I'll list mine later

In no particular order, and without repeating artists:

"Vamos" - The Pixies
"The Magic Number" - De La Soul
"So. Central Rain" - R.E. M.
"Wanna Be Starting Something" - Michael Jackson
"Makes No Sense at All" - Hüsker Dü
"Come Dancing" - The Kinks
"Left of the Dial" - The Replacements
"Cemetery Gates" - The Smiths
"Waiting On a Friend" - Rolling Stones
"Middle of the Road" - The Pretenders

I thought about putting
"I Am the Ressurection" - Stone Roses
in there too. But, even though it was TECHNICALLY released in the 80's (1989), I feel like it's aesthetically more in-line with the 1990's.

This is not my top 10, just 10 that came easily to mind...

That's Entertainment - The Jam
Riot Act - Elvis Costello
What We All Want - Gang of Four
Oblivious - Aztec Camera
All Her Favorite Fruit - Camper Van Beethoven
Shop it Around - Jason & the Scorchers
Fairytale of New York - The Pogues
I Held Her in my Arms - Violent Femmes
Everday Is Like Sunday - Morrissey
In Between Days - The Cure

The Warrior - Scandal
99 Luft/Red Baloons - Nina
Tainted Love
Always Something There To Remind Me
Safety Dance
Freeze frame
Centerfold
Abra Cadabra
Wildside - Motley Crue
ummmm....more to come

I'll number 'em, but this ain't in no order...

1. The Dream Syndicate That's What You Always Say
2. The Jazz Butcher Southern Mark Smith
3. Danny and Dusty Baby, We All Gotta Go Down
4. Jesus And Mary Chain Cherry Came Too
5. The Brains Money Changes Everything
6. Jim Carroll Band Wicked Gravity
7. The Soft Boys I Wanna Destroy You
8. Stiff Little Fingers Roots, Radicals, Rockers, and Reggae
9. Slow Lookin' For Something Clean
10. Giant Sand Thin Line Man

Okay, apologies for going all Frostingspoon on everybody's ass, but here's the list of other songs that deserve to be in that top 10:

The Jags Back Of My Hand
Jo Jo Zep and the Falcons So Young
The Beat Farmers Riverside
Mental As Anything The Nips Are Getting Bigger
The Only Ones Why Don't You Kill Yourself?
Graham Parker and the Rumour No Holding Back
Tom Waits 16 Shells From A 30.06
Teenage Head Total Love
A. More Judy Get Down
NoMeansNo Try Not To Stutter
Pink Steel She's Not Mine
Shakin' Pyramids Sugar Bee
Kate Bush The Dreaming
Josie Cotton Johnny, Are You Queer?
Green On Red Brave Generation
The Lyres Help You Ann
Prince Little Red Corvette
Pretenders Back On The Chain Gang
Orange Juice Rip It Up
Adrian Belew Twang Bar King
The Bluebells Cath
The Fleshtones Screamin' Skull
The Plimsouls Lie, Beg, Borrow, And Steal
Red Rockers China
Jonathan Richman This Kind Of Music
Alan Vega Wipeout Beat
Violent Femmes Kiss Off
X Hothouse
The Hoodoo Gurus Bittersweet
The Long Ryders Lights Of Downtown
Minutemen Political Song For Michael Jackson To Sing
The Replacements Favorite Thing
The Saints Big Hits (On The Underground)
True Sounds Of Liberty American Zone
The Waterboys Church Not Made With Hands
XTC This World Over
Poisoned Yeh, I Guess
Jason and the Scorchers Broken Whiskey Glass
Thin White Rope Dead Grammas On A Train
Bad Brains I Against I
The Scientists We Had Love
The Church Destination
Jerry Jerry and the Sons of Rhythm Orchestra Runaway Lane
Naked Prey Voodoo Godhead
Opal She's A Diamond
Scruffy The Cat Hello Angel
10,000 Maniacs Hey Jack Kerouac
The Wild Flowers Something To Mention
Dinosaur Jr. Freak Scene
Dreams So Real Bearing Witness
Forgotten Rebels Surfin' On Heroin
The House Of Love Sulfur
Pixies Tame
The Primitives Crash
Sonic Youth Teenage Riot
Sons Of Freedom Super Cool Wagon
Zodiac Mindwarp & the Love Reaction Prime Mover
Concrete Blonde God Is A Bullet
Ian Hunter Woman's Intuition
Dramarama Last Cigarette

BR's got some damned good tunes there.

do you realize how difficult a task this is???

