A list of songs that only reached No3 in the charts in The 1980s. A few big songs in this list, some surprises also that these did not reach the top spot, but it wasn’t to be.
1980
| Nov 1980 | Jona Lewie | Stop The Cavalry |
| Nov 1980 | Boomtown Rats | Banana Republic |
| Oct 1980 | Dennis Waterman With The Dennis Waterman Band | I Could Be So Good for You |
| Sep 1980 | Madness | Baggy Trousers |
| Sep 1980 | Elvis Presley | It’s Only Love / Beyond The Reef |
| Sep 1980 | Bad Manners | Special Brew |
| Jul 1980 | Sheena Easton | 9 To 5 |
| Jun 1980 | Stacy Lattisaw | Jump To The Beat |
| May 1980 | Roberta Flack And Donny Hathaway | Back Together Again |
| May 1980 | Michael Jackson | She’s Out Of My Life |
| Feb 1980 | Vapors | Turning Japanese |
| Feb 1980 | Marti Webb | Take That look Off Your Face |
| Jan 1980 | Madness | My Girl |
1981
| Dec 1981 | Kool And The Gang | Get Down On It |
| Dec 1981 | Abba | One Of Us |
| Dec 1981 | Adam And The Ants | Ant Rap |
| Nov 1981 | Earth Wind And Fire | Let’s Groove |
| Oct 1981 | Four Tops | When She Was My Girl |
| sep 1981 | Godley And Creme | Under Your Thumb |
| Aug 1981 | Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark | Souvenir |
| Aug 1981 | Ottawan | Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart) |
| Aug 1981 | Human League | Love Action (I Believe In Love) |
| Jul 1981 | Spandau Ballet | Chant No. 1 (I Don’t Need This Pressure On) |
| Jun 1981 | Bad Manners | Can Can |
| Mar 1981 | Tony Capstick And THe Carlton Main / Frickley Colliery Band | The Sheffield Grinder / Capstick Comes Home |
| Mar 1981 | Stevie Wonder | Lately |
| Jan 1981 | Rainbow | I Surrender |
1982
| Dec 1982 | Wah! | The Story Of The Blues |
| Nov 1982 | Culture Club | Time (Clock Of The Heart) |
| Nov 1982 | David Bowie And Bing Crosby | Peace On Earth – Little Drummer Boy |
| Oct 1982 | Wham! | Young Guns (Go For It) |
| Oct 1982 | Kids From ‘Fame’ | Starmaker |
| Oct 1982 | Tears For Fears | Mad World |
| Aug 1982 | Soft Cell | What |
| Jul 1982 | Yazoo | Don’t Go |
| Jun 1982 | Odyssey | Inside Out |
| Apr 1982 | Pigbag | Papa’s Got A Brand New Pigbag |
| Apr 1982 | PhD | I Won’t Let You Down |
| Mar 1982 | Julio Iglesias | Quiereme Mucho (Yours) |
| Feb 1982 | J Geils Band | Centrefold |
| Feb 1982 | Soft Cell | Say Hello Wave Goodbye |
| Jan 1982 | Haircut 100 | Love Plus One |
1983
| Dec 1983 | Culture Club | Victims |
| Dec 1983 | Status Quo | Marguerita Time |
| Nov 1983 | Shakin’ Stevens | Cry Just A Little Bit |
| Oct 1983 | Duran Duran | Union Of The Snake |
| Oct 1983 | Siouxsie And The Banshees | Dear Prudence |
| Sep 1983 | Howard Jones | New Song |
| Aug 1983 | Rod Stewart | What Am I Gonna Do (I’m so In Love With You) |
| Aug 1983 | Style Council | Long Hot Summer |
| Jul 1983 | Eurythmics | Who’s That Girl? |
| Jul 1983 | Malcolm McLaren | Double Dutch |
| May 1983 | Yazoo | Nobody’s Diary |
| Apr 1983 | Beat | Can’t Get Used To Losing You |
| Apr 1983 | Michael Jackson | Beat It |
| Feb 1983 | Jo Boxers | Boxer Beat |
| Feb 1983 | Toto | Africa |
| Jan 1983 | Belle Stars | Sign Of The Times |
1984
| Nov 1984 | Paul McCartney And The Frog Chorus | We All Stand Together |
| Nov 1984 | Nik Kershaw | The Riddle |
| Nov 1984 | Madonna | Like A Virgin |
| Sep 1984 | Giorgio Moroder And Phil Oakey | Together In Electric Dreams |
| Sep 1984 | U2 | Pride (In The Name Of Love) |
| Jun 1984 | Tina Turner | What’s Love Got To Do With It |
| Jun 1984 | Cyndi Lauper | Time After Time |
| Jun 1984 | Spandau Ballet | Only When You Leave |
| Jun 1984 | Bronski Beat | Smalltown Boy |
| May 1984 | Ultravox | Dancing With Tears In My Eyes |
| Apr 1984 | Queen | I Want To Break Free |
| Mar 1984 | Bananarama | Robert De Niro’s Waiting |
| Feb 1984 | Break Machine | Street Dance |
| Feb 1984 | Thompson Twins | Doctor doctor |
| Jan 1984 | Joe Fagin | That’s Livin’ Alright |
1985
| Nov 1985 | Bronski Beat | Hit That Perfect Beat |
| Nov 1985 | Dee C Lee | See The Day |
| Oct 1985 | UB40 | Don’t Break My Heart |
