Quarterflash (#32 "Harden My Heart") also charted with "Take Me to Heart" and "Find Another Fool".
And Twisted Sister (#21 "We're Not Gonna Take It") had another very famous charter with "I Wanna Rock".
Oh well, at least the show got us thinking about 80s music and the songs that best defined the decade. So step back now to the time of Pac-Man, Pee-Wee Herman and parachute pants. Of rubber bracelets, Rubik’s cube, and Reaganomics. The 80s gave us the Walkman, Dynasty and Air Jordans. (Of course we also got New Coke, Full House and those damn "Baby on Board" signs.) But what we mostly remember is the music. These songs weren’t necessarily the decade’s best, but they linger in our minds as the soundtrack from the era of legwarmers, really skinny ties, and really, really big hair.
"Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar – 1980
Classic 70's hard rock carried into the 80s with this, Benatar's breakout hit. Powered by ballsy lyrics and vocals, and a crunching guitar riff courtesy of the vastly underrated Neil Geraldo, this single from the Crimes of Passion album reached #1 on the rock charts and was Benatar's first Top 10 hit in the US.
“Tainted Love” – Soft Cell – 1981
An unlikely hit built on the hypnotic fusion of synthesizer-generated tinkles and pulsing beats blended with the chorus from the Supremes “Where Did Our Love Go”. The record’s international success paved the way for a slew of contemporary synth-pop artists like Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins, Eurythmics, and Howard Jones. And "Tainted Love's" electronic sound also spurred the development of entirely new genres of music, including house, techno and electronica, and influenced the work of future artists like Paul Oakenfold and Moby.
“We Got the Beat” – The Go-Go’s – 1982
When you think of signature 80s groups, the Go-Go’s come immediately to mind. Still the most successful all-girl band in music history, the quintet from Los Angeles reached #2 on the charts with this, the second single from their debut album, Beauty and the Beat. The song’s new wave party vibe and bouncy arrangement retained the irreverence of a fading punk movement and at the same time, commanded you to get up and dance. The intro in particular—Gina Schock’s staccato drumming quickly joined by guitars and heavy bass—remains instantly recognizable. The fact that the song was used for the opening credits of the seminal 80’s movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High has helped the it endure as one of the decade’s most memorable.
“Billie Jean” and ”Beat It” – Michael Jackson – 1983
Back in the early 80’s, before the excessive cosmetic surgeries, before the allegations of child molestation, and the babies dangled off of balconies, it was actually non-controversial to like Michael Jackson. Though neither was the first single off the mega-album Thriller (“The Girl is Mine”, with Paul McCartney, was released in October of ‘82), “Billie Jean” and “Beat It” hit the charts within weeks of each other and kicked off the Michael Jackson phenomenon that lasted well into 1984. These two records’ monumental success (a combined 10 weeks at #1) was due in part to MTV, which played the music videos almost non-stop. “Billie Jean’s” infectiously cool groove fit perfectly with Jackson’s pleading vocal, while “Beat It”, with its ferocious Eddie Van Halen guitar licks showed that the future King of Pop also had a heavy metal edge. Both songs were nominated for Record of the Year at the ‘84 Grammy Awards, but “Beat It” took the honor.
"True” – Spandau Ballet – 1983
Two things made this jazzy, lounge-flavored ballad a pop hit: lead singer Tony Hadley’s rich, ultra-smooth voice and the breathy and extremely catchy “Ha-ha-ha-haaaa-ha” chorus. By embracing the music video format earlier than their American counterparts, a number of English bands gained popularity via heavy exposure on MTV. This led to a second British invasion headed by groups like Duran Duran, Human League, and Culture Club. Spandau Ballet was perhaps the most stylish of these acts. “True” shunned traditional British pop in favor of a more sophisticated R&B sound. Featuring Hadley’s lush vocals set amongst mellow saxophone and piano arrangements, “True” broke Spandau Ballet big in the US and was the sexy track that set the mood for romantic nights and last dances at high school proms. The cut has since been sampled on hits by both PM Dawn (“Set Adrift on Memory Bliss”) and Nelly (“N Dey Say”).
“Every Breath You Take” – The Police – 1983
In a decade dominated by synthesizers, drum machines, and dance beats, The Police scored the song of the decade and established themselves as the number one rock band in the world with this haunting number about obsessive love. Unique in its simplicity, both lyrically and in its stripped down arrangement (just drums, bass, and a little guitar during the bridge) most still ignore the sinister undertones of the song’s lyrics and simply appreciate it for its understated brilliance and Sting’s mournful, seductive croon.
“Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper – 1983
Not even Bobby McFerrin’s “Don’t Worry Be Happy” captured the care-free frivolousness and optimistic spirit of the decade more exuberantly than Cyndi Lauper’s debut smash. Appearing on the pop scene from humble beginnings as the frontwoman for the New York-based rock group Blue Angel, Lauper successfully modified her image and used this record (which most don't know is actually a cover of a Robert Hazard song) to reinvent herself as a zany, cartoonish, solo artist with a “don’t-take-me-or-anything-else-too-seriously” attitude. Peaking at #2 in March of '84, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” served as the party anthem of the year, a call for female self-expression, and even inspired a 1985 movie of the same name.
“Do They Know It’s Christmas?” – Band Aid – 1984
USA for Africa’s charity single “We Are the World” got more hype and awards, but the Bob Geldof-led Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” came first and had more sincerity and earnestness than the American record. After watching a BBC documentary on famine in Ethiopia, Geldof organized the most popular British artists of the time (including Sting, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Phil Collins, U2, George Michael, Culture Club, and Bananarama) into a supergroup, then cut and mixed the track in one night. The record became the best-selling single in UK history, raising millions for famine relief and inspiring Geldof to organize the Live Aid shows, the biggest rock concert of all time. Just as important, “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” instilled a sense of social consciousness in musicians, celebrities and the public that survive to this day. Other charity singles and fund-raising concerts (Artists Against Apartheid’s “Sun City”, Farm Aid) soon followed, helping to give a new moral purpose to a decade remembered more for its selfish, indulgent attitudes.
“Walk This Way” – Run-DMC (with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith) – 1986
One of the breakthrough records in music history in that it was the first rap song (not counting Blondie’s experiment with the genre on “Rapture”) to enjoy crossover success. Run-DMC had foreshadowed “Walk This Way’s” rock/rap fusion with their singles "Rock Box" and “King of Rock”, built around the blistering guitar work of Eddie Martinez. But the group’s cover of “Walk This Way” (which had originally charted some ten years earlier) had more mainstream appeal due to the participation of Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The pairing not only helped jump-start the careers of the fading 70’s rockers, it broadened the group’s fan base. In the larger scheme of things, rap, which had been an exclusively black music genre to that point, suddenly found an audience with suburban white kids, who quickly began discovering and supporting other rap artists. As the first successful rock/hip-hop collaboration, “Walk This Way” legitimized rap and all that it encompassed, setting the stage for countless others. The success of “Walk This Way” also made Run-DMC the first rap act to get airplay on MTV, further helping to erase prejudices towards that genre's top artists.
“Pour Some Sugar on Me” – Def Leppard – 1987
Four years had passed since Def Leppard’s 1983 success, Pyromania, and by 1987, with an abundance of "hair bands" dominating the (pop) metal scene, many wondered if the group could equal its earlier success. Def Lep surprised everyone with the comeback album Hysteria, which featured a slicker, more radio-friendly sound. Though some no doubt believed the band sold out, “Pour Some Sugar On Me” (one of six top 20 singles off Hysteria) was one of the decade’s most rousing and head-banging hits, blending traditional heavy metal elements like fierce guitars and bombastic drums, with a more melodic vocal delivery from lead singer Joe Elliot.
Honorable mentions:
“Money For Nothing” – Dire Straits
The "I want my MTV" chorus and accompanying video's groundbreaking use of computer animation contributed to the success of this biting satire on the plethora of disposable music the 80s produced.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” – Tears for Fears
Featured in seemingly every movie between 1985 and 1987.
“Walk Like an Egyptian” – The Bangles
Come on, you know you did it at least once!
“Don’t You Forget About Me” – Simple Minds
Theme song from The Breakfast Club and enduring anthem of teenage angst.
"Hungry Like the Wolf" - Duran Duran
"Doot-doot-doo-doot-doot-doo-doot-doot-doo-doot-doot-doo-doot-doot-doo!"
“Jump” – Van Halen
Eddie Van Halen trades in his guitar for a synthesizer.
“Careless Whisper” – George Michael/Wham!
Unequivocally, the smoothest, jazziest, sexiest "set the mood" song of the decade.
“Relax” – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie say this was perhaps the decade’s most memorable one-hit wonder.
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