- duran duran - planet earth
- bauhaus - mask or stigmata martyr
- u2 - pride (in the name of love)
- depeche mode - never let me down again
- the cure - plainsong
- r.e.m. - camera
- roxy music - avalon
- inxs - don't change or original sin
- jo boxers - just got lucky
- madness - one step beyond
- prince - the beautiful ones

2 really good calls; Hmm, off the top of head may have further thoughts later:

1.Where Is My Mind - The Pixies
2. Born Under Punches - Talking Heads
3. Kiss Off - Violent Femmes
4. In Between Days - The Cure
5. Rocket Queen - Guns N Roses
6. Disposable Heroes - Metallica
7. Deans Dream - The Dead Milkmen
8. Where The Streets Have No Name / Bad - U2 (tie)
9. Run To The Hills - Iron Maiden
10. Exuming McCarthy - REM

I don't think I can do it, personally, though I can randomly toss off any number of 10 songs bunches I like a lot...so here's ten:

1. Easter Parade - The Blue Nile
2. The Great Curve - Talking Heads
3. How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
4. Knife - Aztec Camera
5. Jack Ruby - Camper Van Beethoven
6. Ballad - New Model Army
7. Family Snapshot - Peter Gabriel
8. A Wave Crashed On Rocks - Felt
9.The Whole Of The Moon - The Waterboys
10.Burning Inside - Ministry

Seconds from now, I'll think of 10 more just as good.

so true, spoon, so true.

<------graciously waiting for more lists from others before posting 10 more.

More ten random eighties tracks I really like

1. I'm In Love With A German Film Star
2. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
3. Consolation Prize
4. Pillar to Post
5. Never Understand
6. Atrocity Exhibition
7. White Lines (Don't Don't Do It)
8. West End Girls
9. Burn It Clean
10. Army Dreamers (NB - maybe that was 70's ?)

XTC - Sacrificial Bonfire
Wire - A Serious of Snakes
Yellowman - Strong Me Strong
Wire Train - Chamber of Hellos
Hybrid - Siouxsie & the Banshees
Celebrated Summer - Husker Du
Catapult - R.E.M.
I Can't Escape Myself - The Sound
Do It Clean - Echo & the Bunnymen
Vienna - Ultravox
Atmosphere - Joy Division

10 more:

1. Bring On The Dancing Horses - Echo & The Bunnymen
2. Mother Stands For Comfort - Kate Bush
3. Orpheus - David Sylvian
4. Just Like You Said It Would Be - Sinead O'Connor
5.And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues
6.Your Racist Friend - They Might Be Giants
7.Maybe Partying Will Help - Minutemen
8.Fools Die (live) - Peter Tosh
9.Cruiser's Creek - The Fall
10.Wall Of God - China Crisis

These are more mainstream but I love them still..

The Cure- Lulliby
The Chuch- Under the Milkyway
The Smiths- Cemetary Gates
Cocteau Twins- The Thinner the Air
This Mortal Coil- Song to the Siren
U2- I Want to Be With You
Talk Talk- Its My Life
Nine Inch Nails- Sanctified
Depeche Mode- Walking In My Shoes
Blondie- Atomic

I've been waiting for someone to mention The Forgotten Rebels, I love 'em.

