More than six months in the making. At least 80 hours worth of research, compilation, and fussing with iTunes. 302 songs. After all this effort, I’m ready to say it out loud — Totally, Dudes!

Here’s how it came together: After completing Ladies of the Eighties in 2008 (it’s getting a proper reissue soon with another disc’s worth of music), I decided to attempt the male counterpart: All Top 40s tunes sung by dudes and released between Jan. 1, 1980 and Dec. 31, 1989. Each song given its due by Casey Kasem. Only one song per artist.

That meant a lot of tough decisions. How does one pick just one Hall & Oates, Mötley Crüe, or Prince tune? It ain’t easy. Occasionally, I took an opportunity to get around that rule with someone like Phil Collins. He has three songs on this comp: one from his solo catalog, one from his Genesis catalog, and the killer duet he did with Philip Bailey (one of my favorite songs from the ’80s). Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and Paul McCartney (among others) each sneak in multiple songs thanks to duets. Call it cheating if you want, but to me a duet is something entirely different from a solo recording, even if that duet appeared on the artist’s solo record. And two dudes singing together? Hell yeah that’s gotta have a place on Totally, Dudes!

I decided to bend the rules again to include a few songs that failed to make the Top 40 but charted very well on other charts (Mainstream Rock, College, or Rap/R&B), because leaving these songs off the comp would have been an obvious omission. I especially didn’t want to neglect the emerging hip-hop genre, even if American station programmers weren’t quite ready to spin many rap singles on their Top 40 stations.

While listening to Totally, Dudes! please check your self-consciousness at the door. There’s so much cheese on here (Donny Freakin’ Osmond!) you won’t need to buy a block of Velveeta for years. But I enjoy shamefully addictive pop tunes concerning ridiculously uncomplicated themes and I’m not bashful about celebrating the naïveté of my youthful pleasures. So deal with it. I grew up in this decade and to me its excesses and accessibility are what made it memorable. There’s no way I’m going to tip-toe through the decade of synthetic horns, testosterone-fueled guitar wankery, sappy power ballads, and lowest-common-denominator party tunes. To do so would be an injustice to the many men with feathered and teased hair who wore enough make-up to put Tammy Fay to shame. There will be no shortcuts taken as I connect the dots from Devo to Milli Vanilli.

The ’80s was the last decade in which frequently engaging, sometimes sentimental, often over-the-top pop songs ruled the mainstream airwaves—a fact that wasn’t lost on Hollywood at the time. Eighties films were often catapulted to box office success when their soundtracks earned significant airplay. There’s no shortage of soundtrack hits on this comp, including tunes from Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Beverly Hills Cop, Ghostbusters, Top Gun, Short Circuit, and more than one John Hughes flick.

As with the fantastic ’80s sci-fi and adventure films that inspired our imaginations (E.T., Goonies, Blade Runner, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Aliens), anything was possible for the music industry in the Decade of Nose Candy. A song called “Me So Horny” hit the Top 40. TV and movie stars like Don Johnson, Eddie Murphy, and Frank Stallone (don’t worry, I left his song off) crossed over and became pop singer sensations. Artists from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland landed on the Countdown. A band called Living In A Box scored a Top 20 hit with a song also titled “Living In A Box.” Geriatric rockers from the 1960s and ’70s reinvented themselves in phony and often amusing ways to make yet another run on the charts. Enough one-hit wonders dotted the landscape to keep music trivia buffs busy to date. And the names—the glorious names! Wang Chung! Spandau Ballet! Al B. Sure! The Blow Monkeys! Fine Young Cannibals! Taco!!!

It’s all on Totally, Dudes! And the best part: You don’t need a Hypercolor t-shirt, a pair of tight-rolled, acid-washed Guess jeans, and a Swatch watch to dance to the ’80s greatest dude-fronted hits. All ya gotta do is download this gnarly, rad, bodacious compilation. So, like, what are you waiting for? Scroll down and get busy.

