Criteria: The songs here are based on popularity and impact with an emphasis on a party atmosphere. Songs that were released in 1979 ("Funkytown," "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," "On the Radio," "Video Killed the Radio Star," "What I Like About You," "Rock With You," "Cars," "Pop Muzik," "And the Beat Goes On," "Ladies Night," "Computer Games," "Vertigo/Relight My Fire," "Rock Lobster," "Working My Way Back To You/Forgive Me Girl," "Please Don't Go," "The Second Time Around," "Off the Wall," "Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll") do not count here. Also, the song must have been worked significantly to dance clubs to figure a spot here. Since the '80s was a very danceable decade with diverse dance-oriented styles, special sidebar lists are given.
Edited By: Jeff B.
Last Updated: 2009-08-23
Newly added names are in Red
Greatest Dance Songs of the 1980s
1. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson 2. Into the Groove - Madonna 3. Don't You Want Me? - Human League 4. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Eurythmics 5. Tainted Love - Soft Cell 6. Super Freak Part I - Rick James 7. Beat It - Michael Jackson 8. Celebration - Kool and The Gang 9. 1999 - Prince 10. It Takes Two - Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock 11. Push It - Salt-N-Pepa 12. All Night Long (All Night) - Lionel Richie 13. Another One Bites the Dust - Queen 14. Flashdance...What a Feeling - Irene Cara 15. Holiday - Madonna 16. Let the Music Play - Shannon 17. Wild Thing - Tone Loc 18. Pump Up the Jam - Technotronic 19. Thriller - Michael Jackson 20. Blue Monday - New Order 21. Upside Down (Inside Out) - Diana Ross 22. It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls 23. Take Your Time (Do It Right) - S.O.S. Band 24. I'm So Excited - The Pointer Sisters 25. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston 26. The Humpty Dance - Digital Underground 27. Love Shack - B-52s 28. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' - Michael Jackson 29. Let's Groove - Earth, Wind, and Fire 30. Jump (For My Love) - The Pointer Sisters 31. I Feel For You - Chaka Khan 32. Rapture - Blondie 33. Walk Like An Egyptian - The Bangles 34. Girls Just Want To Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper 35. Our Lips Are Sealed - Go-Gos 36. Situation - Yazoo 37. The Safety Dance - Men Without Hats 38. I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz 39. Electric Boogie - Marcia Griffiths 40. Give It To Me Baby - Rick James 41. In My House - Mary Jane Girls 42. Forget Me Nots - Patrice Rushen 43. Genius Of Love - Tom Tom Club 44. You Dropped A Bomb On Me - Gap Band 45. Rhythm of the Night - DeBarge 46. More Bounce to the Ounce Part I - Zapp 47. When Doves Cry - Prince 48. Let's Dance - David Bowie 49. I'm Coming Out - Diana Ross 50. Heartbeat - Taana Gardner 51. Let It Whip - Dazz Band 52. Kiss - Prince & The New Power Generation 53. Let's Hear It For the Boy - Deniece Williams 54. You Spin Me Around (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive 55. Whip It! - Devo 56. Conga - Miami Sound Machine 57. Pump Up the Volume - M/A/R/R/S 58. Ride On Time - Black Box 59. Like a Virgin - Madonna 60. Me, Myself, and I - De La Soul 61. My Prerogative - Bobby Brown 62. Footloose - Kenny Loggins 63. Fame - Irene Cara 64. Relax - Frankie Goes To Hollywood 65. Goody Two Shoes - Adam Ant 66. Rockit - Herbie Hancock 67. Word Up! - Cameo 68. You're the One For Me - D-Train 69. Planet Rock - Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force 70. Sunglasses At Night - Corey Hart 71. Oh Sheila - Ready For the World 72. Stomp! - Brothers Johnson 73. Venus - Bananarama 74. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham! 75. Maniac - Michael Sembello 76. Gloria - Laura Branigan 77. Atomic Dog - George Clinton 78. Burn Rubber (Why You Wanna Hurt Me?) - Gap Band 79. She Works Hard For the Money - Donna Summer 80. Everybody Have Fun Tonight - Wang Chung 81. Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran 82. Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell 83. Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant 84. We Got the Beat - Go-Gos 85. Material Girl - Madonna 86. The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson 87. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals 88. The Politics of Dancing - Re-Flex 89. The Glamorous Life - Sheila E. 90. Freeway of Love - Aretha Franklin 91. She Blinded Me with Science - Thomas Dolby 92. Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode 93. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves 94. Who Can It Be Now? - Men At Work 95. Nasty - Janet Jackson 96. White Horse - Laid Back 97. Funky Cold Medina - Tone Loc 98. Bust A Move - Young MC 99. When I Think of You - Janet Jackson 100. Mickey - Toni Basil
