Interesting video, but man, over in the 'eccentric' UK we churned out bucket-loads of insane one-hit wonders in the 1980s. Bucks-Fizz "Land of Make Believe" was written by *Peter Sinfield* for Christ's sake. Don't under any circumstances google it.

I love Stevie Wonder but the 80s weren’t kind to him (nor to many big 70s acts). “I Just Called to Say I Love You” is an abomination.

I always thought ‘You are the Wind Beneath my Wings’ was about a singing pigeon with flatulence.

One of my friends used to constantly sing “Don’t Worry Be Happy” and it started to grind on my nerves. “We are the World” is absolutely inexcusably horrible. Nobody knows where the money when that song was fundraising for but considering who was involved… Never Gonna Give You Up causes me to rage just thinking about it. What a terrible song. Only Satan could inspire a song that terrible!

The funny thing about "Don't Worry Be Happy" is that even Bobby McFerrin doesn't like it, refuses to play it live.

You missed the worst song of them all: “We Built This City” by Starship. It hit number one in November 1985.

Phil Collin’s rendition of “You can’t hurry love “, is abominable. Just awful. Thanks, Scot.

Got a minor disagreement on the Rick Astley song because I went to Mexico for the first time in March 1988 and as a young single lady had a great time dancing with the other men at all the bars to this one. Great memories.

Great list and all those deserve to be on it. I would insert my personal most hated in there somewhere.... "We Built This City", by Jefferson Starship. I really detest that awful song!

I love this series! Your contempt for these songs brings a smile to my face. Don’t ever lose your uniqueness, Scot. You’re a unicorn in the absolute best sense of the word. Looking forward to when you unsheathe your metaphorical sword on the 1990s. Cheers from The Big, Bog of an Apple, ova heyah. Rock Out, Prog On and Pogo! Your clone and mine, ~ The Dreaded, Shredded and Unleaded Doppelgänger of Davey Cretin, from CRETIN CLASSICS.

Great episode, I personally never cared for the 80s hits, but there was some brilliant metal, birth of hip-hop and of course a lot of my beloved rock in opposition and jazz fusion.

"Jesse's Girl" is the worst hit song of the 80s. Horrible earworm I can't get out of my brain when I hear it and just the stupidest, most casually misogynistic lyrics.

In the UK we had There’s No-one Quite Like Grandma by St Winifred’s School Choir, and the re-release of Never Been To Me by Charlene.

OK! I'm gonna give you my UK version, believe me... some of these? ESPECIALLY the top 2?? You've been warned... 1) The Firm - Star Trekkin’ (1987) 2) St Winifred's School Choir - There’s No One Quite Like Grandma (1980) 3) Spitting Image - The Chicken Song (1986) 4) The Timelords - Doctorin’ the Tardis (1988) 5) Starship - Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now (1987) 6) Cliff Richard - Living Doll (1986) 7) Pet Shop Boys - Always On My Mind (1987) 8) Europe - The Final Countdown (1986) 9) Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up (1987) 10) Bucks Fizz - Makin’ Your Mind Up (1981)

You got my morning going. Cheers Scot!

Arrrrgggghhhhh! Never gonna give you up. Arrrrggggghhhh!

I'm surprised you left out New Kids on the Block from this list and didn't give them an dishonorable mention and same for Shake You Down by Gregory Abbott. Also I felt Baby I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley should have made the list. To each their own but I'll take Don't Worry Be Happy over any of those songs

Dude, I agree with the majority of your list, but Huey Lewis? Even without Back to the Future to give it timeless context, that's a solid rocking tune. You need to replace that with one of the worst songs ever excreted: "We Built This Shitty" by Jefferson Fartship. Then your list of pain is complete.

But the worst is yet to come. The 90s and beyond.

You're number 1 is absolutely right on spot. What a horrible song. I love the attitude here - fun stuff.