| Oct 1985 | Elton John | Nikita |
| Sep 1985 | Stevie Wonder | Part-Time Lover |
| Aug 1985 | Red Box | Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) |
| Aug 1985 | Colonel Abrams | Trapped |
| Aug 1985 | Kate Bush | Running Up That Hill |
| Aug 1985 | Baltimora | Tarzan Boy |
| Jul 1985 | Tina Turner | We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdrome) |
| Apr 1985 | Jimmy Nail | Love Don’t Live Here Anymore |
| Apr 1985 | Bronski Beat And Marc Almond | I Feel Love (Medley – I Feel Love / Love To Love you Baby / Johnny Remember Me) |
| Mar 1985 | Sarah Brightman And Paul Miles-Kingston | Pie Jesu |
| Mar 1985 | Madonna | Material Girl |
| Jan 1985 | Commodores | Nightshift |
| Jan 1985 | Ashford And Simpson | Solid |
1986
| Dec 1986 | Robbie Nevil | C’est La Vie |
| Dec 1986 | Curiosity Killed The Cat | Down To Earth |
| Nov 1986 | Alison Moyet | Is This Love? |
| Oct 1986 | Cliff Richard & Sarah Brightman | All I Ask Of You |
| Sep 1986 | Mel And Kim | Showing Out (Get Fresh At The weekend) |
| Sep 1986 | Bangles | Walk Like An Egyptian |
| Aug 1986 | Cameo | Word Up |
| Aug 1986 | Peter Cetera | Glory Of Love |
| Jun 1986 | Housemartins | Happy Hour |
| May 1986 | Owen Paul | My Favourite Waste Of Time |
| May 1986 | Sly Fox | Let’s Go All The Way |
| Apr 1986 | Level 42 | Lessons In Love |
| Mar 1986 | Queen | A Kind Of Magic |
| Mar 1986 | Janet Jackson | What Have You Done For Me Lately |
| Mar 1986 | Samantha Fox | Touch Me (I Want your Body) |
| Mar 1986 | Sigue Sigue Sputnik | Love Missile F1-11 |
| Feb 1986 | Damned | Eloise |
| Jan 1986 | Five Star | System Addict |
1987
| Dec 1987 | Michael Jackson | The Way You Make Me Feel |
| Dec 1987 | Mel And Kim | Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree |
| Dec 1987 | Krush | House Arrest |
| Nov 1987 | Proclaimers | Letter From America |
| Oct 1987 | Rick Astley | Whenever You Need Somebody |
| Oct 1987 | Bananarama / Stock Aitken Waterman | Love In The First Degree / Mr Sleaze |
| Sep 1987 | Michael Jackson | Bad |
| Aug 1987 | Cliff Richard | Some People |
| Jun 1987 | George Michael | I Want Your Sex |
| Jun 1987 | Atlantic Starr | Always |
| Jun 1987 | Heart | Alone |
| Mar 1987 | Janet Jackson | Let’s Wait Awhile |
| Mar 1987 | Club Nouveau | Lean On Me |
| Feb 1987 | Jackie Wilson | I Get The Sweetest Feeling (Re-Issue) |
| Feb 1987 | Mental As Anything | Live It Up |
1988
| Dec 1988 | Neneh Cherry | Buffalo Stance |
| Nov 1988 | Angry Anderson | Suddenly |
| Oct 1988 | Chris De Burgh | Missing You |
| Oct 1988 | D Mob Featuring Gary Haisman | We Call It Acieed |
| Oct 1988 | Milli Vanilli | Girl You Know It’s True |
| Aug 1988 | Womack And Wommack | Teardrops |
| Jul 1988 | BVSMP | I Need You |
| Jul 1988 | Kim Wilde | You Came |
| Jul 1988 | Everything But The Girl | I Don’t Want To Talk About It |
| Jun 1988 | Sabrina | Boys (Summertime Love) |
| May 1988 | Liverpool FC | Anfield Rap (Red Machine In Full Effect) |
| May 1988 | New Order | Blue Monday (Re-Mix) |
| Apr 1988 | Aztec Camera | Somewhere In My Heart |
| Apr 1988 | Danny Wilson | Mary’s Prayer |
| Mar 1988 | Iron Maiden | Can I Play With Madness |
| Feb 1988 | Vanessa Paradis | Joe Le Taxi |
| Feb 1988 | Billy Ocean | Get Outta My Dreams Get Into My Car |
| Jan 1988 | Taylor Dayne | Tell It To My Heart |
1989
| Dec 1989 | 49ers | Touch Me |
| Dec 1989 | Soul II Soul | Get A Life |
| Nov 1989 | Jeff Wayne’s War Of The World’s | Eve Of The War (Re-Mix) |
| Oct 1989 | Rebel MC And Double Trouble | Street Tuff |
| Sep 1989 | Madonna | Cherish |
| Aug 1989 | Sydney Youngblood | If Only I Colud |
| Aug 1989 | Cliff Richard | I Just Don’t Have The Heart |
| May 1989 | Queen | I Want It All |
| Apr 1989 | Lynne Hamilton | On The Inside (Theme From ‘Prisoner: Cell Block H’) |
| Apr 1989 | Transvision Vamp | Baby I Don’t Care |
| Mar 1989 | Paula Abdul | Straight Up |
| Feb 1989 | Donna Summer | This Time I Know It’s For Real |
| Feb 1989 | Bananarama / La Na Nee Nee Noo Noo | Help |
| Jan 1989 | Roy Orbison | You Got It |
