Rolling Stone readers pick the 10 worst songs of the 1980s

Rolling Stone readers voted recently on what they considered to be the 10 worst songs of the 1980s. Assistant Editor Andy Greene wants to make it perfectly clear that it wasn't the Rolling Stone editors who picked these songs.

10. "Never Gonna Give You Up" - Rick Astley
Sure, it's a cheesy love song, but it would be impossible to Rickroll someone without it.



9. "Puttin' On The Ritz" - Taco
A slam against this song is a slam against Irving Berlin. I'm just saying. And hey, synthpop was cool at the time.



8. "Mickey" - Toni Basil
I was never really a fan of this song, but it was a party favorite, and everyone would always sing along with it.



7. "Don't Worry, Be Happy" - Bobby McFerrin
Really? This song had a positive message. And Bobby McFerrin was and is an a cappella vocal master. I would actually consider this one of the best songs of the '80s.



6. "Rock Me Amadeus" - Falco
Come on, admit it. Whether you liked it or not, you would find yourself singing and tapping your foot along with everyone else.



5. "The Safety Dance" - Men Without Hats
Granted, this song makes even less sense than it did in 29 years ago (yes, it's been that long), but this bizarre little tune, along with its even more bizarre video, became an indelible part of '80s pop culture.



4. "Wake Me Up (Before You Go Go)" - Wham!
OK, I'll go along with this choice. I was sick of this song the first time I heard it. The only good thing about it was that it made George Michael's subsequent songs sound much better by comparison.



3. "Lady In Red" - Chris de Burgh
As far as ballads go, this wasn't that bad. Berlin's "Take My Breath Away" was much, much more annoying.



2. "The Final Countdown" - Europe
Kind of corny, but what rock anthems by '80s hair bands weren't? Besides, this song has actually found redemption in an awesome Wax Audio mash-up with Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."



1. "We Built This City" - Starship
Not one of my favorites, but nowhere near being in my list of top 10 worst '80s songs. Starship's "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" is worse by a long shot.