Despite rendering some of Pop music history’s most memorable hits (see: ‘1999,’ ‘When Doves Cry,’ ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ etc.), an easy standout in Prince‘s prized discography comes courtesy of 1986’s ‘Kiss.‘
The fourth of his five career Hot 100 chart-toppers, the tune – which smooched the summit of the all-genre hitlist for two weeks that year – has seen its commercial impact outweighed only by its enduring critical and cultural significance.
A mainstay on ‘Best Ever’ lists over the years, the Gold-certified smash is featured in the top 20 of Billboard’s ‘500 Greatest Pop Songs of All Time,’ the top 10 of NME’s ‘150 Greatest Singles of All Time‘, and the top 100 of Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time.’
In a more recent toast to the legacy of ‘Kiss,’ the latter publication rolled out yet another all-time ranking that has the legendary tune towering over the competition.
Taking to press, Rolling Stone lifted the lid on its ‘200 Best Songs of the 80s’ – a tally that toasts the brilliance of music history’s most eclectic and unique sonic decade yet.
At #1 sits Prince’s ‘Kiss,’ leading a list of heavy hitters that includes King and Queen of Pop Michael Jackson and Madonna – found at #4 and #2 for their respective hits ‘Billie Jean’ and ‘Like a Prayer’ – as well as Whitney Houston‘s ‘How Will I Know‘ (#6).
Peep the top 10 below.
RS 200 Best Songs of the 80s
10 – The Smiths, ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’
9 – Kate Bush, ‘Running Up That Hill’
8 – Duran Duran, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’
7 – The Go-Gos, ‘Our Lips Are Sealed’
6 – Whitney Houston, ‘How Will I Know?’
5 – Public Enemy, ‘Bring the Noise’
4 – Michael Jackson, ‘Billie Jean’
3 – Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, ‘The Message’
2 – Madonna, ‘Like a Prayer’
1 – Prince, ‘Kiss’
Click here to see the full list.