[C] Bon Jovi | Jon's vocals soar over that iconic talk-box guitar effect. Tommy and Gina's working-class romance became everyone's anthem halfway through tough times.
2/30
Pour Some Sugar On Me?
[A] Def Leppard | Sheffield rockers mixed metal with pop sensibility perfectly. Producer Mutt Lange crafted those layered harmonies that made strippers and soccer moms equally happy.
3/30
Hungry Like the Wolf?
[C] Duran Duran | Simon Le Bon hunted through Sri Lankan jungles for this video. The band proved pretty boys could rock while wearing more makeup than their dates.
4/30
Billie Jean?
[D] Michael Jackson | That bassline changed everything when Quincy Jones produced it. Michael moonwalked into history wearing one glove and revolutionizing music videos forever with this track.
5/30
When Doves Cry?
[A] Prince | Purple One recorded every instrument himself without using bass. This minimalist masterpiece topped charts while proving less really can mean more in pop music.
6/30
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)?
[A] Hall & Oates | Philly duo's drum machine groove inspired countless hip-hop samples. Daryl and John proved blue-eyed soul could dominate both pop and R&B charts simultaneously.
7/30
Sweet Child O' Mine?
[B] Guns N' Roses | Slash's opening riff started as a string-skipping exercise. Axl wrote lyrics about his girlfriend Erin Everly, daughter of Everly Brothers' Don Everly.
8/30
Like a Virgin?
[C] Madonna | Material Girl scandalized MTV wearing wedding dress and writhing onstage. Nile Rodgers produced this controversial hit that cemented Madonna's provocateur status in pop culture permanently.
9/30
Walk This Way?
[D] Run-D.M.C. | Rap met rock when these Queens legends covered Aerosmith. Rick Rubin's idea broke down genre walls and basically invented the rap-rock collaboration blueprint.
10/30
You Shook Me All Night Long?
[D] AC/DC | Brian Johnson's first album after Bon Scott's death proved AC/DC unstoppable. Those power chords and double entendres became every bar band's mandatory closing song.
11/30
Don't Stop Believin'?
[A] Journey | Small town girl meets city boy on midnight train going anywhere. Steve Perry's vocals and Jonathan Cain's keyboards created karaoke's most murdered song ever.
12/30
How Will I Know?
[C] Whitney Houston | Narada Michael Walden produced this bubbly perfection showcasing Whitney's range. Her vocal acrobatics made every other singer question their career choices and practice harder.
13/30
With Or Without You?
[B] U2 | Edge's infinite guitar sustain meets Bono's yearning vocals beautifully. Daniel Lanois produced this Joshua Tree centerpiece about love's beautiful contradictions and impossible choices.
14/30
Walk Like an Egyptian?
[C] The Bangles | Liam Sternberg wrote this watching people maintain balance on ferry. The sideways dance moves and hieroglyphic hand gestures conquered MTV and wedding receptions worldwide.
15/30
Jump?
[D] Van Halen | Eddie swapped guitar for synthesizer shocking metal purists everywhere. David Lee Roth's acrobatics and that synth hook proved rock could evolve without losing power.
16/30
Need You Tonight?
[D] INXS | Michael Hutchence's whispered vocals oozed sensuality over funky rhythm. Andrew Farriss wrote this in taxi cab proving inspiration strikes anywhere when you're talented enough.
17/30
Here I Go Again?
[B] Whitesnake | David Coverdale rewrote slower version into hair metal anthem. Tawny Kitaen's car hood dancing in video launched thousand teenage automotive fantasies and insurance claims.
18/30
Come On Eileen?
[D] Dexy's Midnight Runners | Kevin Rowland's overalls and fiddle breakdown created Celtic soul magic. That tempo change midway through keeps dance floors confused but eternally entertained since 1982.
19/30
Time After Time?
[B] Cyndi Lauper | Rob Hyman co-wrote this tender ballad showing Cyndi's depth. Her quirky image contrasted beautifully with vulnerable lyrics about love's patience and persistence.
20/30
Jessie's Girl?
[B] Rick Springfield | Doctor Noah Drake sang about unrequited love for friend's girlfriend. This power pop perfection proved soap opera actors could legitimately rock the charts.
21/30
Beat It?
[C] Michael Jackson | Eddie Van Halen's guitar solo cost nothing but rearranged speakers. Quincy Jones merged rock and pop while real gang members appeared in John Landis's video.
22/30
Just Like Heaven?
[B] The Cure | Robert Smith wrote about hyperventilating girlfriend on Beachy Head cliff. This shimmering pop gem proved goths could write love songs without sacrificing black eyeliner.
23/30
Girls Just Want to Have Fun?
[A] Cyndi Lauper | Robert Hazard's original was from male perspective completely different. Cyndi transformed it into feminist anthem with her mom appearing in the revolutionary video.
24/30
Take On Me?
[A] A-ha | Norwegian trio's pencil-sketch video took four months animating rotoscope. That falsetto chorus note reaches heights that shatter glasses and teenage hearts equally effectively.
25/30
Our Lips Are Sealed?
[D] Go-Go's | Jane Wiedlin co-wrote with ex-boyfriend Terry Hall from Fun Boy Three. This new wave gem proved all-female bands could write their own hits successfully.
26/30
Welcome to the Jungle?
[B] Guns N' Roses | Axl's Indiana naivety meets LA's seedy underbelly viciously here. Slash's talk-box intro and serpentine riff defined danger in Sunset Strip hair metal.
27/30
Too Shy?
[C] Kajagoogoo | Limahl's blonde locks and Nick Rhodes production created new romantic perfection. Despite the silly name, this shy boy anthem dominated global charts impressively.
28/30
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go?
[A] Wham! | George Michael found inspiration in Andrew Ridgeley's note saying "go-go." Those day-glo shorts and shuttlecock dance moves defined peppy pop for the decade.
29/30
Burning Down the House?
[A] Talking Heads | David Byrne's lyrics came from overheard phrases at random. Bernie Worrell's synths and that choppy rhythm made art school funk impossibly danceable everywhere.
30/30
Love is a Battlefield?
[C] Pat Benatar | Mike Chapman produced this after "Battlefield" movie title inspired it. Pat's shoulder-shimmy dance and street tough video empowered MTV generation women significantly.