Vol. 1

(Parenthetical includes year of release and peak Top 40 chart position.)

01. Introduction
02. Duran Duran — Hungry Like the Wolf (1982, #3)
03. U2 — Pride (In The Name Of Love) (1984, #33)
04. The Tubes — She’s a Beauty (1983, #10)
05. Dwight Twilley — Girls (1984, #16)
06. Harold Faltermeyer — Axel F (1984, #3)
07. Dazz Band — Let It Whip (1982, #5)
08. Skid Row — 18 And Life (1989, #4)
09. Aldo Nova — Fantasy (1982, #23)
10. Warrant — Down Boys (1989, #27)
11. Glass Tiger — Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone) (1986, #2)
12. Thompson Twins — Hold Me Now (1983, #3)
13. Queen & David Bowie — Under Pressure (1981, #29)
14. Billy Joel — It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me (1980, #1)
15. Elvis Costello — Veronica (1989, #19)
16. Michael McDonald — I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near) (1982, #4)
17. Falco — Rock Me Amadeus (1985, #1)
18. Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock — It Takes Two (1988, #36)
19. The Jets — Rocket 2 U (1987, #6)
20. The Escape Club — Wild, Wild West (1988, #1)
21. Men Without Hats — The Safety Dance (1982, #3)

Vol. 2

01. Introduction
02. Culture Club — Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (1982, #2)
03. General Public — Tenderness (1984, #27)
04. De La Soul — Me, Myself, and I (1989, #34)
05. Eddie Murphy — Party All The Time (1985, #2)
06. Billy Idol — Eyes Without A Face (1984, #4)
07. Ric Ocasek — Emotion In Motion (1986, #15)
08. Haircut 100 — Love Plus One (1982, #37)
09. The Kinks — Come Dancing (1983, #6)
10. ZZ Top — Stages (1985, #21)
11. George Harrison — Got My Mind Set On You (1987, #2)
12. Keith Sweat — I Want Her (1987, #5)
13. Squeeze — Hourglass (1987, #15)
14. Bad English — When I See You Smile (1989, #1)
15. Ozzy Osbourne — Flying High Again (1981, #30)
16. Yes — Owner Of A Lonely Heart (1983, #1)
17. Johnny Hates Jazz — Shattered Dreams (1987, #2)
18. Adam Ant — Goody Two Shoes (1982, #12)
19. Terence Trent D’Arby — Wishing Well (1987, #1)
20. The J. Geils Band — Centerfold (1981, #1)

Vol. 3

01. Introduction
02. Toto — Rosanna (1982, #2)
03. Nik Kershaw — Wouldn’t It Be Good (1984, #46)
04. After The Fire — Der Kommisar (1982, #5)
05. Naked Eyes — Always Something There to Remind Me (1983, #8)
06. R.E.M. — Stand (1988, #6)
07. Level 42 — Something About You (1985, #7)
08. Robbie Dupree — Steal Away (1980, #6)
09. Paul McCartney & Michael Jackson — Say Say Say (1983, #1)
10. Blue Öyster Cult — Burnin’ for You (1981, #40)
11. The Fabulous Thunderbirds — Tuff Enuff (1986, #10)
12. John Waite — Missing You (1984, #1)
13. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five — The Message (1982, #62; #4 R&B)
14. Club Nouveau — Lean On Me (1986, #1)
15. Julian Lennon — Too Late for Goodbyes (1984, #5)
16. The Vapors — Turning Japanese (1980, #36)
17. Faith No More — Epic (1989, #9)
18. Chris de Burgh — The Lady In Red (1986, #3)
19. John Parr — St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion) (1985, #1)

