My Top Ten Totally Rad Songs of the 80’s
I already did a list on why the 80’s were awesome, but I feel the music really conveys the attitude of that era best…’nuff said.
1.) Journey-Don’t Stop Believing– This is the ultimate in cheesy up-beat 80’s music. Journey gets a bad wrap for being kind of gay, but don’t tell me you can listen to this song without belting out the chorus…especially in the car when you’re by yourself; it’s just not possible.
2.) Whitesnake-Here I Go Again– This is another up-beat song, but more on the “glamorous” side of rock bad-assery. It made me feel like a total bad boy at, well…I guess 2(?) when it came out.
3.) A-Ha –Take On Me– This classic is MTV gold. Not only a great song, but the video was awesome with its 80’s flash drawing animation. Family Guy did a spoof on the video with Chris. I don’t know which was better but either way…the song is like totally gnarly.
4.) Wham!- Wake Me Up (Before You Go-Go)– This song, to me, is the epitome of 80’s culture with its cheesy music, cheesy lyrics and a cheesy band/group. It doesn’t help that all I can picture when I hear the song now is Zoolander and a hilarious gasoline fight. I feel warm and fuzzy when I hear the bouncy, pop piano/guitar riff at the beginning.
5.) Night Ranger- Sister Christian– No list of 80’s music is complete without a power ballad…it’s a list staple. This entry came down to either Night Ranger or Poison’s Every Rose has Its Thorn; and to be honest I think the latter is a little overrated. Anyhow, for whatever reason Sister Christian just gets me “motoring”! (Lame joke, look up the lyrics if you don’t know.)
6.) Twisted Sister- We’re Not Gonna Take It– This was also another tough choice that came down to the heavily mascara-ed madman and Beastie Boys Fight for Your Right. Like the previous entry, no list is complete without a party anthem. Again, there was competition but Twisted Sister won the “fight” (ha-ha, I crack me up) because of their total and complete embodiment of the era.
7.) Dead or Alive- You Spin Me Round– This is my first ‘New Wave’ entry of the list and boy is it catchy; like stuck in your head and want to put a gun in your mouth catchy. (Side note- Have you seen this singer lately? Wow.)
8.) Flock of Seagulls- I Ran (So Far Away)– This is a bit deeper into the ‘New Wave’ theme. These guys were ridiculous with their strangely coifed hair…like seagulls actually nested in that mess, strange. Anyway, like the first entry, I dare you to put this song on in the car and not sing at least the chorus.
9.) Devo- Whip It– With my final ‘New Wave’ entry, I shall jump in balls deep with the heavily synthesized keyboard guitar and Lego looking awesomeness of these individuals and their one-hit-wonder band. Good song that spawned an annoying generation of boys who would say “whip it, whip it good” anytime a cute girl would say something even mildly sexual. It was the 80’s version of, “that’s what she said”.
10.) New Kids on the Block- You Got the Right Stuff– Ok, final entry and no I’m not ashamed to admit I rocked out to these carefully crafted “bad boys” of pop rock/rap. Oh yeah, I hung tough with NKOTB before N’Sync were even a glimmer in their respective dad’s eyes. They were the first and last boy band I ever listened to…except for that one Summer Girls song by LFO; that was the shit! New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits, Chinese food makes me sick and I think its fly when girls stop by for the summer, for the summer…
Um…I mean I like trucks and guns and country music…yeah.
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graysonjack
angry rant 
Hello from Greece. As a pure 80s teenager now in my 40s, I was looking for pictures from the 80s and that’s how I found your article. The truth is that the 80s are really awesome with a lot lot of great artists and songs (the opposite of today) and for this reason it is really difficult to decide BUT I can’t understand why I don’t see Michael Jackson and Duran Duran in this list. Michael Jackson is the best artist EVER and Duran Duran is the most successfull band of the 80s worldwide. Are NEW kids on the block more important than MJ or DD? I don’t think so. And then I didn’t even know your choice Number 9 or Number 5. I guess the choice is rather subjective. Just saying. Sorry if my intervention is disturbing, I don’t even know if this is a personal blog or something more Professional but I was really surprised and I wanted to say my opinion.
Hello Melana from Greece! I appreciate the comment and I can definitely understand why you weren’t too happy with my list. I’ll try and explain why I chose the way I did.