The one surprise I had looking though the list is I never realized Vangelis' Chariots of Fire hit number one. That's pretty awesome. It's such a great piece of music. My picks: Roxette's Listen to Your Heart, Culture Club's Karma Chameleon, The Bangles' Eternal Flame gives me hives and any of those godawful cover hits from UB40. Red Red Wine has to be the biggest killing of a Neil Diamond song ever.

I used to mimick and impersonate the various singers / big stars ( We Are The World ) with their inflections.. I would do it when I was generally high, and it was.. Very funny ! LOL !! Dylan, MJ , Bruce, and others. Im usually not a jokster.. But I nailed this one ! Very entertaining video, BTW 🎵

Funny story about Debbie Gibson - Shake Your Love... I was going to work at a local vet clinic and stopped at the grocery store up the street on the way to grab a breakfast sandwich. Playing over the P.A. is, you guessed it, Shake Your Love. I'm walking through the store and I see this guy in deli who looks at me over the top of his glasses with a pained look, nodded towards the closest speaker in the ceiling and said "song's called Shake Your Love". I fell out laughing. Maybe ya had to be there

Scot,this is hilarious😂😂, words like 'Terrible" 'awfullness' 'awful' ' Ridiculous' 'avoid it at all costs' 'really bad song' 'vile' 'terrible song' :i.couldn't cate less if i never heard it again in my life" 'insane' ' terrible movie 'horrible song' brilliant😂😢😮😂😂😂😂😂😂

Hilarious list :) you really had me with that Rick Astley horribility that even my daughter loves...

Great show Scot.Their are more worst songs from the eighties no doubt. I did enjoy the Sunday show ranking ELO's best songs.

My rogues gallery from Billboard in the Eighties has a few in common with yours (in chronological order): 1. Queen - Crazy Little Thing Called Love 2. Stars On 45 - Stars On 45 3. David Bowie - Let's Dance 4. The Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (are Made Of This) 5. John Waite - Missing You 6. USA For Africa - We Are The World 7. Paul Young - Everytime You Go Away 8. Whitney Houston - Saving All Your Love For You 9. Prince - Kiss 10. Bananarama - Venus 11. Janet Jackson - When I Think Of You 12. Billy Idol - Mony Mony 13. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up 14. Bette Midler - Wind Between My Wings 15. New Kind On The Block - I'll Be Loving You (Forever)

No Star-Artist-Collaboration-Charity-Project-Save-The-World-song has ever impressed me at all.

Hi Scot Over here in the UK a lot of those British artists are still playing and touring with those songs. Daytime TV appearances as well lol. Charlie boy opened our Parliament yesterday and it was Queen Camillas birthday yesterday ❤️. Have a fantastic day

Hilarious as always, Scot, but you missed the #1 worst song by a mile: The Ghostbusters Theme. Absolute yuckety-yuck. Gag! Barf! Your Top 5 I can agree with as long as you put Ghostbusters first and number down the others by one. I don't recall you mentioning "(I've Had) The Time of My Life," another one that should be in the "top" 15. And I don't think there's a Beatles/Paul McCartney fan out there who doesn't feel some embarrassment over "Ebony and Ivory." Paul must have totally steamrolled George Martin to get that on wax.

Your list is spot on man! It's because of songs like this that I really hated the 80's! OK, there still was some good music back then but it was very scarce compared to what came before it. So Chicago wasn't Peter Cetera's kind of music huh? Why did he stick around with them for so long? I seem to recall him saying that he wasn't into "horn rock". I reckon those horns finally got to him!

'89 was definitely the year pop music started going to shit. Some of the songs you mention from the early 80's I kind of liked because I was still just a young teen that liked anything catchy. Some of those mid 80's duets were just plain awful and We Are The World definitely would have been my number1 bad song of the 80's. The 80's had a odd combination of really great music and really bad music. Once R&B pop hit it was all downhill. Groups like DeBarge or any group that recorded a Diane Warren composition, Starship was pure crap though I loved 70's Jefferson Starship.Cher made me want to vomit.

