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Are you planning a retro-themed wedding or simply looking for the best 1980s wedding dance songs to add to your playlist?
No worries, we’ve got you covered.
In this post, we’ve put together the best songs from the 80s.
From groovy hits like Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” to smooth ballads like Billy Ocean’s “Suddenly,” every fan of 80s music is sure to find something they love.
So whether you’re an 80s baby or simply a lover of tunes from that era, sit back and relax as we take you through 215 of the best 1980s songs that are sure to rock your wedding.
Why The 1980s Was A Remarkable Period For Wedding Songs And Love Songs In General

The 80s was definitely a great period for music lovers.
The sincere and heart-pulling lyrics matched with tunes that struck a chord in the listeners’ hearts sure made for a swell time.
With so many great hits spanning various genres (from hip-hop to rock, pop, reggae, R&B, new wave, and country), it’s no surprise that many couples still like to have at least a sprinkling of these songs in their wedding playlist.
One interesting fact about songs from this era is the following they still have today. Many of these songs are evergreen and still capable of getting people off their feet.
Celebrating your wedding party with these groovy sounds will definitely cause you to travel back to the golden age of the 80s and bring back some fun memories.
Beautiful 1980s First Dance Songs
Some of the most beautiful love songs were written in the 80s. These love songs are still very popular today and make epic first dance songs. Take a look:
- Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac
- Fragile by Sting
- Just The Two Of Us by Grover Washington Jr, ft Bill Wither
- Drive by The Cars
- Where Do Broken Hearts Go by Whitney Houston
- Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
- Let’s Stay Together by Tina Turner
- Nightshift by Commodores
- Woman In Chains by Tears for Fears ft Oleta Adams
- Sacrifice by Elton John
- Love Changes (Everything) by Climie Fisher
- Let My Love Open The Door by Pete Townshend
- It’s Tricky by Run DMC
- I Don’t Wanna Lose You by Tina Turner
- Could I Have This Dance? By Anne Murray
- I’ll Be Over You by Toto
- One Day I’ll Fly Away by Randy Crawford
- Gypsy by Fleetwood Mac
- Guilty by Barbra Streis and ft Barry Gibb
- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) by Kate Bush
- The Neverending Story by Limahl
- Lost In Your Eyes by Debbie Gibson
Great 1980s Country Songs For Weddings
The country songs genre also recorded some great hits in the 1980s. Here is a list of some of the most notable wedding picks.
- Two Dozen Roses by Shenandoah
- Copperhead Road by Steve Earle
- Real Love by Dolly Parton ft Kenny Rogers
- Crazy For Your Love by Exile
- (That’s What You Do) When You’re In Love by The Forester Sisters
- Heartbroke by Ricky Skaggs
- Woke Up In Love by Exile
- Old Flames Can’t Hold A Candle To You by Dolly Parton
- I’ll Still Be Loving You by Restless Heart
- Love is Alive by The Judds
- I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton
- We Believe In Happy Endings by Earl Thomas Conley ft Emmylou Harris
- The Bluest Eyes In Texas by Restless heart
- Baby Blue by George strait
- Only One You by T.G.Sheppard
- Perfect by Fairground Attraction
- I’d Love To Lay You Down by Conway Twitty
Great 1980s Punk And Hard Rock Songs For Weddings
Rock was one of the predominant genres in the 1980s, so it is not surprising that quite a number of rock songs made our list.
- Holiday in Cambodia by Dead Kennedys
- Sailing On by Bad Brains
- Something I Learnt Today by Husker Du
- Six Pack by Black flag
- Los Angeles by X
- Nellie The Elephant by Toy Dolls
- Viva La Revolution by The Adicts
- She’s Like Heroin To Me by The Gun Club
- Start Me Up by The Rolling Stones
- Rock You Like Hurricane by Scorpions
- Photograph by Def Leppard
- Runaway by BJoviovi
- Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty
- Hysteria by Def Leppard
- Pride (In The Name Of Love) by U2
- Faithfully by Journey
- The Boys Of Summer by Don Henley
- Rock You by Helix
- Run to You by Bryan Adams
- Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel
- Magic Power by Triumph
- Panama by Van Halen
- Crazy Train by Ozzy Osbourne
- More Than Words by Extreme
- Back In Black by AC/DC
- 867-5309 / Jenny by Tommy Tutone
- Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) by John Lennon
- Roxanne by The Police
- Limelight by Rush
1980s Hip-Hop Wedding Songs You Will Enjoy
If you’re a fan of old-school hip-hop, then you definitely should check out this list. I’m sure you’ll find it contains at least a few of your favorites.