Vol. 4

01. Introduction
02. New Edition — Cool It Now (1984, #4)
03. The Dream Academy — Life In A Northern Town (1985, #7)
04. Jackson Browne — Somebody’s Baby (1982, #7)
05. The Kings — Switchin’ to Glide (1980, #43)
06. Grateful Dead — Touch Of Gray (1987, #9)
07. The Cars — Shake It Up (1981, #4)
08. The Outfield — Your Love (1985, #6)
09. Sheriff — When I’m With You (1983, #1 in 1989)
10. Phil Collins — In The Air Tonight (1981, #19)
11. Re-Flex — The Politics of Dancing (1983, #24)
12. Fleetwood Mac — Big Love (1987, #5)
13. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers — You Got Lucky (1982, #20)
14. Donnie Iris — Ah! Leah! (1980, #29)
15. Bon Jovi — Livin’ On A Prayer (1986, #1)
16. Michael Sembello — Maniac (1983, #1)
17. Living In A Box — Living In A Box (1987, #17)
18. Kix — Don’t Close Your Eyes (1988, #11)
19. Styx — Too Much Time On My Hands (1981, #9)
20. Fat Boys with Chubby Checker — The Twist (1988, #16)

Vol. 5

01. Introduction
02. Run–D.M.C. — You Be Illin’ (1986, #29)
03. Big Country — In a Big Country (1983, #17)
04. The Hooters — And We Danced (1985, #21)
05. The Psychedelic Furs — Pretty In Pink (1986, #41, #1 College)
06. Sly Fox — Let’s Go All the Way (1985, #7)
07. Weird Al Yankovic — Eat It (1984, #12)
08. Dead or Alive — You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (1984, #11)
09. Corey Hart — Never Surrender (1985, #3)
10. Tesla — Love Song (1989, #10)
11. Phil Seymour — Precious to Me (1981, #22)
12. Musical Youth — Pass The Dutchie (1982, #10)
13. Michael Penn — No Myth (1989, #13)
14. Lionel Richie — All Night Long (All Night) (1983, #1)
15. Information Society — What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy) (1988, #3)
16. DeBarge — Rhythm of The Night (1983, #5)
17. Gregory Abbott — Shake You Down (1986, #1)
18. Charlie Sexton — Beat’s So Lonely (1985, #17)
19. Glenn Frey — You Belong To The City (1985, #2)
20. Simply Red — If You Don’t Know Me By Now (1989, #1)

Vol. 6

01. Introduction
02. Chicago — Stay The Night (1984, #16)
03. Benjamin Orr — Stay The Night (1986, #24)
04. New Order — True Faith (1987, #32)
05. Rick Astley — Together Forever (1987, #1)
06. Wham! — Everything She Wants (1984, #1)
07. EPMD — So Wat Cha Sayin’ (1989, #34)
08. Roger — I Want to Be Your Man (1987, #3)
09. Talking Heads — Burning Down the House (1983, #9)
10. Icehouse — Electric Blue (1987, #7)
11. Foreigner — Urgent (1981, #4)
12. Scorpions — Rock You Like a Hurricane (1984, #25)
13. Double — The Captain of Her Heart (1986, #16)
14. Elton John — I’m Still Standing (1983, #12)
15. Matthew Wilder — Break My Stride (1983, #5)
16. Fine Young Cannibals — She Drives Me Crazy (1989, #1)
17. Crowded House — Don’t Dream It’s Over (1986, #2)
18. Guns N’ Roses — Patience (1989, #4)
19. Pete Townshend — Let My Love Open The Door (1980, #9)
20. Traveling Wilburys — Handle With Care (1988, #45, #2 Rock)