Great video idea. I kinda liked all the songs listed; the only ones that I'm not crazy about (but wouldn't call them awful) are: - the Peter Cetera and Amy Grant duet - the Deniece Williams song - the Billy Ocean song - the Bette Midler tune

I love Burt Bacharach, but man, "That's What Friends Are For" is abominable. What's even sadder is that in an interview, Burt ranked it among the top three songs he wrote.

The ones I know, like The Power Of Love, Ebony and Ivory, Don't Worry Be Happy, That's What Friends Are For, (also on my Diamonds 3 CD set by Elton John) and Never Gonna Give You Up, I don't agree with on this list and they're actually good songs in my opinion. I also think that rickrolls are funny. I also see some ELO albums in the background.

I would've also included "Kokomo" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart." both are pure rubbish.

There's a really harsh PSA video about wearing seat belts with a bloke smashing into his gf repeatedly to Do That To Me One More Time which hopefully has ruined that song for the next generations.

Hiya, Scott! Excellent! But two points . . . . 1) "We are the World" was for charity. African famine I think. But it wasn't meant to compete in the commercial music market. 2) "Power of Love" is excellent. Commercial, but excellent.

I won't argue with your top 15's (although most of them I don't really mind.) However, I have to strongly disagree with your "honorable mention" Sailing. That is a beautiful song, one of the best soft-rock tunes ever. Long live Yacht Rock!

Ugh!!! The 1980s! I prefer the worst songs of the 70s any day over the 80s. I can't even bring myself to make a list (yes, that's how bad it is). Trust me, I know the 80s but I can barely stomach hearing you talk about these abominations that polluted the airwaves and made a lot of us really queasy. Thank God for the underground! I hid behind a Wall of Voodoo and did my best not to pay attention. Hmmm...even some of the artists I love produced some very plasticy and upsetting tunes. I love Tug of War but Ebony and Ivory, c'mon now guys! Anyways Scot I think I gotta go vomit a little. Take care brother. Wait a sec...I'll defend Bobby McFerrin. The dude is actually a serious musician. He's more of a "classical" guy as well as some jazz. He has made some great albums...never mind the "hit" It's not representative of what he actually does. Check out his album Vocabularies, it's stellar and would appeal to proggy types. I kid you not.

The song itself is utter cheese but the pornographic synth solo on muskrat love itself is a redeeming aspect of that song... I mean they decided, hey it's the 70's, we are gonna take you there. It's pretty out there. The 80's got far more corporate... Which is why i got deep into Zappa by then.. btw did you ever go to the exclusive company?

If you think 'Don't Worry; Be Happy' is terribe, then listen to his acappela cover of 'Sunshine of Your Love'. He sings the guitar solos on his version.

I already have a nomination for the worst song of the 90's: Livin' La Vida Loca. It sounds like a parody of Ricky Ricardo type music. It's way too over the top.

Scott! I am surprised there wasn't a favourite French artists list given it was Bastille Day recently!

Do that! I still sing it often! Endless love a great slow dance back when we had Juke Box Dancing Night! Power of love has one of the great Stevie Ray type solos ever!!!! Ever! John Denver is a god! We are the World I like so I can impersonate all the singers. Willie Nelson-"as God has shown us by turning stone to bread"! Wind Beneath my wings-Gary Morris!

Let us never speak of this again.

Another GREAT list Scot! I agree! All Crap!!!

Fun video! Lots to denigrate in the 80's. But was surprised at how you dissed Bobby McFerrin. Sure, can understand that song can be annoying, but McFerrin is a great jazz musician, wonderful performer, and an all-time great vocalist. He's worked with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Zawinul, among others. An innovative jazz vocalist that invigorated, energized, and popularized scat and multi-dimensional acapella vocals. He's highly respected and had a great career, and shouldn't be judged solely by that 1 silly hit record. I know that this was just in fun, but McFerrin is a world-class musician that happened to record this novelty song that took off. Good for him (and certainly not the worst #1 song of the 80's).

