The 1980s was a decade of transition and variety for music. Rock and roll thrived under the guise of the heavy metal label, and rap music began its ascension into American culture. Top 40 pop music charts were filled with catchy songs with memorable, sing-along lyrics. It was an era of flashy styles and fun songs.
Artists like Madonna had incredible success throughout the decade. In the '80s, she released seven of her 12 Billboard Hot 100 number-one songs. Whitney Houston hit the top spot with seven of her own in that decade (11 total).
Hair band icon Bon Jovi had four songs that reached number one and six other top-ten hits. Lionel Richie had five songs that peaked at number one.
George Michael was right behind the leaders in this category with seven chart-topping tunes, four as a solo artist and three as part of Wham! He added another in the ‘90s.
Which 1980s legends had the most number-one songs in the decade?
It should be no surprise that Michael Jackson had the most number-one songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the ‘80s, with eight, including two duets. He had two monster albums in the decade —Thriller and Bad — and was a hit-making machine for three centuries.
Here is a list of Jackson’s number-one songs in the ‘80s:
"Billie Jean" - 1983
"Beat It" - 1983
"Say Say Say" - 1983, with Paul McCartney
"I Just Can't Stop Loving You" - 1987, with Siedah Garrett
"The Way You Make Me Feel"- 1987
"Bad" - 1987
"Man in the Mirror" - 1988
"Dirty Diana" - 1988
Jackson also had three chart-topping hits in the 1970s and two more in the ‘90s. He more than earned the title of the “King of Pop.”
Surprisingly, Phil Collins also had eight number-one songs, seven as a solo artist and another as the lead singer for Genesis. People may need to remember just how big of a solo career Collins had. He was immensely popular over a few decades, but mainly in the '80s.
Here is the list of number-one hits for Collins:
"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" - 1983
"One More Night" - 1985
"Sussudio" - 1985
"Separate Lives" - 1985, with Marilyn Martin
"Invisible Touch" - 1986, with Genesis
"Two Hearts" - 1988
"Groovy Kind of Love" - 1988
"Another Day in Paradise" - 1989
Shockingly, Collins's most enduring and iconic song, "In the Air Tonight," only reached as high as 19 on the Billboard charts. That seems to be a glitch in the charts system and is hard to believe.
In status, Michael Jackson was the biggest superstar in the ‘80s, but Phil Collins was close behind. Both had an enormous impact on the music of that decade and beyond.