7 Best 80s Party Songs Albums [2024]

Where better to start than with an album that actually mentions ‘massive party’ in the title? It’s also from the NOW stable, which were mega in the 80s and are still going strong.

Top picks from this one include ABBA’s Dancing Queen, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, wedding classic Come on Eileen, Lost in Music by Sister Sledge, and Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer. Admittedly not all tracks are from the 80s, but so many are. And who cares, anyway? They have the right feel, that’s all that counts.

Ultimate 80s Party

80s Party: The Ultimate Collection is a great value option with five CDs in the pack. Acts featured range from bands A-ha, Roxette, Madness, Faith No More and Duran Duran to solo artists like Kylie Minogue, Alison Moyet, Nena and Shakin’ Stevens.

With 100 tracks to play, this collection of classic 80s party songs will keep the dancefloor busy for hours. Pour yourself a Malibu and pineapple, stick in a cocktail umbrella and you’re all set.

The Best 80s Album in the World… Ever!

Is this really the ‘Best 80s album in the world ever’? Well it’s a contender for sure. There are some 80s party classics right here.

How about Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Don’t You Want Me by the Human League, When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going by Billy Ocean, Down Under by Men At Work or Paul Young‘s version of Everytime You Go Away?

And that’s just CD one. There are three in all, packed with top tunes. What this lacks in numbers – there are 60 tracks – it certainly makes up for in quality.

The Hits Album: Young Guns 80s

There’s four discs to this one, with 20 tracks on each. So what’s the music like? Well of course Young Guns (Go For It) by Wham is featured. As the first track, of course. What else?

Tainted Love by Soft Cell, Heaven 17’s Temptation, Do You Really Want to Hurt Me by Culture Club… disc one gets off to a flying start. Well discs two, three and four contain gems such as I Think We’re Alone Now by Tiffany, The Bangles’ Walk Like an Egyptian and Happy Hour by The Housemartins. I’m sold.

NOW 100 Hits: Forgotten 80s

If you want to impress your friends by introducing them to stonking 80s tracks they may never have heard before, try this. While there are some pretty well-known artists on there (Tears for Fears, Diana Ross, Sister Sledge, the Human League and so on) there are many you’ll have forgotten. If you were even aware of them in the first place.

Who can recall Amazulu, Haysi Fantayzee or Teena Marie, for instance? Ones you might have more chance of remembering (or not) include Pepsi and Shirlie, Dee C Lee (all three sang with Wham at some point), Deacon Blue, Big Audio Dynamite and Sonia.

Ultimate 80s: The Classics

This was my top pick when I listed the best 80s compilations, so I had to include it here. There are five discs and 100 tracks, and some real party-starters here.

Rio by Duran Duran used to get Missy’s party started – a couple of years ago she’d run around the dining table whenever I played this. Other tunes that would everyone up and dancing include Baggy Trousers by Madness, Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders and People Hold On by Coldcut and Lisa Stansfield.

NOW 80s Dancefloor

NOW have done it again with their Eighties Dancefloor compilation. Packed with 80s party tunes that are perfect for dancing to. There are 80 tracks here, including get-up-and-dance songs like Flashdance…What a Feeling, Straight Up by Paula Abdul, Somebody Else’s Guy by Jocelyn Brown, I Feel for You by Chaka Khan and It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls. Who could resist?

Somebody Else’s Guy was one of the defining tracks of my student years, during the 90s. As for Straight Up, I tried – and failed – to learn to dance to it properly at the Tyne Theatre’s dance classes. Best stick to the bad mum dancing, then.