Love Prince I believe he is one of the most talented artists ever. But I think batdance could be on this list. Walk like an Egyptian was alright, but the number one song of the year?

Rush Signals.

There were quite a lot of awful chart toppers in the 1970s and 1980s. Fair enough. Every number 1 since 1990 should be binned!

Groovy kind of love, Take on me, I don't want your freedom, Don't tell me you love me

Chicago hard to say i am sorry sucks i hated 80s Chicago Chicago was great between 1969 until 1979 when they got til the 80s they weren't the same never recovered from terry kaths death

I like Olivia Newton John “Let’s Get Physical”

Seeing Rick at #3 makes me want to see this comment section flooded with Rick Rolls

Shaddap Ya Face - Jim Dolce say no more

I'm from San Francisco, and Huey Lewis was a really big deal around here. I could never stand him or his old band, Clover, which ruined Elvis Costello's 'My Aim Is True' album for me.

All the artists you criticized are crying on their way to the bank! And the rest of us are not! Btw, i agree with you on "Say, say, say." Both P.M. and M.J. could have done better.

Hey, Say Say Say is a banger (in the modern definition).

Fun show Scott.

I remember seeing an interview with Phil Collins talking about how easy it was for him to keep getting hit after hit back then, he added, "But when I recorded 'A Groovy Kind of Love' and it went to #1 in both the US and UK, it was starting to be laughable. It was getting way too easy!" ha!

That list is a nightmare 😂

worst songs of the 80s. number 1. all of them the 80s was when music was first made for money rather than passion

In the UK I Want to Wake Up with You was no.1 - awful song we also got Glen Mederos Nothing's Going To Change My Love for You - massive sclocky cringfest. I also hate When the Going Gets Tough the Tough Get Going. Stars on 45 are also awful but i raise you Jive Bunny too.

Thankfully there were a couple of those turds on the list I wasn't familiar with. To change the subject slightly (because many on your list were duets) - Greatest Duet of the 80's: "Please Don't Touch" by Motorhead/Girlschool. Cheers Scott!!

Yeah, those are all pretty bad. Yet, "Let's hear for the Boy" actually has a pretty good bass riff.

I like to think that Bobby McFerrin received a lifetime achievement award because he's actually a well-respected jazz artist who has worked in classical music as well. Oh, and he had a no. 1 pop hit that he himself has tried to separate himself from pretty much since it came out. Ha. There's a YT video that Todd In The Shadows did about the song that you might be interested in. If only for the Kurt Vonnegut reference in it. ;)

Have to disagree with number 9 because I was in love with Amy Grant. The rest of the list, I couldn't agree more.🤩

Great show lots of fun. If you don’t like Huey Lewis’ Power of Love, try the one by Jennifer Rush (different song). No.1 in the UK & top 10 in most of the World. Only the US showed good taste in this case.

I only survived late '80s early '90s radio in L.A. because we had a couple of good college stations (KXLU and Pomona) and Public Radio (KPCC when they had music). Commercially, KROQ started out with a bang and played great stuff, but by '85 they sank into craptown.

Thank you for calling out the bland Huey Lewis!

I don't like particularly "Don't Worry Be Happy" but I like Bobby McFerrin in general !

For the 90s "Roll The Bones." would be in my top5, maybe top3. It's horrible, I hate it. I don't think putting hands on it and having prayer warriors standing by could help. Not enough rattlers in the state of Texas to help. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

At least the '70s stinkers list consisted of a lot of novelty songs, some of which had a certain charm. But this '80s list...these weren't novelty songs, they were attempts to make serious music, which I think makes them even worse. The '80s had some great songs and albums, but the charts were heavily influenced by MTV music videos. That's not a knock on MTV, because they promoted a lot of good stuff as well, but I think that a lot of turd music became popular with the unwashed masses simply because of the music videos.

