13 most iconic songs from movies in the 1980s

No. 6: "In Your Eyes" - Peter Gabriel

From Say Anything, 1989

This is song is famous as being one of the most parodied movie scenes of all time. Who hasn't seen some version of John Cusack holding his boom box over his head outside Ione Skye's bedroom window, trying to earn her forgiveness, while "In Your Eyes" blares from the speakers?

It's for that reason this song is not only on this list but why it is so high. It is an iconic song by way of how often it is parodied. On its own, it only reached as high as 26 on the Billboard chart as a single. It's not even Peter Gabriel's best-selling song. He has two you 10 hits and a number one with "Sledgehammer."

This song, as well as a few others on this list, transcends its chart performance. It has become a part of the pop culture of the eighties. There are few people who have escaped seeing this scene somewhere, even if they didn't know where it was from.

The scene has been parodied in movies like Deadpool 2, and television shows like The Simpsons and The Goldbergs. It is that lasting impression of actor, song, and scene that make this an everlasting visual. The song is not only on the movie soundtrack but also on the soundtrack of our culture.

No. 5: "Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr.

From Ghostbusters, 1984

Few movie theme songs have the staying power as this one. Thanks to a new generation of Ghostbuster movies, a new generation of viewers knows all the words.

It's a catchy upbeat tune that is fun to sing along with and everyone knows the words. There isn't anything much more iconic than that.

Ray Parker Jr., hit it big with this bouncy song. It spent three weeks at number one and was on the Hot 100 charts for nearly half a year - 24 weeks. That is some serious staying power!

Technically, it is not the best song ever written and it didn't win any awards. In the end, it doesn't matter, it is a great song because it made people smile and sing along. That was true 40 years ago, and it is true to today, with another whole generation of music livers. Bustin' makes me feel good, and that is the whole point.