Well I can't really argue with that. There is some 90s music I like a lot but it's not like it can compete with the stuff going on in the 80s. They had Thriller, come on man that's not even fair.

My ultimate top 10 from '83 would probably look like this...

1: King of Pain - The Police (and pretty much the entire Synchronicity album).
2: Beat It - Michael Jackson (and pretty much the entire Thriller album).
3: The Trooper - Iron Maiden (and pretty much the entire Piece of Mind album).
4: Rebel Yell - Billy Idol
5: New Year's Day - U2
6: Owner of a Lonely Heart - Yes
7: Rio - Duran Duran
8: Down Under - Men At Work
9: Holy Diver - Dio
10: Home By The Sea - Genesis

Wasn't familiar with the band or the song.  Not really the type of music I usually listen to but its still is a pretty good song listened to it a couple of times on Youtube.  1982 was indeed a pretty good year for music of the 120 songs listed for that year on that site I'm familiar with close to 90 and most of them I like.

1984 was a great year for music I think I have to agree with Slant Magazine which listed Purple Rain as the second best album from the 1980s behind Thriller.  Rolling Stones Magazine has it also listed at number 2 they have London Calling by The Clash as number one even though it is really a 70s album since it was first released in the UK on December 14th, 1979.

MCMLXXXVII

Never Gonna Give You Up
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Paradise City
Girls, Girls, Girls
Beds Are Burning
la bamba
Bad
Sweet Child O' Mine
Love Bites
Where the Streets Have No Name

1987 - bit of a (sub)cultural golden year: Beverley Hills Cop 2, Untouchables, Lethal Weapon, Evil Dead II, Dirty Dancing, Full Metal Jacket, Predator, Robocop, Spaceballs, Withnail and I.

In videogames: NA and EU release of Zelda, release of Final Fantasy, release of Manic Mansion.

But back to topic, my top 10 tracks from 1987:

1) Anthrax - Caught in a Mosh
2) Anthrax - I Am The Law
3) Anthrax - Indians
....

Balls to it: top ALBUMS of '87 (to avoid the top 10 being the track list to Among the Living)

1) Anthrax - Amongst the Living (contender for favourite album of all time)
2) DRI - Crossover (the album that named a genre)
3) Suicidal Tendencies - Join the Army
4) Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence (saw them play the album in its entirety for 25th anniversary)
5) Napalm Death - Scum (the album that INVENTED a genre)

Oh, and because I can: UK Number 1 on the day I was born:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ

And finally list for 87 - http://digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/bg_hits/bg_hits_87.html

Ignoring all the twats in power, the impending nuclear holocaust and my Mum's hair cut, it was a good year

All this thread does is make me realise that I'm getting old. And that's sad.

Anyway if you'd asked for films it'd be easy, but music?

Smoke on the Water
Live and let die

73

The people talking so much smack about the 90s...wow. The late 90s were definitely terrible. There were so many one hit wonders and weak albums. But the early 90s was full of gems. Guns and Roses Illusion albums came out, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, Offspring, Bush's first record, Modest Mouse's first records...sheesh.

1994 kinda sucked :|

Closer by Nine Inch Nails
Zombie by The Cranberries
When I Come Around by Green Day
Ready To Die by Notorious B.I.G