Vol. 7

01. Introduction
02. Poison — Fallen Angel (1988, #12)
03. Joe Jackson — Steppin’ Out (1982, #6)
04. Ollie & Jerry — Breakin’ … There’s No Stopping Us (1984, #9)
05. Kon Kan — I Beg Your Pardon (1989, #15)
06. Talk Talk — It’s My Life (1984, #31)
07. Timex Social Club — Rumors (1986, #9)
08. Starship — Sara (1985, #1)
09. Simple Minds — Don’t You (Forget About Me) (1985, #1)
10. Don Johnson — Heartbeat (1986, #5)
11. Don Henley — Dirty Laundry (1982, #3)
12. Frank Zappa — Valley Girl (1982, #32)
13. Madness — Our House (1982, #7)
14. Jermaine Stewart — We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off (1986, #5)
15. Rockwell — Somebody’s Watching Me (1984, #2)
16. Biz Markie — Just A Friend (1989, #9)
17. Murray Head — One Night in Bangkok (1984, #3)
18. ABC — The Look Of Love (1982, #18)
19. Climie Fisher — Love Changes (Everything) (1988, #23)
20. Roy Orbison — You Got It (1989, #9)

Vol. 8

01. Introduction
02. Paul Simon — You Can Call Me Al (1986, #23)
03. Survivor — High On You (1984, #8)
04. KISS — Forever (1989, #8)
05. Loverboy — Working for the Weekend (1981, #29)
06. The Fixx — One Thing Leads to Another (1983, #4)
07. Paul McCartney — Spies Like Us (1985, #7)
08. Living Colour — Cult Of Personality (1988, #13)
09. Godley & Creme — Cry (1985, #16)
10. REO Speedwagon — Keep On Loving You (1980, #1)
11. Stevie Wonder — Part Time Lover (1985, #1)
12. LeVert — Casanova (1987, #5)
13. Korgis — Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (1980, #18)
14. The Church — Under The Milky Way (1988, #24)
15. The Police — Every Breath You Take (1983, #1)
16. Kajagoogoo — Too Shy (1983, #5)
17. The 2 Live Crew — Me So Horny (1989, #26)
18. Milli Vanilli — Girl You Know It’s True (1988, #2)
19. Boy Meets Girl — Waiting For A Star To Fall (1988, #5)
20. The Style Council — My Ever Changing Moods (1984, #29)

Vol. 9

01. Introduction
02. Midnight Oil — Beds Are Burning (1987, #17)
03. Herbie Hancock — Rockit (1983, #71, #6 R&B, #1 Club)
04. UB40 — Red, Red Wine (1983, #34; 1988, #1)
05. John Lennon — Watching The Wheels (1981, #10)
06. Rod Stewart — Some Guys Have All The Luck (1984, #10)
07. Sammy Hagar — Your Love Is Driving Me Crazy (1982, #13)
08. Rush — Limelight (1981, #55, #4 Rock)
09. Robert Palmer — I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On (1985, #2)
10. Breakfast Club — Right On Track (1987, #7)
11. Public Enemy — Fight the Power (1989, –, #1 Rap)
12. The Time — Jungle Love (1984, #20)
13. Soft Cell — Tainted Love (1981, #8)
14. The Who — You Better You Bet (1981, #18)
15. Greg Kihn Band — The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em) (1981, #15)
16. Steve Winwood — Higher Love (1986, #1)
17. The Jeff Healey Band — Angel Eyes (1988, #5)
18. Huey Lewis & The News — Heart And Soul (1983, #8)
19. Mike + The Mechanics — All I Need Is A Miracle (1985, #5)

Vol. 10

01. Introduction
02. Wang Chung — Dance Hall Days (1984, #16)
03. El DeBarge — Who’s Johnny (1986, #3)
04. John Mellencamp — Hurts So Good (1982, #2)
05. Winger — Seventeen (1988, #26)
06. Rick Springfield — Jessie’s Girl (1981, #1)
07. Del Amitri — Kiss This Thing Goodbye (1989, #35)
08. Scritti Politti — Perfect Way (1985, #11)
09. The Power Station — Some Like It Hot (1985, #6)
10. Marvin Gaye — Sexual Healing (1982, #3)
11. DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince — Parents Just Don’t Understand (1988, #12)
12. Ray Parker Jr. — Ghostbusters Theme (1984, #1)
13. Michael Jackson — P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (1982, #10)
14. The Whispers — Rock Steady (1987, #7)
15. The Blow Monkeys — Digging Your Scene (1986, #14)
16. Oingo Boingo — Weird Science (1985, #45)
17. Twisted Sister — We’re Not Gonna Take It (1984, #21)
18. AC/DC — You Shook Me All Night Long (1980, #35)
19. Peter Cetera — Glory of Love (1986, #1)
20. Journey — Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) (1983, #8)

