Billboard Hot 100 Charts of the 1980s

The 1980s were the MTV decade. After the channel launched on August 1, 1981, the music video became essential to a hit, and larger-than-life stars ruled the Hot 100. Michael Jackson’s "Thriller", Madonna’s streak of Top 5 singles and Prince’s "Purple Rain" made this one of pop’s most iconic eras — the final decade in this archive, running through December 1990.

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