Oh yeah, these songs all suck. But disco duck from the 70s still has my top of all time. Worst songs in history.

Very funny, but there are many more....I don't know if these were #1's, but "Arthur's Theme" (Christopher Cross) , Anything by the Thompson Twins, and Bon Jovi , "Careless Whisper"(George Michael, and anything by Wham) , anything by Whitney Houston....the nausea continues...

The Power of Love was My Wife and I''s 1st Dance song at our Wedding. 'Nuff Said.

I'm surprised Rick Rolling is still a thing. My first brush with it was in about '08 or '09 when I had just discovered KZfaq. More like Don't worry be CRAPPY! Even 'Owner' is better than many of the songs on this list. Even if I had an 80s thing going many years ago.

The 80s had some movies with great songs on the soundtrack- even movies that were b grade- F/X, Better off Dead, The Principal, Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and 3. Even Maniac Cop 2 has a great song by Buddy Miles!

Every breath you take my most hated police song i love the police but hated this song

89 - was good if you were in Europe and you liked dance music or early Britpop like The Stone Roses or REM.

What band are you gonna rank next

Your No.1..... I can't even say it out loud!

The 80S gave us that snare sound and huge ballads....cant hate it

I particularly dislike “That’s What Friends Are For” for keeping “Burning Heart” by Survivor out of the number one slot, which fully deserved it.

Great fun post 80s did have some turds And you hit most but im going to say Susudio : Phil Collins We Built this City : Starship Oh how the mighty had fallen

The mainstream radio in the 80s was really bad. Some great underground/college radio bands. Otherwise awful. Still, I was a teen in the 80s so I can listen and laugh, thinking of people I knew and other memories.

the "Me" decade exhibited a cultural decadence that reflected the general nihilism and excess of a consumer society that liked to watch "The Rich and Famous". That is my opinion.

I won't say if this is either good or bad , but a number 1 in the UK by Bucks Fizz " The Land of make believe " features lyrics from a certain legendary lyricist from a certain legendary Prog band. Definitely some abysmal singles there Scot , but great fun nonetheless. And how about The Bangles... Eternal Flame too. It was a great time to be an Iron Maiden fan. 😍🎵🎵🤘🤘

Well, I beg room to disagree - most of these are at least hummable, man. Harmonically rich, like most of the chart-topping 70s/80s music. I can't say that about very much of the popular music in the 21st century, and in that I sadly must include miss mega-starlet herself, Tay Swift. Can't get into her stuff at all, musically speaking. But at least we agree on a hell a lot of your prog best-of lists!

👍👍👍👍👍

Hello by Lionel Ritchie passes because its guitar solo is one of the greatest, in one take by session legend Louie Shelton, ex Wrecking Crew, who also did Last Train to Clarksville, Valerie, Jackson 5 ABC, Lowdown, Seals and Crofts Diamond Gilr etc. Louie has lived in Australia for many years now. I think he has a youtube channel where you can see him play those iconic guitar parts.

regarding your challenge: McFerrin did a fun interpretation of "Blues Connotations" with Corea.

Not a US Nomber 1,but was in Austria,new zealand,south africa and switzerland,the Most terrible song of all time: Da da da by Trio.from 1982

By the way Bobby McFerrin is an incredible singer. Check out his amazing duets with Chick Corea!

Oh, these best of the worst lists...sometimes makes you laugh, sometimes makes you cry....but you know, don't worry, be happy.

Hey Scot! Can't believe you wasted 16:46 on this garbage, but i guess it had to be done. Yep, sometimes music just sucks!👍☮️👑🐍🎯😎

I don't mind "Power Of Love" by Huey Lewis. However, I think "Stuck With You" is an atrocity.

You’re spoiled for choice in the 80s… ☠️

Thanks!