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Best songs of 1984

Purple at the top of the year, and underneath it hip-hop made its first rock-shaped album and a Manchester band handed indie a voice it kept for a decade. American underground labels started functioning as scenes rather than as hobbies.

Songs from the albums of 1984, ordered by their own ratings rather than the record's.

Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] cover№ 1Take Me With UPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]4.4Weighted score4.9 avg · 4 ratings
  1. 2Suddenly coverSuddenlyBilly Ocean · Suddenly4.44.8 avg · 3 ratings
  2. 3Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] coverPurple RainPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]4.34.7 avg · 3 ratings
  3. 4Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] coverLet's Go CrazyPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]4.34.5 avg · 4 ratings
  4. 5Somebody's Watching Me coverSomebody's Watching MeRockwell · Somebody's Watching Me4.24.2 avg · 3 ratings
  5. 6War and Pain coverSuck Your BoneVoivod · War and Pain2 ratings
  6. 7Return to Base coverI'm a RockerSlade · Return to Base2 ratings
  7. 8Suddenly coverLoverboyBilly Ocean · Suddenly2 ratings
  8. 9Waking Up With the House on Fire coverMannequinCulture Club · Waking Up With the House on Fire2 ratings
  9. 10Defenders of the Faith coverTurn on Your LightJudas Priest · Defenders of the Faith2 ratings
  10. 11Love at First Sting coverStill Loving YouScorpions · Love at First Sting2 ratings
  11. 12Born in the U.S.A. coverGlory DaysBruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  12. 13Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız coverEle Güne KarşıMFÖ · Ele Güne Karşı Yapayalnız1 rating
  13. 14Diamond Life coverSmooth OperatorSade · Diamond Life1 rating
  14. 15The Works coverRadio Ga GaQueen · The Works1 rating
  15. 16Born in the U.S.A. coverMy HometownBruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  16. 17Born in the U.S.A. coverDancing in the DarkBruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  17. 18Born in the U.S.A. coverNo SurrenderBruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  18. 19Born in the U.S.A. coverI'm on FireBruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  19. 20Born in the U.S.A. coverBorn in the U.S.A.Bruce Springsteen · Born in the U.S.A.1 rating
  20. 21Fried (Digitally Remastered) coverSearch PartyJulian Cope · Fried (Digitally Remastered)1 rating
  21. 22Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] coverI Would Die 4 UPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]1 rating
  22. 23Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] coverDarling NikkiPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]1 rating
  23. 24Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster] coverThe Beautiful OnesPrince · Purple Rain (Deluxe Expanded Edition) [2015 Paisley Park Remaster]1 rating
  24. 25War and Pain coverBlack CityVoivod · War and Pain1 rating
  25. 26Heartbreak coverWhenever You Need MeShalamar · Heartbreak1 rating
  26. 27Heartbreak coverAmnesiaShalamar · Heartbreak1 rating
  27. 28Building the Perfect Beast coverNot Enough Love in the WorldDon Henley · Building the Perfect Beast1 rating
  28. 29Waking Up With the House on Fire coverDangerous ManCulture Club · Waking Up With the House on Fire1 rating
  29. 30This Last Night in Sodom coverMeet Murder My AngelSoft Cell · This Last Night in Sodom1 rating
  30. 31Agent Provocateur coverDown on LoveForeigner · Agent Provocateur1 rating
  31. 32Agent Provocateur coverI Want to Know What Love IsForeigner · Agent Provocateur1 rating
  32. 33Crusader coverMedley: Heavy Metal Thunder / Stand Up and Be Counted / Taking Your Chances / WarriorSaxon · Crusader1 rating
  33. 34Crusader coverChase the FadeSaxon · Crusader1 rating
  34. 35Arena coverPlanet EarthDuran Duran · Arena1 rating
  35. 36Like a Virgin coverStayMadonna · Like a Virgin1 rating
  36. 37Fistful of Metal coverPanicAnthrax · Fistful of Metal1 rating
  37. 38Love at First Sting coverCrossfireScorpions · Love at First Sting1 rating
  38. 39I Feel for You coverEye To EyeChaka Khan · I Feel for You
  39. 40The Works coverI Want to Break FreeQueen · The Works
  40. 41Like a Virgin coverLike a VirginMadonna · Like a Virgin
  41. 42Café Bleu coverYou're the Best ThingThe Style Council · Café Bleu
  42. 43Café Bleu coverMy Ever Changing MoodsThe Style Council · Café Bleu
  43. 44Phantoms coverSunshine in the ShadeThe Fixx · Phantoms
  44. 45Somebody's Watching Me coverObscene Phone CallerRockwell · Somebody's Watching Me
  45. 46Emotion coverTime MachineBarbra Streisand · Emotion
  46. 47It's My Life coverIt's My LifeTalk Talk · It's My Life
  47. 48It's My Life coverSuch a ShameTalk Talk · It's My Life
  48. 49It's My Life coverDum Dum GirlTalk Talk · It's My Life
  49. 50I Feel for You coverThrough The FireChaka Khan · I Feel for You

One great song, one bad album

Tracks carry their own ratings here, so a record you would never play front to back can still have a song worth defending.

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