Vol. 11

01. Introduction
02. Def Leppard — Hysteria (1987, #10)
03. INXS — Devil Inside (1987, #2)
04. Cutting Crew — (I Just) Died In Your Arms (1986, #1)
05. The Proclaimers — I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) (1988, #3)
06. The Replacements — I’ll Be You (1989, #51, #1 Rock, #1 Modern Rock)
07. Whitesnake — Here I Go Again (1987, #1)
08. Billy Squier — Everybody Wants You (1982, #32)
09. Gap Band — You Dropped a Bomb on Me (1982, #31)
10. Young MC — Bust A Move (1989, #7)
11. Ready For The World — Oh Sheila (1985, #1)
12. Boys Don’t Cry — I Wanna Be a Cowboy (1985, #12)
13. Taco — Puttin’ On The Ritz (1982, #4)
14. Genesis — Invisible Touch (1986, #1)
15. Mr. Mister — Kyrie (1985, #1)
16. Eric Carmen — Hungry Eyes (1987, #4)
17. Dexy’s Midnight Runners — Come On Eileen (1982, #1)
18. Golden Earring — Twilight Zone (1982, #10)
19. Richard Marx — Should’ve Known Better (1987, #3)

Vol. 12

01. Introduction
02. Mötley Crüe — Girls, Girls, Girls (1987, #12)
03. Beastie Boys — Hey Ladies (1989, #36)
04. Billy Ocean — Loverboy (1984, #2)
05. Al B. Sure — Nite and Day (1988, #7)
06. A Flock Of Seagulls — Space Age Love Song (1982, #30)
07. Lou Gramm — Midnight Blue (1987, #5)
08. Night Ranger — When You Close Your Eyes (1983, #14)
09. Neil Young — Rockin’ in the Free World (1989, –, #2 Rock)
10. Saga — On the Loose (1981, #26)
11. Electric Light Orchestra — Hold On Tight (1981, #10)
12. Dan Hartman — I Can Dream About You (1984, #6)
13. Bobby Brown — My Prerogative (1988, #1)
14. Donny Osmond — Soldier of Love (1989, #2)
15. Breathe — How Can I Fall (1988, #3)
16. The Romantics — Talking In Your Sleep (1983, #3)
17. Dire Straits — So Far Away (1985, #19)
18. Marshall Crenshaw — Someday, Someway (1982, #36)
19. White Lion — When The Children Cry (1987, #3)
20. David Lee Roth — Just Like Paradise (1988, #6)

Vol. 13

01. Introduction
02. Philip Bailey & Phil Collins — Easy Lover (1984, #2)
03. Steve Miller Band — Abracadabra (1982, #1)
04. Art Of Noise with Max Headroom — Paranoimia (1986, #34)
05. Kenny Loggins — Danger Zone (1986, #2)
06. Sting — Fortress Around Your Heart (1985, #8)
07. The Icicle Works — Whisper to a Scream (Birds Fly) (1984, #37)
08. George Michael — Faith (1987, #1)
09. LL Cool J — I’m That Type of Guy (1989, #15)
10. The Clash — Rock the Casbah (1982, #8)
11. The Cure — Lovesong (1989, #2)
12. Frankie Goes To Hollywood — Relax (1983, #10)
13. Spandau Ballet — True (1983, #4)
14. Bruce Hornsby & The Range — The Way It Is (1986, #1)
15. Cameo — Word Up (1986, #6)
16. Jan Hammer — Miami Vice Theme (1985, #1)
17. Eddy Grant — Electric Avenue (1983, #2)
18. Love & Rockets — So Alive (1989, #3)
19. Aerosmith — Dude (Looks Like a Lady) (1987, #14)
20. .38 Special — Caught Up In You (1982, #10)

