This week on the Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown, we rewind to October 1, 1983—a moment when new wave, power ballads, retro flair, and synth-pop all collided in glorious, unforgettable harmony.

We’ve got Bonnie Tyler’s thunderous #1 hit, Men Without Hats’ quirky dance revolution, and The Police delivering heartbreak in perfect harmony—not once, but twice. Plus:

 🎤 A surprise appearance from Frank Stallone (yes, really!)

 🎧 A dreamy saxophone slow-dance from Spandau Ballet

 🎹 Billy Joel goes Motown

 💔 Air Supply turns drama into an anthem

 And of course, Laura Branigan, The Fixx, Talking Heads, Sheena Easton, and more.

✨ Plus, a reminder that Episode 3 of our Patreon-exclusive series, Top 80 Protest Songs of the 1980s, is out now! Join us at Patreon.com/GenX80sCountdown to keep the music and the message alive.

🛸 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon @GenX80sCountdown.

 ☕ Support the show at BuyMeaCoffee.com/GenX80sTop20Countdown—because caffeine fuels memory.

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

Some songs make you dance. Some songs make you feel.  

And some songs? Some change the world.  

This series was originally a Patreon-exclusive, but right now, these songs are too important to keep behind a paywall.  

Welcome to Part 1 of The Top 80 Protest Songs of the 80s—a countdown of the most powerful, politically charged, and socially relevant songs of the decade.  

From punk anthems to hip-hop manifestos, rock epics to pop songs with a message, these tracks shook the system—and their messages still hit just as hard today.  

Follow us @GenX80sCountdown on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon for even more 80s nostalgia. And if you love the show, buy us a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com, because keeping the 80s alive takes a LOT of caffeine. ☕

🔊 Turn it up, share it, and keep these voices alive.

Intro Music Neon Nights Tune Pocket

This week on Gen X 80s Top 20 Countdown—we’re rewinding to October 1, 1983…

💥 Bonnie Tyler is going full power-ballad mode

🕺 Men Without Hats are dancing without rules

 🎸 Stray Cats bring the rockabilly heat

 … and somehow, Frank Stallone lands in the Top 10.

Plus—mixtape memories, Swatch watch trivia, and all the feels.

🎧 Follow us @GenX80sCountdown on all socials!

The UK charts on December 4, 1981, were a perfect mix of innovation, nostalgia, and pure 80s magic.

This week, we count down 20 incredible tracks, featuring:

 🎶 Queen and David Bowie teaming up for a legendary duet

 🎶 The Human League leading the synthpop revolution

 🎶 Soft Cell, OMD, and Ultravox bringing new wave brilliance

 🎶 Diana Ross, Olivia Newton-John, and Rod Stewart proving the legends were still on top

 🎶 Julio Iglesias taking a Spanish-language ballad all the way to number one

This countdown is a time capsule of 1981—an era where music was changing, evolving, and setting the stage for the decade ahead.

📢 Want even more? Over on Patreon, we just dropped Episode 2 of The Top 80 Protest Songs of the 80s! These are the songs that stood for something, shook the system, and still carry their message today.

📢 Follow us on social media! Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon—we’re keeping the 80s alive everywhere!

☕ Love what we do? Support the show and fuel our caffeine addiction at Buy Me a Coffee!

🔊 Turn it up and relive the music that made us!

It’s time to travel back to December 5, 1981, when soft rock ballads, arena anthems, and new wave sounds were all battling it out for chart supremacy!

🎧 This week’s Gen X 80s Countdown brings you Diana Ross reimagining a 50s classic, The Police blending new wave with reggae, Foreigner delivering one of the greatest power ballads ever, and Olivia Newton-John dominating the charts with a record-breaking smash hit!

🔥 Plus, we’ll revisit the launch of MTV and how it changed music forever, and we’ll dive into the arcade craze of 1981 with a fun bit of trivia!

🎸 And don’t forget—our exclusive Patreon series, Top 80 Protest Songs of the 1980s, is going strong! Episode 2 drops this week, so join us at Patreon for deep-dive episodes on the songs that made a statement.

📲 Follow us @GenX80sCountdown on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon for even more 80s nostalgia. And if you love the show, buy us a coffee at Buy Me a Coffee—because keeping the 80s alive takes a LOT of caffeine! ☕

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

March 10, 1989, had a little bit of everything—and this week, we’re taking you back with another epic countdown of the UK’s Top 20!