Here' s mine:

Echo Beach – Martha and The Muffins
Just Like Heaven – The Cure
High School Confidential – Rough Trade
1999 – Prince and the Revolution
Guitar Town – Steve Earle
Love Plus One – Haircut 100
Kiss Me Deadly – Lita Ford
Hand in Glove – The Smiths
Bette Davis Eyes – Kim Carnes
True – Concrete Blonde

Plus:
Laying Down the Law - INXS
Killing Moon – Echo and the Bunnymen
Kiss on my List – Hall and Oates
Hey Nineteen – Steely Dan
Photograph – Def Leppard
Fools Gold – The Stone Roses
Too Fast for Love – Motley Crue
Don’t Treat Me Bad – Firehouse
New Moon on Monday – Duran Duran
Here Comes Your Man – The Pixies

ten urthers (sue me):

1.The Church - Disappointed
2.The Sundays - Hideous Towns
3.XTC - Love On A Farmboy's Wages
4.Cocteau Twins - Pearly Dewdrops Drop
5.Midnight Oil - Jimmy Sharman's Boxers
6.REM - Camera
7.Peter Murphy - Marlene Dietrich's Favorite Poem
8.Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - The Mercy Seat
9.OMD - Talking Loud & Clear
10.Bob Dylan - Brownsville Girl

I went stream of consciousness, in no particular order, and didn't stop until I hit an even dozen...

"No Myth" - Michael Penn
"Ted, Just Admit It..." - Jane's Addiction
"Alex Chilton" - The Replacements
"Welcome to the Boomtown" - David & David
"Driver 8" - R.E.M.
"Keep Your Hands to Yourself" - Georgia Satellites (yeah, I said it...wanna do somethin' about it?!?)
"Mexican Radio" - Wall of Voodoo
"Go For Soda" - Kim Mitchell
"When The World is Running Down, You Make the Best of What's Still Around" - The Police
"Jenny (867-5309)" - Tommy Tutone (bring it on, fuck stick!)
"The Breakup Song" - Greg Kihn Band
"Centerfold" - J. Geils Band (that's it...your ass is MINE!!!)

Holy Shit!! I can't believe you know this.

LISTEN HERE WOLFCHILD!!!!!

1. Don't Dream It's Over - Crowded House
2. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush
3. In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel
4. Tempted - Squeeze
5. Headlights On The Parade - The Blue Nile
6. Every day I write the book - Elvis Costello
7. Safe From Harm - Massive Attack
8. Know Me - Toad The Wet Sprocket
9. XTC - Dear God
10. Never Talking To You Again - Husker Du

Bump, I'll read and list when I get back from errands.

Well, since someone else has bumped it, I can't be blamed for thinking of 10 more when I get back from walking the dog. No, sir. Can't be blamed.

over 20 replies, and not one mention of west end girls by the pet shop boys?!?! for shame. this would be near the top of my list of the 10 greatest songs of all time, nevermind of the 80s. heres my list.

(of course) west end girls - pet shop boys
graceland - paul simon
debaser - the pixies
once in a lifetime - talking heads
black steel in the hour of chaos - public enemy
guitar town - steve earle
born in the usa - bruce springsteen
bullet the blue sky - u2
lets dance - david bowie
rockin in the free world - neil young

edit: damnit! upon further review, make everything i wrote in the first paragraph null.

I'll try to stay clear of what's been mentioned before, so here's ten more:

The Passions "Africa Mine" (1982) Spoon--I'm assuming you've heard this, it's right up your alley

Shreikback "My Spine Is The Baseline" (1982)

The New Christs "No Next Time" (1984)

Red Guitars "Good Technology" (1984)

The Leather Nun "Prime Mover" (1986)

The Monochrome Set "Ten Don'ts For Honeymooners" (1981)

The Toy Dolls "Nellie The Elephant" (1984)

The Polecats "Make A Circuit With Me" (1982)

Le Marquis De Sade "Wanda's Loving Boy" (1981)

The Scars "All About You" (1981)

nazareth - rain on the window
greg kihn band - the breakup song
kate bush - hounds of love
elo - another heart breaks
tom petty - don't come around here no more
robyn hitchcock - my wife and my dead wife
box of frogs - into the dark
kinks - add it up
devo - the words get stuck in my throat
queen/bowie - under pressure