My countdowns have produced surprises, and this one is no different.  I bet when you see this you’re thinking what song is this, but once you hear it you’ll know why it made it.  Longevity is a good trait to have to make it to this list, and this song certainly has had it.  At #8 it’s Roll To Me by Del Amitri.

Rare can a song not only help define a pop-music genre, but also be the catalyst for the wave of music that would come years down the road.  Enter this next 1985 track.  It’s a safe bet that the Latin-music invasion can be traced back to this song, which never gets caught in the 80s time capsule.  It still sounds fresh today.  This energetic tune will get you singing and dancing, at #8 it’s Conga by Miami Sound Machine.

In the mid-80s, this artist was everywhere, from Miami Vice to Live Aid.  He had four songs that were released in 1985 but only this one managed to break into this list.  I can’t speak for everyone, but it’s hard for me not to enjoy this song when it comes on the air.  That bass riff is iconic, the keyboard riff is jammin’, and the horns are superb.  At #9 it’s Sussudio by Phil Collins.

Once again, now in the 90s, another case for soundtrack songs – should they or shouldn’t they appear?  This song is synonymous with the TV show Friends, and it would be hard to completely separate it from the sitcom.  However, it’s still a classic, and deserves its spot here for the fact that as good of a song it is, it’s associated with one of the biggest tv shows of all time.  At #9 it’s I’ll Be There For You by The Rembrandts.

If the internet fully existed during this time, this #10 song would have broken it.  For years people wondered if these two pop/rock icons would ever get together for a song, and they did.  This song still gets major airplay and it’s iconic simply for the personnel that ended up being involved.  In the countdown of the top songs turning 30 years old, at #10 it’s Scream by Michael Jackson & Janet Jackson.

We kick off the second half of the top 20 songs turning 40 years old with another time-capsuled 80s hit that still gets tons of airplay to this day.  Again, the issue of whether “soundtrack songs” should be considered rears its ugly head again with this song, as it’s tied into the movie The Breakfast Club.  Still, it’s a huge song that is still heard today, and it’s tough for it to not make it at least to #10 in this countdown – it’s Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds.