Like a modern-day Indiana Jones (minus the whip but armed with an iphone and a music app subscription), I’ve spent some time the last few weeks digging into the 1985 KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown. First, I tried to figure out what my fellow Angelenos were thinking (Felony at #2?! That deserves time in the state pen) with some of the puzzling artists (Phil Collins? TWICE!) and songs and on the list and some of the glaring omissions.
Next, I looked at the stories behind the music: Duran Duran members moonlighting in three different bands; The Doors as musical inspiration (Ray Manzarek and I both have a degree from UCLA, so we’re practically twins) and the impact of the artists on the countdown on Live Aid. Finally, I unearthed stats on one‑hit wonders and artists making their last appearance in 1985. Now, it’s time to share my own list of favorites from this epic year in music.
Don’t You Forget About All the Awesome Tunes From 1985
1985…what a year for New Wave and Post‑Punk! Mega albums from Tears for Fears, Simple Minds, and The Cure, plus gems from two of my all‑time faves, New Order and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. Ranking all this greatness wasn’t easy, but after forty years of hindsight — and countless hours of KROQ back in the day and SiriusXM’s 1st Wave for the past 20 years — here’s how I’d stack the songs now.
📻 My 1985 First Wave and 80’s Alternative Re‑Ranked Favorites
| My Rank | KROQ Rank | Artist | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Tears for Fears | Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Songs from the Big Chair (1985) |
| 2 | 14 | Simple Minds | Don’t You (Forget About Me) | The Breakfast Club Soundtrack (1985) |
| 3 | 4 | The Cure | In Between Days | The Head on the Door (1985) |
| 4 | 11 | Simple Minds | Alive and Kicking | Once Upon a Time (1985) |
| 5 | 7 | A‑HA | Take On Me | Hunting High and Low (1985) |
| 6 | 3 | Pet Shop Boys | Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money) | Please (1986) |
| 7 | 96 | Siouxsie and The Banshees | Cities in Dust | Tinderbox (1986) |
| 8 | 21 | Tears for Fears | Head Over Heels / Broken (Live) | Songs from the Big Chair (1985) |
| 9 | 1 | Depeche Mode | Shake the Disease | Catching Up with Depeche Mode (1985) |
| 10 | 53 | INXS | What You Need | Listen Like Thieves (1985) |
| 11 | NR | New Order | Love Vigilantes | Low‑Life (1985) |
| 12 | 12 | New Order | Perfect Kiss | Low‑Life (1985) |
| 13 | 38 | Duran Duran | A View to a Kill | A View to a Kill Soundtrack (1985) |
| 14 | 67 | Simple Minds | Sanctify Yourself | Once Upon a Time (1985) |
| 15 | 5 | Tears for Fears | Shout | Songs from the Big Chair (1985) |
| 16 | 44 | The Cure | Close to Me | The Head on the Door (1985) |
| 17 | 10 | Oingo Boingo | Dead Man’s Party | Dead Man’s Party (1985) |
| 18 | 48 | OMD | Secret | Crush (1985) |
| 19 | 33 | ABC | Be Near Me | How to Be a… Zillionaire! (1985) |
| 20 | NR | Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder | Together in Electric Dreams | Philip Oakey & Giorgio Moroder (1985) |
| 21 | 17 | OMD | So In Love | Crush (1985) |
| 22 | 41 | Talking Heads | Road to Nowhere | Little Creatures (1985) |
| 23 | 18 | Time Zone | World Destruction | Non‑album single (1984) |
| 24 | 15 | Big Audio Dynamite | The Bottom Line | This Is Big Audio Dynamite (1985) |
| 25 | 8 | INXS | This Time | Listen Like Thieves (1985) |
| 26 | 32 | Scritti Politti | Perfect Way | Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985) |
| 27 | 16 | King | Love & Pride | Steps in Time (1984) |
| 28 | 6 | Dead or Alive | You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) | Youthquake (1985) |
| 29 | 45 | New Order | Subculture | Low‑Life (1985) |
| 30 | 62 | Howard Jones | Things Can Only Get Better | Dream into Action (1985) |
| 31 | 42 | The Power Station | Some Like It Hot | The Power Station (1985) |
| 32 | 65 | The Cult | She Sells Sanctuary | Love (1985) |
| 33 | 34 | Echo & The Bunnymen | Bring on the Dancing Horses | Songs to Learn & Sing (1985) |
| 34 | 24 | Murray Head | One Night in Bangkok | Chess Soundtrack (1984) |
| 35 | NR | The Dream Academy | Life in a Northern Town | The Dream Academy (1985) |
| 36 | NR | The Smiths | The Boy With the Thorn in His Side | Non‑album single |
| 37 | NR | Talking Heads | And She Was | Little Creatures (1985) |
| 38 | 37 | Kate Bush | Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) | Hounds of Love (1985) |
| 39 | NR | The Waterboys | The Whole of the Moon | This Is the Sea (1985) |
| 40 | NR | The Cure | A Night Like This | The Head on the Door (1985) |
From Walkman to Spotify: My 1985 KROQ Remix
And that’s the grand finale of my totally awesome trek through the KROQ 1985 countdown. Forty years later, the hair may not be as big, but the riffs, synths, hooks and the connections we made with these artists still glow like a console TV showing MTV.
Re‑ranking these tracks isn’t about rewriting history — it’s about celebrating how music keeps evolving while still hitting us right in the Walkman. Thanks for cruising through this trilogy; now go blast your favorites like it’s 1985, and remember: the future may be streaming, but the past will always be rad.
Ranking the Best New Wave and Post Punk Albums of 1985
Check out our ranking of our twenty-six favorite albums from 1985. You can find our list of #14 – #26 here and #1 – #13 here.
