Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

So Beat It will always be my favourite MJ track but in terms pure eighties pop genius Billie Jean is unbeatable, it remains the best song he ever wrote even retrospectively, enjoy the legendary performance that set him on the way to superstardom at the Motown tribute show.

A part of me wanted more than anything to make this song number one but it will have to settle for nineth. Taken from the brilliant Dare album, eighties tracks don't come more infectious than this. It's a total paradox both dripping with cool and smelling of cheese, but never anything less than brilliant.

Now you know this top ten is ridiculously strong when Blue Monday only places eighth. This has to be the greatest indie dance track of all time. It's just genius, every thunder clap, the robotic beat, the synthic "aaaahhhs", it all slides together perfectly around some of best dead pan vocals ever sung. A true masterpiece.

I have to say I'm more than a little excited, tomorrow I get to see the girl of my dreams Miss Lily Allen followed by her favourite band the legendary specials. With the backdrop of the Brixton race riots and chaos on streets along came a mix race group, with a West Indian flavour and one foot firmly on the dancefloor to define the entire era. Lyrically the Specials were on another planet but most of all we just wanted to dance, and Ghost Town brought the Specials two great powers together to perfectly encapsulate a unique period of social strife.

"Oh Shut your mouth, how can you say, I go about things the wrong way, I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does", songwritting par excellence, enough said.

How pissed am I that he didn't play this my favourite Springsteen track when I saw him back in July. I'll forgive him, but next time he comes around he better play it, damn those lucky folk at Glasto. Who knew the harmonica could be so powerful? Tender, heartbreaking and beautiful. Bruce creates the ultimate working mans ballad, a true heart breaker.

"I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stich to wear" I think students will be belting that line out from now until the end of time. A controversial decision to finish above How Soon Is Now? but as a single, it has to get the nod, short, joyous and crammed full with bucket loads of delicious wit, another perfect single courtesy of Morrissey & Marr.

"Aaaaahooooooooo" the ultimate festival anthem, there's nothing like being lost in amongst a sea of humanity and singing the epic line "Where Is My Mind". This track needs little in the way of explination it's simply a thing of beauty.

Okay so just a few songs back I called Blue Monday the ultimate indie disco track, well I may have to revise that statement. A soaring beautiful arrangement contrasted against Ian Curtis' sombre croon, it's a beautiful track that never fails to bring a tear to your eye. Heartfelt, beautiful and eternal but only the second best single of the eighties.....(yes some of you are probably going to get pissed off all over again).