Top 50 Alternative Songs of the 80s
I just watched a YouTube list video on the top 50 post-punk songs, and though the person had some great songs on the list, it was too heavily weighted to about five bands, so I thought I’d make my own. Most of these songs can be found on my more comprehensive 80s playlist on Apple Music. The playlist has 246 songs totalling 16 hours and 19 minutes. I’m choosing to call this list 80’s alternative for no other reason than I don’t want to argue with my fellow music nerds about what is or is not a particular genre. So, without further adieu and in no particular order…
Lucretia My Reflection - Sisters of Mercy
One Hundred Years - The Cure
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me - The Smiths
Love Will Tear Us Apart - Joy Division
The Killing Moon - Echo & the Bunnymen
Pretty in Pink - The Psychedelic Furs
This is Not a Love Song - P.i.L.
Love Like Blood - Killing Joke
Voices Carry - Til Tuesday
Just Like Honey - The Jesus and Mary Chain
Head On - The Jesus and Mary Chain
Don’t Want to Know if You’re Lonely - Husker Du
Holiday in Cambodia - The Dead Kennedys
Minor Threat - Minor Threat
The Crowd - Operation Ivy
I Was a Teenage Werewolf - The Cramps
The Fire of Love - The Gun Club
The Mercy Seat - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Where is My Mind? - The Pixies
If I Should Fall From Grace With God - The Pogues
Touch Me I’m Sick - Mudhoney
Los Angeles - X
Tell Me When Its Over - The Dream Syndicate
Take the Skinheads Bowling - Camper Van Beethoven
Love Removal Machine - The Cult
Head Like a Hole - Nine Inch Nails
I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses
Waiting Room - Fugazi
Start Today - Gorilla Biscuits
Fall On Me - R.E.M.
Prison Bound - Social Distortion
Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash
Town Called Malice - The Jam
Ghost Riders - Suicide
From Her to Eternity - Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Can’t Hardly Wait - The Replacements
Unsatisfied - The Replacements
No Way Out - Goo Goo Dolls
In Between Days - The Cure
Plainsong - The Cure
She’s in Parties - Bauhaus
Wait for the Blackout - The Damned
Livin’ on Livin’ - The Lords of the New Church
La Pistola y el Corazon - Los Lobos
So Long Baby Goodbye - The Blasters
Your Way or the Highway - Blake Babies
That’s When I Reach for My Revolver - Mission of Burma
Hands All Over - Soundgarden
Maybe Partying Will Help - Minutemen
Rise Above - Black Flag