33 Female Singers of the 80s and Their Biggest Songs

Who were the most popular female singers of the 80s?

Madonna and Whitney Houston were the biggest female singers of the 80s. Madonna became the decade's pop icon with hits like "Like a Virgin" and "Like a Prayer", while Whitney Houston set a record with seven number one singles in a row between 1985 and 1988. Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper and Janet Jackson complete the top five for most fans.

The pop queens of the 80s

1. Madonna: "Like a Virgin", "Material Girl", "Like a Prayer" and a string of hits that made her the Queen of Pop.
2. Whitney Houston: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" and "Greatest Love of All".
3. Cyndi Lauper: "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "Time After Time"; she won Best New Artist at the 1985 Grammys.
4. Janet Jackson: "Nasty", "When I Think of You" and "Rhythm Nation".
5. Paula Abdul: "Straight Up" and "Forever Your Girl", both number ones as the decade ended.
6. Debbie Gibson: "Only in My Dreams" and "Lost in Your Eyes", written while she was still a teenager.
7. Tiffany: "I Think We're Alone Now", promoted with a famous tour of shopping malls.
8. Olivia Newton-John: "Physical", which spent ten weeks at number one.
9. Sheena Easton: "Morning Train (Nine to Five)" and the Bond theme "For Your Eyes Only".
10. Taylor Dayne: "Tell It to My Heart" and "Prove Your Love".
11. Martika: "Toy Soldiers", a number one in 1989.

Female rock singers of the 80s

12. Pat Benatar: "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" and "Love Is a Battlefield"; she won four Grammys in a row for Best Female Rock Vocal.
13. Joan Jett: "I Love Rock 'n' Roll", seven weeks at number one in 1982.
14. Stevie Nicks: the solo hits "Edge of Seventeen" and "Stand Back"; see our Stevie Nicks songs.
15. Ann Wilson of Heart: "Alone" and "These Dreams" with her sister Nancy.
16. Bonnie Tyler: "Total Eclipse of the Heart".
17. Kim Carnes: "Bette Davis Eyes", the biggest single of 1981.
18. Belinda Carlisle: "Heaven Is a Place on Earth", after fronting The Go-Go's.
19. Annie Lennox of Eurythmics: "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)".

Soul and R&B women of the 80s

20. Tina Turner: "What's Love Got to Do with It", the comeback hit that won three Grammys.
21. Anita Baker: "Sweet Love" and "Giving You the Best That I Got".
22. Chaka Khan: "I Feel for You".
23. Sade: "Smooth Operator" and "The Sweetest Taboo".
24. Diana Ross: "Upside Down" and the duet "Endless Love".
25. Donna Summer: "She Works Hard for the Money".
26. Irene Cara: "Flashdance... What a Feeling", which won an Oscar.
27. Laura Branigan: "Gloria" and "Self Control".

Singer-songwriters and crossover stars

28. Tracy Chapman: "Fast Car", which became a hit again when Luke Combs covered it in 2023.
29. Suzanne Vega: "Luka" and "Tom's Diner".
30. Kate Bush: "Running Up That Hill", revived for a new generation by Stranger Things.
31. Gloria Estefan: "Conga" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You" with Miami Sound Machine.
32. Cher: "If I Could Turn Back Time", the same decade she won an Oscar for Moonstruck.
33. Dolly Parton: "9 to 5" and the duet "Islands in the Stream".

80s girl groups

Women also ruled the charts in groups. The Go-Go's were the first all-female band that wrote their own songs and played their own instruments to top the album chart, with "We Got the Beat". The Bangles hit number one with "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "Eternal Flame", and Bananarama took their cover of "Venus" to the top in 1986.

Why were the 80s such a big decade for female vocalists?

MTV launched in 1981, and suddenly an artist's look and videos mattered as much as her voice. Female singers of the 80s used that stage brilliantly: Madonna reinvented her image with every album, Cyndi Lauper made quirky fun her trademark and Janet Jackson brought dance routines to the center of pop. At the same time, women like Pat Benatar and Joan Jett proved that rock was not just for men.

The story behind Whitney Houston's record

Between 1985 and 1988, Whitney Houston released seven singles in a row that went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, from "Saving All My Love for You" to "Where Do Broken Hearts Go". No artist had done that before, not even the Beatles, and it remains one of the great records in pop history.

80s female singers for a party playlist

For an 80s party, open with "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody", add "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" and "I Love Rock 'n' Roll" for the rock crowd and save "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for a big sing-along. For love songs from the same decade, see our 80s love songs, and for the decade's biggest hits from every genre, our 80s songs.

Women singers of the 1980s for karaoke

For karaoke night, "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "Like a Prayer" and "Alone" are showstoppers, while "Walk Like an Egyptian" and "I Think We're Alone Now" are easy for anyone. See our best karaoke songs for more picks and our karaoke duets for songs to sing with a friend.

80s female vocalists for a wedding

Many couples who grew up in the 80s choose these voices for their big day: "Time After Time" and "Eternal Flame" for a first dance and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" for the dance floor. See our 80s wedding songs for the full day.

A song in the style of the 80s

A personalized song can capture that big 80s sound for someone who loves it: their name, their story and a chorus made for singing along, in a pop, rock or R&B style. It makes a fun birthday gift for anyone who came of age with these voices.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, rock, R&B and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three memories or details about them.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $35.99, or $40.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Give them a hit of their own: create a song and hear four previews for free.