TOP 40 ACTS OF THE 1980s
(First Edition)

(From January 1980 to June 1983)

Broadcast Fourth Of July Weekend 1983 (2 July 1983)

(13th Anniversary Show)

(Special thanks to Michael Warner for this information)

*=Indicates act began chart career in the 80s

Act Songs Charted from Jan 80 to Jun 83. Song(s) played in italics. Top 10 hits in blue. Biggest hit of the artist is underlined.
1

Daryl Hall and John Oates

Wait For Me/How Does It Feel To Be Back/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling/Kiss On My List/You Make My Dreams/Private Eyes/I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)/Did It In a Minute/Your Imagination/Maneater/One On One/Family Man
2 Diana Ross Upside Down/I'm Coming Out/It's My Turn/One More Chance/Endless Love/Why Do Fools Fall In Love/Mirror, Mirror/Work That Body/Muscles/So Close/Pieces Of Ice
3 Air Supply* Lost In Love/All Out Of Love/Every Woman In the World/The One That You Love/Here I Am (Just When I Thought I Was Over You)/Sweet Dreams/Even the Nights Are Better/Young Love/Two Less Lonely People In the World
4 Kenny Rogers You Decorated My Life/Coward Of the County/Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer/Love the World Away/Lady/What Are We Doin' In Love/I Don't Need You/Share Your Love With Me/Blaze Of Glory/Through the Years/Love Will Turn You Around/A Love Song/We've Got Tonight/All My Life
5 Olivia Newton-John I Can't Help It/Magic/Xanadu/Suddenly/Physical/Make a Move On Me/Landslide/Heart Attack/Tied Up
6 Michael Jackson Rock With You/Off the Wall/She's Out Of My Life/One Day In Your Life/The Girl Is Mine/Billie Jean/Beat It/Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
7 Christopher Cross* Ride Like the Wind/Sailing/Never Be the Same/Say You'll Be Mine/Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)/All Right/No Time For Talk
8 Journey Too Late/Any Way You Want It/Walks Like a Lady/Good Morning Girl Stay Awhile/The Party's Over (Hopelessly In Love)/Who's Crying Now/Don't Stop Believin'/Open Arms/Still They Ride/Seperate Ways (Worlds Apart)/Faithfully
9 Rick Springfield Jessie's Girl/I've Done Everything For You/Love Is Alright Tonite/Don't Talk To Strangers/What Kind Of Fool Am I/I Get Excited/Affair Of the Heart
10 Juice Newton Angel Of the Morning/Queen Of Hearts/The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)/Love's Been a Little Bit Hard On Me/Break It To Me Gently/Heart Of the Night
11 Stevie Wonder Send One Your Love/Outside My Window/Master Blaster (Jammin')/I Ain't Gonna Stand For It/Lately/That Girl/Ebony and Ivory/Do I Do/Ribbon In the Sky/Used To Be
12 Neil Diamond September Morn'/The Good Lord Loves You/Love On the Rocks/Hello Again/America/Yesterday's Songs/On the Way To the Sky/Be Mine Tonight/Heartlight/I'm Alive/Front Page Story
13 Bob Seger Fire Lake/Against the Wind/You'll Accomp'ny Me/The Horizontal Bop/Tryin' To Live My Life Without You/Feel Like a Number/Shame On the Moon/Even Now/Roll Me Away
14 Blondie The Hardest Part/Call Me/Atomic/The Tide Is High/Rapture/Island Of Lost Souls
15 Eddie Rabbitt Gone Too Far/Drivin' My Life Away/I Love a Rainy Night/Step By Step/Someone Could Lose a Heart Tonight/I Don't Know Where To Start/You and I/You Can't Run From Love
16 Kim Carnes Don't Fall In Love With a Dreamer/More Love/Cry Like a Baby/Bette Davis Eyes/Draw Of the Cards/Mistaken Identity/Voyeur/Does It Make You Remember
17 John Cougar I Need a Lover/Small Paradise/This Time/Ain't Even Done With the Night/Hurts So Good/Jack and Diane/Hand To Hold On To
18 Paul McCartney Coming Up (Live At Glasgow)/Ebony and Ivory/Take It Away/Tug Of War/The Girl Is Mine
19 Billy Joel You May Be Right/It's Still Rock and Roll To Me/Don't Ask Me Why/Sometimes a Fantasy/Say Goodbye To Hollywood/She's Got a Way/Pressure/Allentown/Goodnight Saigon
20 Kool and the Gang Ladies Night/Too Hot/Celebration/Jones Vs. Jones/Take My Heart (You Can Have It If You Want It)/Steppin' Out/Get Down On It/Big Fun/Let's Go Dancin' (Ooh La, La, La)
21 Lionel Richie* Endless Love/Truly/You Are/My Love
22 Dan Fogelberg Longer/Heart Hotels/Same Old Lang Syne/Hard To Say/Leader Of the Band/Run For the Roses/Missing You/Make Love Stay
23 Queen Crazy Little Thing Called Love/Play the Game/Another One Bites the Dust/Need Your Loving Tonight/Flash's Theme aka Flash/Under Pressure/Body Language/Calling All Girls
24 REO Speedwagon Time For Me To Fly/Keep On Loving You/Take It On the Run/Don't Let Him Go/In Your Letter/Keep the Fire Burnin'/Sweet Time
25 Men At Work* Who Can It Be Now/Down Under/Overkill
26 Styx Babe/Why Me/Borrowed Time/The Best Of Times/Too Much Time On My Hands/Nothing Ever Goes As Planned/Mr. Roboto/Don't Let It End
27 Barbra Streisand No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)/Kiss Me In the Rain/Woman In Love/Guilty/What Kind Of Fool/Promises/Comin' In and Out Of Your Life/Memory
28 John Lennon (Just Like) Starting Over/Woman/Watching the Wheels
29 The Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue/She's So Cold/Start Me Up/Waiting On a Friend/Hang Fire/Going To a Go-Go
30 Toto 99/Rosanna/Make Believe/Africa/I Won't Hold You Back
31 The J. Geils Band Come Back/Love Stinks/Just Can't Wait/Centerfold/Freeze-Frame/Angel In Blue/I Do/Land Of a Thousand Dances
32 Pat Benatar* Heartbreaker/We Live For Love/You Better Run/Hit Me With Your Best Shot/Treat Me Nice/Fire and Ice/Promises In the Dark/Shadows Of the Night/Little Too Late/Looking For a Stranger
33 The Little River Band Cool Change/It's Not a Wonder/The Night Owls/Take It Easy One Me/Man On Your Mind/The Other Guy/We Two
34 The Pointer Sisters He's So Shy/Could I Be Dreaming/Slow Hand/Should I Do It/American Music/I'm So Excited/If You Wanna Get Back Your Lady
35 Foreigner Head Games/Women/Urgent/Waiting For a Girl Like You/Juke Box Hero/Break It Up/Luanne
36 Elton John Little Jeannie/(Satorial Eloquence) Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More/Nobody Wins/Chloe/Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)/Blue Eyes/I'm Still Standing
37 Police Message In a Bottle/De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da/Don't Stand So Close To Me/Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic/Spirits In the Material World/Secret Journey/Every Breath You Take
38 Donna Summer Dim All the Lights/No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)/On the Radio/Walk Away/The Wanderer/Cold Love/Who Do You Think You're Foolin'/Love In Is Control (Finger On the Trigger)/State Of Independence/The Woman In Me/She Works Hard For the Money
39 Joan Jett and the Blackhearts* I Love Rock 'N Roll/Crimson and Clover/Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
40 Fleetwood Mac Tusk/Sara/Think About Me/Sisters Of the Moon/Fireflies/Hold Me/Gypsy/Love In Store