Vol. 14

01. Introduction
02. Van Halen — Panama (1984, #13)
03. The Rolling Stones — Start Me Up (1981, #2)
04. Steve Perry — Oh Sherrie (1984, #3)
05. Eric Clapton — It’s In The Way That You Use It (1986, –, #1 Rock)
06. Pet Shop Boys — West End Girls (1985, #1)
07. Johnny Kemp — Just Got Paid (1987, #10)
08. David Bowie — Modern Love (1983, #14)
09. Kid ‘N Play — Rollin’ With Kid ‘N Play (1988, –, #2 Rap, #11 R&B)
10. MARRS — Pump Up the Volume (1987, #13)
11. Quiet Riot — Cum On Feel The Noize (1983, #5)
12. Autograph — Turn Up the Radio (1984, #29)
13. Paul Carrack — Don’t Shed A Tear (1987, #9)
14. Bruce Springsteen — Dancing In The Dark (1984, #2)
15. Paul Young — Everytime You Go Away (1985, #1)
16. Kool & The Gang — Joanna (1983, #2)
17. James Brown — Living In America (1985, #4)
18. Clarence Clemons & Jackson Browne — You’re A Friend Of Mine (1985, #18)
19. When In Rome — The Promise (1988, #11)
20. a-ha — Take On Me (1985, #1)

Vol. 15

01. Introduction
02. Europe — Carrie (1986, #3)
03. Howard Jones — Things Can Only Get Better (1985, #5)
04. Depeche Mode — People Are People (1984, #13)
05. Bronski Beat — Smalltown Boy (1984, #48, #1 Club)
06. Peter Schilling — Major Tom (Coming Home) (1983, #14)
07. Kurtis Blow — The Breaks (1980, #87, #4 R&B, #9 Club)
08. Queen — Another One Bites The Dust (1980, #1)
09. Rick James — Super Freak (1981, #16)
10. Men at Work — Who Can It Be Now? (1981, #1)
11. Hall & Oates — Maneater (1982, #1)
12. Eddie Money — Take Me Home Tonight (1986, #4)
13. Ratt — Round And Round (1984, #12)
14. Devo — Whip It (1980, #14)
15. Stray Cats — Stray Cat Strut (1982, #3)
16. Cheap Trick — The Flame (1988, #1)
17. Tears for Fears — Everybody Wants to Rule the World (1984, #1)
18. Thomas Dolby — She Blinded Me With Science (1982, #5)
19. Real Life — Send Me An Angel (1983, #29)
20. Roxette — The Look (1988, #1)

Vol. 16

01. Introduction
02. Tone-Loc — Wild Thing (1988, #2)
03. The Jacksons with Mick Jagger — State of Shock (1984, #3)
04. Shalamar — Dancing In The Sheet (1984, #17)
05. Prince — When Doves Cry (1984, #1)
06. Laid Back — White Horse (1983, #26)
07. Erasure — Chains Of Love (1988, #12)
08. Chris Isaak — Wicked Game (1989, #6)
09. Bryan Adams — Heaven (1984, #1)
10. Great White — Once Bitten Twice Shy (1989, #5)
11. The Smithereens — A Girl Like You (1989, #38)
12. The Moody Blues — Your Wildest Dreams (1986, #9)
13. Human League — Human (1986, #1)
14. Peter Gabriel — Big Time (1986, #8)
15. Pink Floyd — Learning To Fly (1987, #70, #1 Rock)
16. Asia — Heat Of The Moment (1982, #4)
17. Cinderella — Nobody’s Fool (1986, #13)
18. John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band — On The Dark Side (1983, #7)
19. Bob Seger — Shakedown (1987, #1)
20. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark — If You Leave (1986, #4)