The 25 best Classic Rock tracks of 1982

19 December 2025, 12:00

Radio X Classic Rock looks back at the year of Golden Brown, Abracadabra, Centrefold, Run To The Hills and Eye Of The Tiger.

By Radio X Classic Rock

@xclassicrock

1. The Stranglers - Golden Brown: release date 11th January 1982

   The Guildford punks demonstrated a more sensitive side to their music with this classic harpsichord-driven waltz. Taken from the album La Folie, was The Stranglers' biggest hit, peaking at Number 2 - it was kept off the top spot by The Jam's Town Called Malice.

   

   The Stranglers - Golden Brown

2. J. Geils Band - Centrefold: release date 22nd January 1982

   Despite being in business since 1967, '82 brought the J. Geils Band their biggest hit on both sides of the Atlantic, topping the charts in the US and peaking at Number 3 over here.

   

   The J. Geils Band - Centerfold (Official Music Video)

3. Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills: release date 8th February 1982

   One of the British metal band's most popular songs, this track from the album The Number Of The Beast was their first to break the UK Top 10, peaking at Number 7.

   

   Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills (Official Video)

4. Elton John - Blue Eyes: release date 19th March 1982

   Peerless balladeering from the superstar, taken from his album Jump Up! Blue Eyes made Number 8 in the UK charts.

   

   Elton John - Blue Eyes

5. Status Quo - Dear John: release date 19th March 1982

   The Quo had their fifteenth Top 10 hit with this piece of heads down, no-nonsene boogie, taken from the album 1+9+8+2 (which adds up to 20, the number of years the band had been in business by this point).

   

   Status Quo - Dear John

6. Asia - Heat Of The Moment: release date 9th April 1982

   The debut single from the British rock supergroup that featured John Wetton (King Crimso), Steve Howe (Yes), Geoff Downes (Yes and the Buggles) and Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake & Palmer). While Heat Of The Moment only made Number 46 in Britain, it went Top 5 in America, peaking at Number 4.

   

   Asia - Heat Of The Moment (Official Music Video)

7. Toto - Africa: release date 16th April 1982

   The final track on the LA band's album Toto IV was also their biggest British hit, peaking at Number 3, while topping the Billboard Hot 100 over in the US.

   

   Toto - Africa (Official HD Video)

8. Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger: release date 18th May 1982

   The Chicago band had been in the business for four years when Rocky III came along. This was the theme song and the title track of the band's third album, with the single remaining at Number 1 in the UK for four weeks.

   

   Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger (Official HD Video)

9. Queen - Las Palabras De Amour: release date 1st June 1982

   A more sedate moment from the band's dancefloor-loving Hot Space album, this Brian May power ballad peaked at Number 17 in the British charts.

   

   Queen - Las Palabras De Amor (Top Of The Pops, 1982)

10. The Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra: release date 4th June 1982

    This was the title track from Miller's twelfth studio album - the first had been Children Of The Future in 1968 - and was Number 1 in the US, Australia, Canada, Spain and many other countries, apart from the UK, where Abracadabra stalled at Number 2 behind, firstly, Captain Sensible's daft Happy Talk and then Irene Cara's theme from Fame.

    

    Steve Miller Band - Abracadabra (Official Music Video)

11. Roxy Music - Avalon: release date 11th June 1982

    The sun was setting on Roxy's brilliant career - this is the title track from their final album, with an exquisite backing vocal from Haitian singer Yanick Étienne. The band would release one last single, Take A Chance With Me, in September 1982 before going on hiatus.

    

    Roxy Music - Avalon

12. Laura Branigan - Gloria: release date 20th August 1982

    This synth-rock classic was originally recorded by the Italian musician Umberto Tozzi in 1979, but New York singer Branigan had an international hit with an English language version of the song, which made Number 6 in the UK.

    

    Laura Branigan - Gloria (Official Music Video)

13. Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry: release date 9th July 1982

    A superb Peter Cetera power ballad from the album Chicago 16, Hard To Say I'm Sorry topped the Billboard Hot 100 and made Number 4 in Britain.

