Music

120 voters

The Best '80s Songs About Death

Updated December 8, 2019 993 votes 120 voters 6.2k views24 items

"And it seems to me you lived your life like a candle in the wind" is one of many great lyrics from '80s songs about death. The lyric is of course from Elton John's "Candle in the Wind," but there are many more good '80s death songs that deserve to be remembered. Let's rank the very best '80s songs that are about dying or death, with the help of your votes.

"He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones is not only a fantastic song from the 1980s, but many consider it to be the best country song ever written. It tells the story of a man who never gave up on waiting for the love of his life to return, and only stopped loving her when he passed on. Another fantstic '80s hit about dying is "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew, although it's used in a more metaphorical sense in that song.

Add your favorite tribute song from the '80s to the list if it isn't already there!

1
73
13
Fade to Black
Metallica
Albums: Ride the Lightning
Composer: James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett
Length (seconds): 6:54
More Fade to Black
#2643 of 3,867 The Best Songs Of All Time, Ranked#1 of 51 The Best Metal Songs About Suicide
2
45
18
Another One Bites The Dust
Queen
Albums: The Game
Composer: John Deacon
Producer: Queen, Reinhold Mack
Length (seconds): 3:35
More Another One Bites The Dust
#9 of 133 The Best Workout Songs#3 of 77 The Best Pop Songs About Death
3
43
20
Candle in the Wind
Elton John
Albums: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Composer: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Length (seconds): 3:49
4
39
21
(I Just) Died in Your Arms
Cutting Crew
Albums: Broadcast
Composer: Nick Van Eede
Length (seconds): 4:36
More (I Just) Died in Your Arms
#4 of 107 The Greatest Songs by '80s One-Hit Wonders#45 of 142 The Greatest Songs by One-Hit Wonders
5
32
19
Life Without You
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble
Albums: Soul to Soul
Length (seconds): 4:18
6
27
20
If Tomorrow Never Comes
Garth Brooks
Albums: Garth Brooks, No Fences
Composer: Garth Brooks, Kent Blazy
Length (seconds): 3:40
More If Tomorrow Never Comes
#3 of 85 The Best Country Songs for Funerals#9 of 343 The Best Slow Country Songs
7
26
21
He Stopped Loving Her Today
George Jones
Albums: I Am What I Am, Hits I Missed... And One I Didn't
Composer: Curly Putman, Bobby Braddock
Length (seconds): 3:17
8
31
35
(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
Naked Eyes
Albums: Naked Eyes, Burning Bridges
Composer: Burt Bacharach
Length (seconds): 3:35
9
19
22
Wind Beneath My Wings
Bette Midler
10
18
22
Dead Man's Party
Oingo Boingo
Albums: Dead Man's Party
Composer: Danny Elfman
Length (seconds): 6:22
More Dead Man's Party
#23 of 87 The Best Apocalyptic Songs#81 of 182 The Best '80s New Wave Songs
11
17
20
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
The Smiths
Albums: The Queen Is Dead
Composer: Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Producer: Morrissey, Johnny Marr
Length (seconds): 4:3
12
16
19
Pancho and Lefty
Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard
Albums: Pancho & Lefty
Composer: Townes Van Zandt
Length (seconds): 4:46
13
19
23
Chiseled in Stone
Vern Gosdin
Albums: Chiseled in Stone
Composer: Vern Gosdin, Max D. Barnes
Length (seconds): 3:52

14
14
20
People Who Died
The Jim Carroll Band
Albums: Catholic Boy
Length (seconds): 4:59
More People Who Died
#208 of 246 The Greatest Pop Songs by One-Hit Wonders#2 of 50 Best Punk Songs About Death
15
14
22
Empty Garden
Elton John
Albums: Jump Up
Composer: Elton John, Bernie Taupin
Producer: Chris Thomas
Length (seconds): 5:7
16
12
20
Here Today
Paul McCartney
Albums: Tug of War
Composer: Paul McCartney
Length (seconds): 2:28
More Here Today
#53 of 152 The Best Paul McCartney Songs#275 of 284 The Best Rock Songs Of The '80s, Ranked
17
9
18
Living Years
Mike + The Mechanics
Albums: Living Years
Composer: Mike Rutherford, B.A. Robertson
Length (seconds): 5:22
More Living Years
#175 of 193 The Worst Freakin' Songs of the '80s, Ranked#8 of 23 The Best Meaningful Songs For A Father's Funeral
18
8
17
Dead In a Ditch
Dirty Rotten Imbeciles
19
13
25
All Those Years Ago
George Harrison
Albums: Somewhere in England
Composer: George Harrison
Length (seconds): 3:45
20
6
20
Somebody Got Murdered
The Clash
Albums: Sandinista!, The Clash Hits Back
Composer: The Clash, Joe Strummer, Mick Jones
Length (seconds): 3:34
21
4
16
Warm Leatherette
Grace Jones
Albums: Warm Leatherette
Composer: Peter Rauhofer, The Normal
Producer: Chris Blackwell, Alex Sadkin
Length (seconds): 5:37
22
4
16
7-11
The Ramones
23
2
17
In the Kingdom #19
24
2
36
Arthur
Hoodoo Gurus