My top 15 cartoons from the 1980s:
15.
Danger Mouse
14.
Count Duckula
13.
Mighty Orbots
12.
Dungeons & Dragons
11.
Ulysses 31
10.
Thundarr the Barbarian
9.
Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures
8.
Thundercats
7.
Bionic Six
6.
G.I. Joe
5.
The Transformers
4.
DuckTales
3.
Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light
2.
Robotech
1.
Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
I didn't include
Star Blazers
on my list because it debuted in the 1970s, or
The Simpsons
because only its first episode aired during the 1980s.

TMNT
Thundercats
Transformers
He-Man
Garfield And Friends
Back To The Future
Super Mario Brothers
Real Ghost Busters
Rock 'N' Wrestling
Heathcliff
Ducktales
Garbage Pail Kids
So many

1. Battle of the Planets
2. Transformers

I liked pretty much anything, including the girl oriented stuff so this is a pretty impossible question to answer for me but I will try (in no particular order)..

1. G.I. Joe- A Real American Hero (1983-1986) Marvel-Sunbow
2. The Mysterious Cities of Gold (1985) DIC
3. Thundercats (1985-1990) Rankin-Bass
4. She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985-1987) Filmation
5. Jem (1985-1988) Marvel-Sunbow
6. M.A.S.K. (1985-1987) DIC
7. Captain N - The Game Master (1989-1991) DIC
8. Dungeons & Dragons (1983-1986) Marvel-Sunbow
9. The Adventures of The Gummi Bears (1985-1990) Disney
10. Super Mario Brothers Super Show (1989) DIC
    I am excluding The Simpsons since it's a prime-time thing and only appeared at the end of the decade.
    These are the ones that have really held up imo not just in terms of toys and theme songs but in concept, animation, story, music, and voice acting.
    There are some great shows from the 90's too but not like the the 80's and NOTHING from the 00's or 10's can begin to compare with even the worst stuff from that time.
    Try not to take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.

My top 10 with pics
http://coolblaster.blogspot.com/2009/08/top-80s-cartoons.html
I've got GI Joe at #1, Thundercats at #3

Pole Position
Blackstar
Bravestarr
Jem
Challenge of the Gobots
Transformers
Voltron: DOTU
Robotech
COPS
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe(1985)
The Real Ghostbusters
Denver The Last Dinosaur
Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles
My Little Pony and Friends
She-Ra Princess of Power
Captain Power and the Soliders of the Future
Ewoks
Droids
Inspector Gadget
Thundercats
The Comic Strip
Bionic Six
Kidd Video
Ducktales
Chip And Dale's Rescue Rangers
Muppet Babies
New Kids On The Block
"Tombstones don't talk back."
Leland Blaine Chapman 07/07/04

Hmmm? Haven't seen
'The Bionic Six'
in anybody's list or alot of
Robotech
. Kinda figured those shows were really huge in North America!
What gives?
There's more Voltron on people's list than Robotech/Macross or Battle Of The Planets/G-Force. That show must have been major things?!
ST4
"He is one, we are three, it is the strength of three that will defeat himtogether. General Zod"

Of all the major ones, my list goes in this order:
The Real Ghostbusters
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Thundercats
G.I. Joe
Transformers
Voltron

Many cartoons, many!!
But definitely the Thundercats were amazing and one my favorites serie of all times
Everything from Disney
Lonney Tunes
Mazinger Z
Festival de Robots (Whatever Japanesse robot)
Candy Candy
Heidi
Rainbow Brite
My Little Pony
She Ra
He Man
Care bears
Inspector Gadget
Do you recognize my voice?

Thundercats , Transformers , Inspector Gadget, Danger Mouse ,Defenders of The Earth , Gummi Bears , Mr. T , Dinosaucers , The Karate Kid , Fraggle Rock , Duck Tales , The Real Ghostbusters , and Shirt Tales !
" Make it so , number one "

DEFINITELY Visionaries! A few years ago, I wrote some fan fiction about that show, but shelved it back in '04. Just this summer I've gotten back to it, and it's looking better than ever.
My "big three" were Thundercats, Visionaries and Defenders Of The Earth.
I was never that sold on He-Man, Transformers passed me by completely until I was 20, but I'm sure I would have enjoyed it if I'd watched it as a kid.
Of course there's other usual suspects on my list - Duck Tales, Mysterious Cities Of Gold, etc.
Some shows were more early 90s than 80s - I was hooked on "The Legend Of Prince Valiant", for instance, and would welcome a region 2 release of that show on DVD (not to mention a complete R2 release of DotE, only selected episodes are currently available here).
A few years ago, I wrote some articles on kids shows I grew up with, and how they've aged. Watching some of them again as an adult was cringe-inducing - nowadays, I shudder at the thought that I used to love Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles, for example. But others still hold up. The Legend Of Prince Valiant scores well in that regard, what few episodes I have. Thundercats is half and half - as in, the first season is still as good as it was. The later seasons, which weren't originally aired over here, just don't pack the same punch. Last year I watched the later series for the first time, and was a wee bit disappointed.

P.S.
Oops and

• Visionaries!
  ST4
  "He is one, we are three, it is the strength of three that will defeat himtogether. General Zod"

Top animated shows of the 80's
My list

• Thundercats
• Transformers
• The Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Ulysses 31
• The Lost Cties Of Gold
• Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors
• Masters Of The Universe (now pales in comparison to the 2002 series though?)
• Bravestarr
• The Smurfs
• Inspector Gadget
• Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends
• Spider-Man
• M.A.S.K.
• The Incredible Hulk
• The Centurions
• Tintin (the one after the first series? Herge's adventures of, version)
• Pole Position
• Thunderbirds 2086
• Robotech (techincally didn't see until the 90's on cable but its an 80's series, so it kinda counts)
• The Real Ghostbusters
• Gummi Bears
• The Bisketts (spelling?)
  ST4
  "He is one, we are three, it is the strength of three that will defeat himtogether. General Zod"

My top animated shows of the 80's:
Thundercats,
Voltron,
Gummi Bears,
The Raccoons, and
The Smurfs,
Gummi Bears,Thundercats, and The Raccoons are made in 1985; I was born in 1985
nya purr