — Long Long Way to Go Prince — Raspberry Beret R.E.M. — Driver 8 Robert Palmer — Addicted to Love Simple Minds — Alive and Kicking Simple Minds — Don't You (Forget About Me) Simply Red — Holding Back the Years Siouxsie and the Banshees — Cities in Dust Sly Fox — Let's Go All the Way Stephen Duffy — Kiss Me Sting — If You Love Somebody Set Them Free Talking Heads — And She Was Tears for Fears — Everybody Wants to Rule the World Tears for Fears — Head Over Heels The Cult — She Sells Sanctuary The Cure — Close to Me The Cure — In Between Days The Outfield — Your Love Thompson Twins — Lay Your Hands on Me 'Til Tuesday — Voices Carry U2 — The Three Sunrises What would be your #1 song of 1985 — and which song are you personally offended didn't make our 50? To listen to the full playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0bU... #1985 #80sMusic #80sSongs #NewWave #Synthpop