    

    Chicago - Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Official Music Video)

14. Kate Bush - The Dreaming: release date 23rd July 1982

    The title track of Kate's fourth studio album, released in September 1982, this is a meditation on the destruction of the Aboriginal Australians' traditional lands for commercial use.

    

    Kate Bush - The Dreaming - Official Music Video

15. Dire Straits - Private Investigations: release date 27th August 1982

    Despite being nearly six minutes long, this enigmatic track from the Love Over Gold album actually ties with the jolly Walk Of Life from 1985 as Dire Straits' biggest UK hit - both songs made it to Number 2. Private Investigations was kept off the top spot by Eye Of The Tiger (see above!).

    

    Dire Straits - Private Investigations (Official Music Video)

16. Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang: release date 17th September 1982

    Originally included on the soundtrack to the Martin Scorsese/Robert De Niro movie The King Of Comedy, this Chrissie Hynde song was included on the band's third album Learning To Crawl. It was a tribute to the late Pretenders guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who died of a drugs overdose in June 1982.

    

    Pretenders - Back on the Chain Gang (Official Music Video)

17. John Cougar - Jack & Diane: release date 17th September 1982

    AKA John Mellencamp, this roots-rock track is based on the 1962 Tennessee Williams film Sweet Bird of Youth. Jack & Diane was taken from the album American Fool and topped the US charts - it made Number 25 in Britain.

    

    John Mellencamp - Jack & Diane (Official Music Video)

18. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go: release date 17th September 1982

    Mick Jones sings lead on this Combat Rock track that was originally released as a double A-side with Straight To Hell. This 1982 edition made it to Number 17, but a reissue off the back of Levis TV ad in March 1991 took the song to the top for two weeks.

    

    The Clash - Should I Stay or Should I Go (Official Video)

19. The Who - Athena: release date 24th September 1982

    The opening track of It's Hard, the second Who album to feature drummer Kenney Jones and the last to include bassist John Entwistle, who died in 2002. Making Number 28 in the US and Number 40 in the UK, this would mark the band's last appearance in the Top 40 on either side of the Atlantic (to date, anyway).

    

    Athena

20. Peter Gabriel - Shock The Monkey: release date 24th September 1982

    The first single from the former Genesis man's fourth solo album (called Peter Gabriel, of course), Shock The Monkey was Gabriel's first Top 40 hit in America, peaking at Number 28 - Britain only sent it to Number 58.

    

    Peter Gabriel - Shock The Monkey

21. Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City: release date 8th October 1982

    Taken from the acclaimed "lo-fi" Springsteen album Nebraska, released in September 1982. The Boss tried to record a version with the full E Street Band, but nothing topped the original solo acoustic version.

    

    Bruce Springsteen - Atlantic City

22. Billy Idol - White Wedding: release date 22nd October 1982

    Originally recorded for the former Generation X frontman's self-titled debut solo album, this classic track was reissued in the US in May 1983 and issued again in Britain in June 1985, when it finally became a hit, peaking at Number 6!

    

    Billy Idol - White Wedding Pt 1

23. Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out: release date 29th October 1982

    A standout track from the English musician's fifth album Night And Day, this was Jackson's biggest hit in the US, peaking at Number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, a feat the single matched back in Britain.

    

    Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out

24. Fleetwood Mac - Oh Diane: release date 19th November 1982

    Taken from the group's Mirage album, this Lindsey Buckingham song broke the UK Top 10, reaching Number 9 in February of 1983.

    

    Fleetwood Mac - Oh Diane. Top Of The Pops 1983

25. The Kinks - Come Dancing: release date 19th November 1982

    A nostalgic song about Ray Davies' sister going to the local Palais dancehall gave the beloved British band their biggest hit in a decade - although it took until August of 1983 for the single to reach its peak position of Number 12.

    

    The Kinks - Come Dancing