80s music bingo: 40 hits and tips for the night

The 1980s gave us synth pop, huge power ballads, film soundtracks and the first music videos on television. Those songs still fill dance floors, and three generations can sing along to many of them. That makes the decade one of the easiest themes for a music bingo night.

Below you will find a list of 40 hits from the 80s ready to paste into My Music Bingo, plus card settings, three rounds and some tips for the evening. If you have never made the cards before, start with how to make music bingo cards. Getting everything ready takes about ten minutes.

Why the 80s work so well

A good bingo song is one that people recognise in the first few seconds. The 80s are full of them: a keyboard riff, a drum sound or a chorus that everybody knows. Parents and grandparents lived through these songs, and younger players have heard them in films, adverts and series.

Some of these songs have never really gone away. In June 2022, Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush reached number 1 in the UK after it was used in Stranger Things. The song came out in August 1985 and had peaked at number 3, so it took 37 years to reach the top. In 2020 the video for Take On Me by a-ha passed one billion views on YouTube. It was the second 80s video to get there, after Sweet Child o' Mine by Guns N' Roses.

Sales tell the same story. When the Official Charts Company listed the best-selling singles of the 1980s in the UK, the top 10 included Relax, Eye of the Tiger, Don't You Want Me, Careless Whisper and Karma Chameleon. In the United States, Billboard named Physical by Olivia Newton-John the biggest Hot 100 hit of the decade. It spent 10 weeks at number 1.

The song list: 40 hits from the 80s

Copy the list below and paste it into the text box on the card generator. Each line has the title, a hyphen and the artist, which is the format the generator reads.

Take On Me - a-ha
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Like a Prayer - Madonna
Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper
Don't You Want Me - The Human League
Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Karma Chameleon - Culture Club
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!
Careless Whisper - George Michael
I Just Called to Say I Love You - Stevie Wonder
The Power of Love - Jennifer Rush
Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
Every Breath You Take - The Police
Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) - Kate Bush
Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses
Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
Footloose - Kenny Loggins
Flashdance... What a Feeling - Irene Cara
Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley
Walk Like an Egyptian - The Bangles
Tainted Love - Soft Cell
Come On Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler
Jump - Van Halen
Africa - Toto
Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
The Final Countdown - Europe
Heaven Is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Wonderful Life - Black
Gold - Spandau Ballet
I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Whitney Houston
Purple Rain - Prince
Let's Dance - David Bowie
Kids in America - Kim Wilde
Just Can't Get Enough - Depeche Mode
Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

How to set up the cards

With 40 songs, every card can be different. These settings suit most 80s nights:

• Grid: 4×4 with a free space for a mixed group. Use 5×5 for a long evening with adults who know the decade well.
• Game name: something like "Back to the 80s", with the date or the venue as the subtitle.
• Show artist: turn it on for a family group. For a room full of 80s experts, turn it off and play with titles only.
• Number of cards: one per player or team, plus a few spares.

If you would rather not print, share the digital cards link in a group chat. Players open it on their phones and tap the songs as they hear them. The step-by-step guide shows how.

Three rounds for the night

You can play all 40 songs in one game, or split the evening into shorter rounds with a small prize for each. For themed rounds, make a separate set of cards with only that round's songs. A 3×3 grid is enough for 12 to 15 tracks.

Round 1: number ones

Start with songs that almost everyone knows: Relax, Karma Chameleon, Don't You Want Me, Careless Whisper, Eye of the Tiger, I Just Called to Say I Love You, The Power of Love and Physical. It is an easy opening, and even younger players will mark a few squares.

Round 2: films and series

Many 80s hits are linked to a film or a TV series. Play Footloose, Flashdance... What a Feeling, Don't You (Forget About Me) and Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), plus Eye of the Tiger if it was not in round 1. As a bonus, ask players to name the film or show each song comes from.

Round 3: sing-along finale

End with the big choruses: Livin' on a Prayer, Don't Stop Believin', Africa, The Final Countdown, Jump, Sweet Child o' Mine and I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me). Turn the volume up a little and let the room sing.

Tips for a good 80s night

• Ask for an 80s dress code. Shoulder pads, neon colours and big hair make good photos. Give a small prize for the best outfit among the winners.
• Keep each song short. Twenty to thirty seconds is usually enough. Playing all 40 tracks this way takes around half an hour.
• Add local hits. The list is international. If your group grew up with 80s songs in their own language, swap a few titles for local favourites.
• Try intros only. With experienced players, play just the first five seconds. Many 80s songs are easy to spot from the opening notes.
• Have a tie-breaker ready. If two people shout "Bingo!" at the same time, play one more intro. The first to name it wins.

Sources

All sources checked on 25 September 2026.

• The Official best-selling singles from the 1980s, Official Charts, 14 October 2025.
• Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill is Official Charts Number 1 single, Official Charts, 17 June 2022.
• Olivia Newton-John's 'Physical' crowns Billboard's top songs of the '80s chart, Billboard, 2022.
• A-ha's 'Take on Me' tops 1 billion YouTube views, second '80s video to hit milestone, Variety, 2020.