101. Always Something There To Remind Me - Naked Eyes 102. Too Shy - Kajagoogoo 103. Our House - Madness 104. I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam 105. I Can Dream About You - Dan Hartman 106. Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley 107. Two of Hearts - Stacey Q 108. Let's Go Crazy - Prince & The Revolution 109. Fresh - Kool & The Gang 110. Jungle Love - The Time 111. Living In America - James Brown 112. Let's Go All the Way - Sly Fox 113. Nasty Girl - Vanity 6 114. Rumors - Timex Social Club 115. No Parking (On the Dance Floor) - Midnight Star 116. Axel F - Harold Faltermeyer 117. New Attitude - Patti LaBelle 118. Last Night a DJ Saved My Life - Indeep 119. Double Dutch Bus - Frankie Smith 120. A Love Bizarre - Sheila E. 121. Get Down On It - Kool & The Gang 122. How Will I Know? - Whitney Houston 123. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow 124. So Many Men, So Little Time - Miquel Brown 125. High Energy - Evelyn Thomas 126. 19 - Paul Hardcastle 127. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder 128. Bad - Michael Jackson 129. Express Yourself - Madonna 130. Hot Hot Hot - Buster Poindexter 131. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson 132. Break My Stride - Matthew Wilder 133. Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung 134. I Want a New Drug - Huey Lewis & The News 135. Ghostbusters - Ray Parker Jr. 136. (Keep Feeling) Fascination - Human League 137. Caribbean Queen (No More Love On the Run) - Billy Ocean 138. (Let's Get) Physical - Olivia Newton John 139. Don't Leave Me This Way - Communards 140. Come Go With Me - Expose 141. Give Me the Night - George Benson 142. Love Sensation - Loleatta Holloway 143. The Loco-Motion - Kylie Minogue 144. What's On Your Mind? (Pure Energy) - Information Society 145. I'm In Love - Evelyn "Champagne" King 146. People Hold On - Coldcut feat. Lisa Stansfield 147. Can't Fake the Feeling - Geraldine Hunt 148. Theme from S-Express - S-Express 149. Beat Dis - Bomb the Bass 150. Swing the Mood - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers
Michael Jackson
Rick James
Donna Summer
Diana Ross
More Dance Lists
TOP 10 DANCEABLE PARTY ROCKER JAMS
*Either had no significant dance chart success or are all guitar rock-oriented jams.
1. Mony Mony (live) - Billy Idol 2. Walk This Way - Run-D.M.C. & Aerosmith 3. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party) - Beastie Boys 4. I Love Rock N Roll - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts 5. Addicted To Love - Robert Palmer 6. Call Me - Blondie 7. Jessie's Girl - Rick Springfield 8. Rock This Town - Stray Cats 9. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol 10. Dancing In the Dark - Bruce Springsteen • Bubbling Under:
Bang the Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren
TOP 10 NOT QUITE-SO JAMMING
1. Back To Life - Soul II Soul 2. Straight Up - Paula Abdul 3. Keep On Movin' - Soul II Soul 4. Cruel Summer - Bananarama 5. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do) - Hall & Oates 6. I'll Tumble 4 Ya - Culture Club 7. Lean On Me - Club Nouveau 8. West End Girls - Pet Shop Boys 9. All Around the World - Lisa Stansfield 10. Smalltown Boy - Bronski Beat • Bubbling Under:
Don't Worry, Be Happy - Bobby McFerrin
TOP 3 REGGAE/WORLD MUSIC JAMS
1. Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth 2. Ye Ke Ye Ke - Mory Kante 3. Lambada - Kaoma
NOTE: Dance music is not always your typical 4/4 rhythm. Dance music is found in all forms of popular music, be it through swing, ragtime, jump blues, and rock. The first real dance music in American history was ragtime, and in the 1980s, dance music peaked pop-wise. These songs represent the greatest electronic dance and jam (dance-based pop-rock) songs of the 1980s.
