40 Best 80s Love Songs, from Total Eclipse of the Heart to Right Here Waiting

What is the best love song of the 80s?

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler and "Open Arms" by Journey are two of the defining love songs of the 80s, and "Endless Love" by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie spent nine weeks at number one in 1981. "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx closed the 80s as one of its most loved ballads.

80s power ballads

1. "Keep On Loving You", REO Speedwagon: a promise to stay through it all.
2. "Open Arms", Journey: the power ballad that defined the decade.
3. "Faithfully", Journey: love on the road.
4. "Waiting for a Girl Like You", Foreigner: a slow-burning synth ballad.
5. "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Bonnie Tyler: Jim Steinman's dramatic epic.
6. "I Want to Know What Love Is", Foreigner: with a gospel choir in the final chorus.
7. "Heaven", Bryan Adams: a classic slow dance.
8. "Can't Fight This Feeling", REO Speedwagon: a friendship turning into love.
9. "Alone", Heart: a huge vocal from Ann Wilson.
10. "Is This Love", Whitesnake: a hair metal love song.
11. "With or Without You", U2: an intense, slow-building love song.
12. "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", Poison: a heartbroken acoustic ballad.

80s pop and soft rock love songs

13. "Endless Love", Diana Ross and Lionel Richie: a nine-week number one.
14. "Truly", Lionel Richie: his first solo number one.
15. "Hello", Lionel Richie: a famous ballad and an even more famous music video.
16. "I Just Called to Say I Love You", Stevie Wonder: an Oscar-winning love song.
17. "Careless Whisper", George Michael: the saxophone intro everyone knows.
18. "Time After Time", Cyndi Lauper: a promise to always be there.
19. "Crazy for You", Madonna: a slow dance from the film Vision Quest.
20. "Lady in Red", Chris de Burgh: a love song about a woman on the dance floor.
21. "Glory of Love", Peter Cetera: the theme from The Karate Kid Part II.
22. "Eternal Flame", The Bangles: soft and sincere.
23. "Groovy Kind of Love", Phil Collins: a gentle cover of a 60s hit.
24. "Right Here Waiting", Richard Marx: written for his wife while she was filming far away.

80s love songs from the movies

25. "Up Where We Belong", Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes: from An Officer and a Gentleman.
26. "Almost Paradise", Mike Reno and Ann Wilson: the love theme from Footloose.
27. "The Power of Love", Huey Lewis and the News: from Back to the Future.
28. "Take My Breath Away", Berlin: the love theme from Top Gun.
29. "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now", Starship: from Mannequin.
30. "In Your Eyes", Peter Gabriel: the boombox song from Say Anything.

80s R&B love songs

31. "Lovergirl", Teena Marie: a funky love song.
32. "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)", Billy Ocean: a smooth number one.
33. "Suddenly", Billy Ocean: a tender love ballad.
34. "How Will I Know", Whitney Houston: wondering if he feels the same.
35. "Sweet Love", Anita Baker: a smooth quiet storm classic.
36. "Shake You Down", Gregory Abbott: a slow jam number one.

Upbeat love songs from the 80s

37. "You Make My Dreams", Daryl Hall and John Oates: pure happiness.
38. "Love Is a Battlefield", Pat Benatar: love as a fight worth having.
39. "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)", Whitney Houston: looking for love on the dance floor.
40. "Never Gonna Give You Up", Rick Astley: a promise that became an internet joke.

Why 80s love songs still feel so big

80s love songs were made for big emotions: soaring vocals, dramatic key changes, glossy synthesizers and guitar solos. Many came from blockbuster movies, so they were heard everywhere at once. Today they are favorites for anniversaries and weddings because they remind a whole generation of falling in love.

80s love songs for an anniversary

For a couple who met or married in the 80s, play the songs from that year at an anniversary dinner. "Endless Love", "Right Here Waiting" and "Lady in Red" are favorites for a slow dance, and "You Make My Dreams" is a fun way to start the party. See our anniversary songs for more.

80s love songs for a wedding

For an 80s-themed wedding, the power ballads make classic first dances. See our 80s wedding songs for the full day, from the entrance to the last dance.

80s love songs for karaoke

For karaoke night, "Total Eclipse of the Heart", "Alone" and "Careless Whisper" are showstoppers, and "Islands in the Stream" or "Up Where We Belong" make great duets. See our karaoke duets for more.

More love songs by decade

For earlier decades, see our old love songs from the 40s to the 70s, and for slow songs from every era, our slow dance songs.

A love song in the style of the 80s

For a couple who fell in love to 80s music, a personalized love song in a big pop or rock style can tell your story with both your names in the chorus. Play it as a surprise anniversary dance or a first dance that feels like a lost 80s hit.

How to create a personalized love song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, rock, R&B and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three moments from your story together.
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 $24.99, or $29.99 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 love song worthy of the 80s: create a song and hear four previews for free.