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Narrowing down a list of the best movies of the 80s to just 20 was pretty challenging. Though it is a decade that produced some very questionable fashion, some strange music and more than its fair share of odd sayings the 80s certainly didn’t lack when it came to quality movies. Yes, there were plenty of duds and bad sequels, but there were plenty of all time classics, as you will see as you proceed down this list. Curious to see if your favorite 80s movies made the list? Read on to see what flicks made the cut on my list of the top 20 best films of the 80s:

20 – Bull Durham – A baseball comedy marks the start of the top 20 best movies of the 80s. Kevin Costner, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon star in a bizarre love triangle with a backdrop of minor league baseball. Kevin Costner has made a habit of starring in baseball movies in his career and both Bull Durham and Field of Dreams could have made this list. I chose the former because I think it has probably has greater appeal to the women in the crowd.

19 – The Breakfast Club – If there is one movie that is synonymous with the 80s then The Breakfast Club is that film. A story about a group of students from all different walks of life who are forced to sit in detention together one fateful Saturday seems on the surface to be a pretty thin plot. However, it is the characters, however stereotyped, who really make this movie, and anyone who grew up in the 80s and experienced the social pressures and prejudices of high school in that era can identify with one or more of the characters.

18 – Amadeus – Though perhaps not as popular among the teenage crowd back in the 80s it is hard to keep this 8 time Oscar winning film off the list of the best movies of the 80s. Tom Hulce is not exactly a Hollywood name but his portrayal of music genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in this 1984 biopic stands as one of the crowning acting achievements of that decade. For those who are little more shallow the movie also gave us the huge 80s Falco hit, Rock me Amadeus.

17 – Moonstruck – This Oscar winning film would definitely be at or near the top of a list of the best romantic comedies of the 80s. Love triangles were apparently popular plotlines in the 80s as this film uses this plot device as well. The multi-talented singer and actress Cher gives the performance of her career in this classic 80s love story.

16 – Rain Man – As good as Dustin Hoffman was in Tootsie there can be little argument that his best work of the 80s came as his portrayal as an autistic man in 1988’s Rain Man. Tom Cruise stars alongside Hoffman and the chemistry between the two is fantastic right from the get-go. Though the subject matter might sound a bit heavy there are plenty of light moments, including a few that will make you laugh out loud, in this thought-provoking film.

15 – Scarface – With starring roles in films like The Godfather, Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Heat, and Scent of a Woman Al Pacino can certainly throw his hat in the ring when it comes to picking the best actor of the past 40 years. His role as Cuban drug lord, Tony Montana can stand among all the aforementioned movies as some of his best work as an actor. “Say hello to my little friend!” is one of the most quoted lines in movie history. There is plenty of violence and mature subject matter in this one, but if you like your films gritty then Scarface is not to be missed.

14 – The Color Purple – Though I wanted to keep this list of the top 20 80s movies as light and fluffy as possible these Oscar nominated films just keep slipping onto the list. Based on the Pulitzer prize winning novel by Alice Walker the film details the life of a young African American woman and her trials as she grows up in the early 20th century. Whoopi Goldberg is magnificent as Celie, the main character in the film, and talk show megastar Oprah Winfrey also shows her amazing acting ability in the role of Sophie, landing an Oscar nomination for her performance.

13 – Ordinary People – Better known for his work as an actor director Robert Redford nabbed himself an Oscar for his work on this extraordinary film about ordinary people who must deal with the pain of losing a loved one. The movie is emotionally powerful and the performances by Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton as the family members left behind are all genuine and superb. If you are in the mood for a strong dramatic film definitely pick this one up.

12 – Airplane! – About as far to the opposite end of the spectrum from Ordinary People as you can get Airplane! is nothing but constant laughs. A parody of airline disaster movies, Airplane! should stand at or near the top of any self-respecting comedy fan’s list of the funniest movies ever made. Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges and Robert Hays all star in this endless quotable comedy classic.

11 – On Golden Pond – Henry Fonda, Katherine Hepburn and Jane Fonda star in this film about a father and daughter, long estranged, who work to repair their relationship. Henry Fonda is brilliant as the cantankerous Norman Thayer, and screen legend Katherine Hepburn is just as good as his inhumanly patient wife Ethel. Their acting was so good that the pair earned the rare double win as best actor and best actress at the Academy Awards. If you are worried it sounds a little dramatic for your tastes rest assured that this isn’t just a one dimensional film. There are plenty of laughs along the way particularly in the bickering between the old couple.

10 – Gandhi – Finally, we reach the top 10 movies of the 80s. Ben Kingsley gives the performance of a lifetime as Mahatma Gandhi, the famous pacifist who orchestrated a massive campaign of non-violent protests for the rights of Indians in South Africa. The film was a runaway winner for Best Picture that year, and Kingsley earned a deserving Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Though the film is more than a quarter century old its message is still as powerful as ever. It is a movie every person should see at least once, regardless of race, religion or gender.

9 – The Terminator – Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers one of the most iconic villains of all time in his role as the terminator in James Cameron’s 1984 classic sci-fi film. Sent back through time by the machines to assassinate the woman who will give birth to the child who will lead the human resistance in the future, Schwarzenegger is chilling as a cyborg killing machine hell-bent on assassinating Linda Hamilton. The film’s sequel, Terminator 2: Judgment Day is arguably even better than the original, but since it didn’t come out until 1991 it is ineligible for this list.

8 – Aliens – Wow, these last couple of entries make it sound like I am creating a list of the best sci-fi movies ever made. Aliens starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, the toughest chick in space is as much a horror movie as a science fiction thriller, and the monsters in the film are impressively realistic, especially considering this movie is nearly a quarter century old. The original film, Alien is almost as good, but contrary to the usual Hollywood formula the sequel is actually a little bit better than the original and so gets the nod on this list.

7 – Back to the Future – Continuing with the science fiction theme, this quirky time travel film starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly is not only one of the funniest movies of the 80s, but one of the best films in any genre. Christopher Lloyd is absolutely perfectly cast as Doc Brown, a mad scientist who invents a time travel machine in the form of a DeLorean sports car. McFly becomes his willing guinea pig and takes the car to the past where he meets up with a much younger Doc Brown who must figure out a way to get him back home. To complicate things Marty ends up the object of affection of his own mother (a much younger version of course) and must play matchmaker between her and his father lest they never fall in love, causing him never to exist. Quite a conundrum to say the least!

6 – Blade Runner – This is the first time we’ve seen Harrison Ford’s name on this list, but you can bet it won’t be the last. In this Ridley Scott masterpiece Ford plays Deckard a Blade Runner (special police force unit) who has the difficult task of tracking down and killing replicants, or human clones. Dark and gritty with a post-apocalyptic feel Blade Runner is a must see for any sci-fi film buff.

5 – Platoon – During an era that produced several quality war films including Full Metal Jacket and Hamburger Hill, Oliver Stone’s masterwork Platoon stands alone as the best war of its era, and is certainly in the conversation as the best war movie of all time. Uncomfortably realistic Platoon gives the audience a front row seat of the horrors that took place during the Vietnam War and the incredible psychological effect on its participants.

4 – E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial – Steven Spielberg’s E.T. is a far different creature than Ridley Scott’s Aliens. The cutest creature ever to come from outer space, all this extra terrestrial life form wants to do is enjoy some M&Ms and make the occasional (really) long distance phone call home. A massive hit, E.T. set a box office record back in 1982 grossing just a hair under 0 million domestically before Titanic finally surpassed it in 1997. Be sure to watch for a young Drew Barrymore in the film.

3 – Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back – It took George Lucas 3