- Jam On It by Newcleus
- Wild Thing by Tone-Loc
- Magic’s Wand by Whodini
- Five Minutes Of Funk by Whodini
- Bassline by Mantronix
- Me, Myself, & I by De La Soul
- Get It Girl by 2 Live crew
- Clear by Cybotron
- The Breaks by Kurtis Blow
- Boogie Down Bronx by Man Parrish
- Don’t Stop The Rock by Freestyle
- Jam The Box by Pretty Tony
- Turn It Up by The Treacherous Three
- Dance Floor by Zapp
Top 1980s Disco Rhythms For Weddings

You can’t talk about the 1980s without mentioning disco music. This genre of music happened to be all the rave back then.
It’s safe to say that no 80s themed party’s playlist is complete without some disco tunes to get the groove on.
- Night Fever by Bee Gees
- Born To Be Alive by Patrick Hernandez
- You Should Be Dancing by Bee Gees
- Down Under by Men At Work
- Holiday by Madonna
- Holding Out For A Hero by Bonnie Tyler
- Careless Whisper by George Michael
- Alone by Heart
- Rio by Duran Duran
- Gloria by Laura Branigan
- Let The Music Play by Shannon
- Obsession by Animotion
- In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel
- You Are The Inspiration by Chicago
- If You Were Here by Thompson Twins
- True by Spandau Ballet
- Self Control by Laura Branigan
- Love Is A Battlefield by Pat Benatar
- Caribbean Queen by Billy Ocean
- Heart Of Glass by Blondie
- Voyage Voyage by Desireless
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? by Rod Stewart
- Material Girl by Madonna
- Borderline by Madonna
- Words by F.R. David
- Boys (Summertime Love) by Sabrina
- Talking In Your Sleep by The Romantics
- Rivers of Babylon by Boney M.
- Listen To Your Heart by Roxette
- Daddy Cool by Boney M.
- Hot Stuff by Donna Summer
- Young Turks by Rod Stewart
- It’s My Life by Talk Talk
- Love Is In The Air by John Paul Young
- Dust In The Wind by Kansas
- More Than A Woman by Bee Gees
- Grease by Frankie Valli
Great 1980s Band Music For Weddings
The 1980s had great bands like AC/DC, Aerosmith, Motley Crue, and The Weather Girls. If you’re a fan of band music, you’re going to love this list of 1980 band songs.
- It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls
- Cradle of Love by Billy Idol
- Shiny Happy People by R.E.M
- Mr. Roboto by Styx
- I Would Die 4 U by Prince and the Revolution
- Kickstart My Heart by Motley Crue
- Rag Doll by Aerosmith
- Love In An Elevator by Aerosmith
- Invisible Touch by Genesis
- Shoot To Thrill by AC/DC
- Shakin’ by Eddie Money
- Valerie by Steve Winwood
- Voices Carry by ‘Til Tuesday
- Him by Rupert Holmes
- Purple Rain by Prince
Great 1980s Pop Songs For Wedding
- Shout by Tears for Fears
- What Is Love? by Haddaway
- Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen
- Dream Police by Cheap Trick
- Mighty Wings by Cheap Trick
- Maniac by Michael Sembello
- 99 Luftballons by Nena
- Thriller by Michael Jackson
- Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
- Too Much Time On My Hands by Tainted Flavor
- Hold The Line by Toto
- La Grange by ZZ Top
- Forever Young by Alphaville
- The Boys Are Back In Town by Thin Lizzy
- I Can’t Wait by Stevie Nicks
The Best 1980s R&B Wedding Songs
- I Want Her by Keith Sweat
- Can’t stop by After 7
- Rocket 2 U by The Jets
- Don’t Disturb This Groove by The System
- Let It Whip by Dazz Band
- Object Of My Desire by Starpoint
- Sugar Walls by Sheena Easton
- It’s No Crime by Babyface
- Lovergirl by Teena Marie
- Electricity by Midnight Star
- Cherish by Kool and The Gang
1980s Wedding Songs With The Reggae Vibe
- It’s You by Sandra Cross
- Electric Boogie by Marcia Griffiths
- Black Roses by Barrington Levy
- Mr. Lover Man by Shabba Ranks
- I’m Free by Soup Dragons With Junior Reid
- Emergency by Administrators
- Cherry Oh Baby by UB40
- Wild World by Maxi Priest
New Wave Songs From The 1980s For Your Special Day

- Karma Chameleon by Culture Club
- Wishful thinking by China Crisis
- Wild Boys by Duran Duran
- Sowing the seeds of love by Tears for fears
- Gold by Spandau Ballet
- Friday I’m in love by The Cure
- Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
- Street beat by Toni Basil
- Call Me byBlondie
- I Melt With You by Modern English
- Whip It by Devo
Parent Wedding Dance Songs From The 1980s
- Your Mama Don’t Dance by Poison
- Bad medicine by Bon Jovi
- Why can’t this be love by Van Halen
- All summer long by Kid Rock
- Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses
More Love Songs From The 1980s
- You Look So Good In Love by George Strait
- (I Just) Died In Your Arms by Cutting Crew
- Woman in Love byBarbra Streisand
- Lover’s Moon by Glenn Frey
- Loving You (Is a Way of Life) by Jon Stevens
- How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
- I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me) by Aretha Franklin ft George Michael
- More Love by Kim Carnes
- Magic by Olivia Newton-John
- (You Lift Me) Up to Heaven by Reba McEntire
- Sailing by Christopher Cross
- Easy Love by Dionne Warwick
- Cherish by Kool & the Gang
- I Pledge My Love by Peaches & Herb
- Can’t Put a Price on Love by The Knack
- Don’t Say Goodnight by The Isley Brothers
- Give It All You Got by Chuck Mangione
- Look What You’ve Done to Me by Boz Scaggs
- You’re The Reason God Made Oklahoma by David Frizell ft Shelly west
- I Made It Through The Rain by Barry Manilow
- Passion by Rod Stewart
- Love the World Away by Kenny Rogers
- Never Knew Love Like This Before by Stephanie Mills
- Stand by Me by Mickey Gilley
- Missing You by John Waite
- Love In The First Degree by Alabama
Other Great 1980s Songs To Play At Your Wedding

Here’s is an extra set of 1980 jams to choose from:
- Like a Prayer by Madonna
- Wagon wheel by Darius Rucker
- Dancing with Myself by Billy Idol
- Red solo cup by Toby Keith
- Heaven by Bryan Adams
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular song for the bride to walk down the aisle to?
The most popular song used for the bride’s procession is the “Bridal Chorus” from the 1850 german opera titled Lohengrin (you might know it as “Here Comes The Bride”).
It was composed by Richard Wagner and has been used for most weddings in the western world for centuries.
It’s traditionally played on the pipe organ while the bride walks in, but you could check out Vincente Avella’s piano cover for a less dramatic version.
If you’d prefer a song from the 80s, why not try songs like My Prerogative by Bobby Brown, Your Love is King by Sade, or White Wedding by Billy Idol.
What 80s song is the most requested at weddings?
Several jams from the 80s are still prevalent today. A lot f wedding DJs still slip one or two into their wedding playlist.
Some of the most requested songs from that era include Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” and Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose.”
Final Thoughts
We sure enjoyed going down memory lane with these songs. Enjoy your 80s themed wedding!