36. David Bowie, “Within You” (1986)
This song is from Bowie’s role as the Goblin King in the movie Labyrinth. “But that’s fantasy, not science fiction! And the fantasy aspect isn’t even part of the lyrics, it’s just part of the context!” Yeah, well, I said at the start that I was going to be interpreting “science fiction” generously.
37. Sting, “Moon Over Bourbon Street” (1985):
Makes sense to follow up a song about a seductive, morally ambiguous goblin with a song about a seductive, morally ambiguous vampire. And technically this one does count as science fiction, since it’s based on Anne Rice’s vampire novels, and in those novels she eventually (long after the song’s release, of course) gave vampirism a science-fiction-y origin.
Another version: