2,943
Chart Entries
10
Years
1980
First Year
1989
Last Year
Overview
The 1980s on the Israeli music chart was the era of Synth-pop, New Wave, Power Ballads, and the chart at its peak. From 1980 to 1989, Israeli listeners on Reshet Gimel heard 2,943 chart entries across all positions — making it one of the defining eras in the archive's 36-year history.
Reshet Gimel's weekly broadcast of the מצעד הלועזי brought the decade's biggest international hits to Israeli ears every week, and the Israeli audience responded with genuine enthusiasm to the era's defining sounds.
Dominant Artists
| # | Artist | Why They Dominated |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madonna | 46 total entries — the most of any artist in the archive, started in 1984 |
| 2 | Michael Jackson | Thriller era and beyond — 38 chart entries, multiple #1s |
| 3 | Elton John | Continued strong 80s presence — 44 career entries includes significant 80s run |
| 4 | Duran Duran | New Wave darlings on Israeli radio — career culminated in Come Undone record (1993) |
| 5 | Wham! | George Michael's first act — 'Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go' and 'Careless Whisper' both major Israeli hits |
Key Chart Moments
- 1981: New wave hits its peak — Human League, Soft Cell, Depeche Mode all chart
- 1983: 'Every Breath You Take' by The Police — extended Israeli chart #1 run
- 1984: Madonna's 'Holiday' debuts — the start of 46 Israeli chart entries across 13 years
- 1984: Thriller era — 'Beat It', 'Billie Jean', 'Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'' all chart in Israel
- 1985: Live Aid — 'We Are the World' and charity supergroups on the Israeli chart
- 1987–1989: Stock Aitken Waterman pop dominates — Kylie, Rick Astley, and the late 80s sound
Notable Songs of the Era
| Song | Artist | Year | Israeli Chart Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Come On Eileen | Dexys Midnight Runners | 1982 | Massive Israeli hit — captured the early 80s perfectly |
| Every Breath You Take | The Police | 1983 | Extended #1 run on the Israeli chart |
| Like a Virgin | Madonna | 1984 | First of many Madonna Israeli #1s |
| Careless Whisper | George Michael | 1984 | One of the decade's biggest Israeli chart ballads |
Browse 1980s Charts
Use the IsraeliCharts archive to browse every weekly chart from 1980 to 1989. Pick any date and see the exact chart for that week — every position, every song, every artist.
Explore the archive: The IsraeliCharts date browser lets you navigate to any week between 1961 and 1997. Select any date in the 1980s to see that week's exact chart.