Every year, Billboard magazine posts the Hot 100 for that year. This is the top 100 songs of the year. Several years ago I was gifted the complete set of songs for every year from 1980-1990. That’s almost 1100 songs (some songs re-charted). In listening to them I began to notice that several of the songs I loved from that decade were missing. Songs like Purple Rain, One Thing Leads To Another, and You Spin Me Round.

I know what you’re thinking, there has to be a mistake. There’s no way “Purple Rain” wasn’t on the Hot 100. Well, it wasn’t. Actually, “Purple Rain” wasn’t as big of a hit at the time as it is now.

So I wanted to find out how many of the songs I really loved and maybe forgotten were snubbed. Besides, don’t we always hear the same old songs by every “80’s” playlist? Here’s how I came by “The Next 100” playlist:

First, I gathered every Billboard Top40 chart for every week from 1980 -1989. That’s a lot of data. I cross-referenced those charts with the Billboard Hot 100 for every year…did some clean-up and the filtered the data to find only the songs that DID NOT make the annual charts. I was left with 1,217 songs. Then I sorted them by where they peaked on the chart, how long they remained at that spot…and how long they were in the Top40 in total.

You can find the playlist on Spotify, but the list is below. Happy Listening!

Here’s the complete list, with rankings and all:

YearTitleArtistWeeks RankedPeakWeeks at peak
1981START ME UPThe Rolling Stones1823
1984PURPLE RAINPrince and The Revolution1122
1980HE’S SO SHYThe Pointer Sisters1733
1980THE WANDERERDonna Summer1333
1983KING OF PAINThe Police1332
1983ONE THING LEADS TO ANOTHERThe Fixx1341
1989ANGELIARichard Marx1041
1980LOOKIN’ FOR LOVEJohnny Lee1352
1980REAL LOVEThe Doobie Brothers1152
1986HEARTBEATDon Johnson1052
1989DR. FEELGOODMotley Crue961
1986MY HOMETOWNBruce Springsteen862
1980I’M ALRIGHTKenny Loggins1272
1989WALK THE DINOSAURWas Not Was971
1989PUMP UP THE JAMTechnotronic Featuring Felly772
1983HEART AND SOULHuey Lewis and The News1282
1980I CAN’T TELL YOU WHYEagles1183
1983DELIRIOUSPrince1184
1986IS IT LOVEMr. Mister1181
1980XANADUOlivia Newton-John / Electric Light Orchestra1082
1985I WOULD DIE 4 UPrince and The Revolution981
1988ALPHABET ST.Prince981
1987THE FINAL COUNTDOWNEurope982
1989KISSES ON THE WINDNeneh Cherry881
1986WARBruce Springsteen and The E. Street Band882
1983TELEFONE (Long Distance Love Affair)Sheena Easton1492
1983SUDDENLY LAST SUMMERThe Motels1391
1983ROCK THIS TOWNThe Stray Cats1294
1985LOVIN’ EVERY MINUTE OF ITLoverboy1191
1985ONLY THE YOUNGJourney1191
1987LET’S GOWang Chung1191
1985YOU’RE ONLY HUMAN (Second Wind)Billy Joel1192
1983BURNING DOWN THE HOUSEThe Talking Heads1191
1989FRIENDSJody Watley with Eric B. and Rakim1191
1989YOU GOT ITRoy Orbison1191
1989ROOM TO MOVEAnimotion1191
1987THE ONE I LOVER.E.M.1091
1988RUSH HOURJane Wiedlin1091
1989WALKING AWAYInformation Society1091
1987IT’S NOT OVER (‘Til It’s Over)Starship1091
1983CRUMBLIN’ DOWNJohn Cougar Mellencamp1093
1988TUNNEL OF LOVEBruce Springsteen1091
1985GET IT ON (Bang A Gong)The Power Station1092
1987PAPER IN FIREJohn Cougar Mellencamp1093
1987IT’S A SINPet Shop Boys1091
1987I KNOW WHAT I LIKEHuey Lewis and The News1091
1986THE RAINOran “Juice” Jones991
1987TOUCH OF GREYGrateful Dead991
1989PUT A LITTLE LOVE IN YOUR HEARTAnnie Lennox and Al Green991
1987TALK DIRTY TO MEPoison991
1989LIVING IN SINBon Jovi991
1989THE DOCTORThe Doobie Brothers991
1981HOLD ON TIGHTELO13102
1989WHEN I LOOKED AT HIMExpose12101
1988I COULD NEVER TAKE THE PLACE OF YOUR MANPrince11101
1988JUST GOT PAIDJohnny Kemp11101
1987ONE HEARTBEATSmokey Robinson11101
1989CRYWaterfront10102
1986THIS COULD BE THE NIGHTLoverboy10101
1988HYSTERIADef Leppard10101
1986TUFF ENUFFFabulous Thunderbirds10101
1984SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCKRod Stewart10101
1988SOME KIND OF LOVERJody Watley10101
1986A MATTER OF TRUSTBilly Joel10101
1989YOUR MAMA DON’T DANCEPoison10101
1985RELAXFrankie Goes To Hollywood10102
1989YOU’RE NOT ALONEChicago10101
1989DON’T TELL ME LIESBreathe10101
1983P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)Michael Jackson9101
1986OPPORTUNITIES (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)Pet Shop Boys9101
1987WOT’S IT TO YARobbie Nevil9102
1985YOU SPIN ME ROUND (Like A Record)Dead Or Alive11111
1988(SITTIN’ ON) THE DOCK OF THE BAYMichael Bolton10112
1984DOCTOR! DOCTOR!Thompson Twins9111
1989GET ON YOUR FEETGloria Estefan8111
1989EVERLASTING LOVEHoward Jones11121
1985SMUGGLER’S BLUESGlenn Frey11121
1988DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU GOT (TILL IT’S GONE)Cinderella11121
1988CHAINS OF LOVEErasure11121
1987WIPE OUTFat Boys and Beach Boys11122
1986HEAVEN IN YOUR EYESLoverboy11122
1985JUST A GIGOLO / I AIN’T GOT NOBODYDavid Lee Roth10121
1988KISS ME DEADLYLita Ford10122
1988FOREVER YOUNGRod Stewart10121
1988PARENTS JUST DON’T UNDERSTANDD.J. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince10122
1987KISS HIM GOODBYEThe Nylons10121
1986MOVE AWAYCulture Club10122
1989I WON’T BACK DOWNTom Petty9121
1986I WANNA BE A COWBOYBoys Don’t Cry9121
1987GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLSMotley Crue9121
1989ROCKETDef Leppard9121
1982GYPSYFleetwood Mac8123
1984EAT IT“Weird” Al Yankovic7121
1988PUMP UP THE VOLUMEM/A/R/R/S11133
1985PEOPLE ARE PEOPLEDepeche Mode10132
1984I’LL WAITVan Halen10132
1987BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAINSteve Winwood10131
1984PANAMAVan Halen10131

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