Notes - all song that were on the charts from 5 January, 1980 to 25 June 1983 were included, even if the song had peaked in late 1979 and was falling down or or was still climbing as of the end date.

A popular special countdown in the 1970s returns in an 80s version - The top acts of the decade so far. Since the decade was quite early on when this was done, there was an element of surprise on who would finish on top. Only 5 acts that began their chart careers no earlier than 1980 were on the countdown.

Notice Joan Jett makes the countdown with only 2 songs, while Donna Summer, who is one position higher, charted with 10 singles. John Lennon makes it all the way to #28 with only 3 songs. 3 Country acts place in the top 40 - all in the Top 15. Kenny Rogers, Juice Newton and Eddie Rabbitt. The countdown sees some acts who's chart careers were mediocre in the 70s, exploding in the 80s (REO Speedwagon, the J. Geils Band and Dan Fogelberg for instance). And some acts who's success of the 70s continued into the 80s (Donna Summer, Daryl Hall and John Oates, Fleetwood Mac and Elton John for instance.) One act, Blondie, had completed its chart career when this countdown aired. They have since had no more chart hits in the US. All other 39 acts listed would continue to chart later into the 80s.

Diana Ross' hits includes her duet with Lionel Richie. Kenny Rogers hits includes his duet with Kim Carnes, his duet with Dottie West and his duet with Sheena Easton. Olivia Newton-John's hits include her collaboration with the Electric Light Orchestra, her duet with Andy Gibb and her duet with Cliff Richard. Michael Jackson's hits include his duet with Paul McCartney but not any hits with the Jacksons. Stevie Wonder's hits include his duet with Paul McCartney. Eddie Rabbitt's hits include his duet with Crystal Gayle. Kim Carnes's hits include her duet with Kenny Rogers. Paul McCartney's hits include those with or without Wings, his duet with Paul McCartney and his duet with Michael Jackson. Lionel Richie's hits include his duet with Diana Ross but not those with the Commodores. Queen's hits include their collaboration with David Bowie. Barbra Streisand's hits include her duet with Donna Summer and her duets with Barry Gibb. Donna Summer's hits includes her duet with Barbra Streisand. Fleetwood Mac's hits do not include any hits by its members as solo artists.

Back to the Special Countdowns page