First, the 80’s (for me in American) was much more than simply a decade; it was a look, a feeling, a state of mind if you will. Michael Jackson and Duran Duran were GREAT artists and I love their music; but they didn’t “embody” the 80’s. They made good music that transcended the era and is still good 30 years later. The artists I chose for my list aren’t there because they were great; they’re there because the only time period they could even exist was in the 80’s.
Number 9 (one you didn’t know) is Devo. Here in America, they’re classic 80’s with a look that EVERYONE recognizes as befitting of the decade.
The list was supposed to be a sort of funny look at what made the 80’s so unique. Trust me, if I were to make a list of legitimately good music, NONE of those bands would be on there.
So I urge you, Melana from Greece, youtube some of those songs you don’t know and relive the 80’s from a more goofy perspective!
Thank you for commenting and have a great day!
Hi, Graysonjack! I see your point and I appreciate your answer. I liked the “they’re there because the only time period they could even exist was in the 80’s”. As for number 9, this made me think that it gave me the chance to explore what people “lived” on the other side of the globe. We have equivalent number 9 so, yes, you have a point there. By the way, if you are interested/curious, search in youtube for “Lost in the night- Kostas” and you will be surprised. It’s a Greek singing in English (he wrote and sang), the song is really great, the man was proposed an International career but he preferred to stay here for his family and we say for this case “they’re there because the only time period they could even exist was in the 80’s”, as you said.
I hope it’s ok for guests to your blog to rant too. If not you can just skip this.
I’ve always wanted to get this off my chest, and now I’ve found the place to do it. I was a huge Journey fan. To give you an idea of the depth of my fanaticism, I used to make my friends count with me the “Na na na nana’s” in Lovin’ Touchin’ Squeezin’.
But after their albums Infinity and Evolution, when Greg Rolie left, they sucked. Steve Perry cut his hair and sold out and the other guys let him. Of course they made millions but it still pisses me off.
Thanks. After all these years of keeping it in, this has been cathartic 😉
You are MORE than welcome to rant here anytime you want. Rant in the comments or rant on the ‘Your Rant’ page…it’s all good. I love to hear what everyone is pissed about. As for what you’re ranting about…do I sense a bit of snark-ism in those words? Hmm… Haha anyway I do agree with what you say. Though I was never a massive fan of Journey, a couple of their songs just really remind me of my childhood. I hate when artists change who they are to “stay with the times”. The way you feel about Journey, I feel about Metallica now…disgusting. Anyway, thanks for the comment and you will see me a lot more on your page. I like a little snark in a woman.
Interesting comment about Metallica. I like a lot of their music but I’m not sure what’s old or new. I’ll have to check it out.
I hope you don’t regret the invitation to rant. I’ve been trying not to do that on my blog, so I may just come here and let the “snark” out.
You are also welcome to rant on my blog anytime. (I hope I don’t regret that 😉 )
Great List! You should do one of the 90s as well.
I would love to do one but I am afraid that it would consist largely of boybands- ugh! I am still embarrassed about how much I loved boybands back in the day.
Haha, that's sad…but I definitely get caught up in at least NKOTB.Did you grow up in India?Is American music that popular over there?I've kind of gotten back to my roots; I'm from Texas so all I listen to is country music but not the popular stuff on the radio.It's called Texas country or Red Dirt Country.What's popular in India?
I have lived all my life in India! I am hoping to change that now. 😀
Rock is pretty popular in India and so is heavy metal. I am not too clued in to new music since I am really old school when it comes to music. I prefer music created a couple of decades back.
For the record, that DOES NOT include boybands! Lol!
Hahaha! “You Spin Me Round” is IMPOSSIBLE to get outta my head, once it’s gotten in. In a good way, I mean.
I’d have to add “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds. I adored the Brat Pack way back when and that song always make me think of Judd Nelson in the greatest role of his career – John f*ckin’ Bender!
-N.
It's funny you mention that song by Simple Minds because I was just talking to someone at work and they asked me the same question!Haha, it is a great song from a great movie, I don't know why I didn't even think of it at all.
No Def Leppard?
You know…I thought about it (I mean any band with a one-armed drummer is pretty bad-ass) but I just couldn't justify taking one of my others off the list.
I hate being critical of great talent, but The New Kids easily could be bumped by Def Leppard. Great list!
While I agree that Def Leppard is by far more talented than NKOTB and played better music, there was just something about the time frame for me that I enjoyed New Kids more.Perhaps an honorary mention?