We’ve got Michael Jackson clapping back at the press, Donna Summer proving disco queens never fade, Poison making us all sing along, and the pop machine that was Jason Donovan ruling the charts.

🔥 And don’t forget, our exclusive new Patreon series, The Top 80 Protest Songs of the 80s. Head over to Patreon for more deep-dive episodes.

📢 Follow us on social media! Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon—we’re keeping the 80s alive everywhere!

☕ Love what we do? Support the show and fuel our caffeine addiction at Buy Me a Coffee!

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

This week on Gen X 80s Countdown, we’re traveling back to March 11, 1989, a time when boy bands were rising, new jack swing was taking over, and rock legends were proving they still had what it takes.

🎧 Get ready for Debbie Gibson’s chart-topping ballad, the boy band explosion of New Kids on the Block, and the dance-pop energy of Paula Abdul and Milli Vanilli. Plus, we’ve got rock anthems from Guns N’ Roses and Rod Stewart, smooth R&B from Bobby Brown and Anita Baker, and a few surprises along the way.

🔥 And don’t forget, our exclusive Patreon series, Top 100 Rock Tracks of 1985, just wrapped up. If you’re a rock fan, head over to Patreon for more deep-dive episodes.

Follow us @GenX80sCountdown on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon for even more 80s nostalgia. And if you love the show, buy us a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com, because keeping the 80s alive takes a LOT of caffeine. ☕

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

This week, we’re doing something different and personal—a double-length special featuring my 40 favorite songs from the entire decade!

🔥 Featuring:

 🎸 Duran Duran 🎤 Pat Benatar 💃 Taylor Dayne 🎬 Huey Lewis & The News 🤘 Billy Idol 👑 Michael Jackson 

This is the ultimate 80s mixtape—a mix of rock, pop, new wave, movie classics, and deep cuts that defined the greatest decade in music.

And don’t forget—our Patreon-exclusive series kicks off next week with the Top 80 Protest Songs of the 1980s, so if you’re not on Patreon yet, now’s the time! Support us on BuyMeACoffee.com 

🎧 Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon to keep the 80s nostalgia alive!

Intro song 80s Neon Lights Retrowave from TunePocket

This week on Gen X 80s Countdown, we’re heading back to June 7, 1980—a time when the 70s were fading, and the 80s were kicking the door wide open.

🎧 We’ve got Lipps, Inc. bringing the funk at Number 1, Paul McCartney proving Beatlemania never really ended, and Blondie, Bob Seger, and Elton John delivering the timeless classics we still love today.

Plus, we’ll dive into the game-changing sounds of new wave, the ballads that broke our hearts, and the movie soundtracks that made history.

🎸 And BIG news for our Patreon fans. Our Top 100 Rock Tracks of 1985 series just wrapped up, so if you haven’t heard the grand finale yet, now’s the time to catch up. Join us on Patreon for even more deep-dive episodes.

Follow us @GenX80sCountdown on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon for even more 80s nostalgia. And if you love the show, buy us a coffee at BuyMeACoffee.com —because keeping the 80s alive takes a LOT of caffeine. ☕

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay

It’s time to rewind to July 25, 1986, where the UK charts were packed with pop legends, new wave anthems, reggae grooves, and even a few surprises.

🎧 This week’s countdown features:

 🔥 Madonna – Papa Don’t Preach

 🎸 Rod Stewart – Every Beat of My Heart

 💃 Bananarama – Venus

 🎤 UB40 – Sing Our Own Song

 🤖 Art of Noise & Max Headroom – Paranoimia (Yes, THAT Max Headroom.)

As always, we’ll dive into the stories behind the songs, test your 80s trivia knowledge, and take a nostalgic detour back to Saturday mornings in the 80s—where cereal commercials were just as entertaining as cartoons.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and Mastodon, and if you love the show, support us on Buy Me a Coffee.

🔊 Bonus: Our Patreon-exclusive series is in full swing with Episode 4 of the Top 100 Rock Songs from 1985—check it out for even more deep dives into 80s rock history.

Intro music by Roman Orekhov from Pixabay