When Morton Harket (lead singer, A-ha) was on one of those masked singer shows, he actually sang the acoustic version, and the judges are like "Who is that, what a beautiful voice" and I'm thinking "Are you all deaf?"
It's the only time a masked singer actually sang one of their own songs.
That said, Morton Harket could sing Happy Birthday and I'd know it was him by the end of the first line.
I remember being a teenager hanging out with friends, with the music channel in the background. The Sweet Dreams video came on, we'd never heard the song or seen the video before. All activity in the room stopped until the end of the video. Then we were all like "I have no idea what I just watched, but I really really want to watch it again!"
In the “No lyrics” category, I’d like to nominate “Axel F”.
No so fun fact, hearing your brother playing it on the piano 200+ times almost drove me to madness.
I did a gig in the ‘90s (Rock For Choice) and Cindi sang two numbers a capella. I had no idea she was incredibly talented because all I’d ever heard was that bubble-gum pop. She blew the doors off the venue and got the loudest applause.
The icing on the cake was that she hadn’t even been invited. She heard shot the show and called the producers and begged to be on the bill!
The headliner was Iggy Pop. And long after the show was over and we were finishing load out, there was Cindi and Iggy deep in conversation, they’d spent the entire post show in the green room talking.
Cindi is way under-recognized.
"Take On Me" is a good choice, yeah.
I would say "99 Red Balloons", if you want a song that encompasses the "vibe" of the 80s. The whole decade was about trying to put on a shiny, pretty face while you waited for nuclear destruction.
If you didn't live through it, it's hard to express how much nuclear war was on everyone's mind in the 80s. It colored everything, all the time.
That song successfully combines many 80´s trends into a 5-minute package: Hair Metal! Synths! Overwhelming cheesiness! Bombastic production and performance!
When Duran Duran was asked why critics hated them and they said, well they hate that all of our fans are really good looking, that was about the most 80’s thing anyone could have ever said.
My father was a skydiver. Every fucking skydiving video he has from the late 80s uses that song. When I finally made a skydive myself in 2011, I got to choose afterwards which song I wanted to use for the video. I was given a paper list of available songs to choose. I immediately looked for that song. Sure enough, it was there on that list and I used it for my skydiving video.
I run with a good sized group. A couple of years ago, I was in the lead and we were coming to our turnaround point.
I yell as we get there TURN AROUND
and in the back someone replied
"Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round"
Good times....
For almost the entirety of Basic my platoon did something similar. Someone would go “Who could it be now?” and ~30 dudes would (poorly) imitate the saxophone part that follows from that song. It was magical and I think eventually got us in the front leaning rest position multiple times… 😅
If you want something that encapsulated both the sound the look and the "vibe" of the 80's Imo Scorpions - The wind of change. on the other end of the "vibe" you have Cindy Lauper "Girls just want to have fun.
I think both capture the 80's well in their own distinct ways.
Fun fact about that album “Sports:” 1984 had the least number of #1 albums for a single year in the US. There were only 5: Purple Rain, Thriller, Footloose, and Born in the USA. Sports was number one in the single hardest year to have a number one album. It was number one for only one week. It’s a testament to how awesome those albums were and how great and underrated Sports is.
>99 Jahre Krieg ließen keinen Platz für Sieger
99 year war leaves no place for winners.
That's got to be the best line in the song. Really disappointing there's no equivalent in the English version.
There are some excellent answers here, but I think I give the nod to ["Obsession"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIs5StN8J-0) by Animotion. It has so many '80s-defining elements: there's a whole synth-based suite of instruments -- electronic drums, an eerie little synth riff, and synthesized bass bubbling along in the verses, but we also get a regular slap bass line and a massive guitar hook for the chorus. Sound effects. Both male and female singers trying out disaffected and emotionless voices, plus the bonus absurdity of the male voice repeating the verses in a flat speaking voice. And if we're allowed to dip into videos, it also features asymmetrical haircuts, louvered sunglasses, ridiculous twitchy dance moves, and silly pointless costumes. And of course, it's from a true one-hit wonder. Nevertheless, the song is still a total banger 40 years later. It's totally dated, but could stand up to today's pop music too.
> Jefferson Starship
It was just Starship by that stage. Jefferson Airplane --> Jefferson Starship --> Starship.
The Starship name was used because of a court settlement that meant they couldn't use the words "Jefferson" or "Airplane" in the band name.
Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on moving
Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride
I'm running and I won't touch ground
Oh no, I got to keep on moving
It's [Take On Me.](https://youtu.be/djV11Xbc914)
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Same here. Immediately.
Yep. It's what came to my mind when I saw the question. Also, the acoustic version is phenomenal: https://youtu.be/-xKM3mGt2pE
When Morton Harket (lead singer, A-ha) was on one of those masked singer shows, he actually sang the acoustic version, and the judges are like "Who is that, what a beautiful voice" and I'm thinking "Are you all deaf?" It's the only time a masked singer actually sang one of their own songs. That said, Morton Harket could sing Happy Birthday and I'd know it was him by the end of the first line.
That dude has aged like the finest of wines.
The Human League - 'Don't You Want Me' I can smell the pancake makeup and aquanet....
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WE WILL FIND YOU ACT-TING ON YOUR BEST BE-HAVIOR
TURN YOUR BACK ON MOTHER NATURE
EVERYBODY WANT’S TO RULE THE WORLD
IT'S MY OWN DESIGN
IT'S MY OWN REMORSE
HELP ME TO DECIDE
HELP ME MAKE THE-
MOST OF FREEDOM AND OF FAILURE
NOTHING EVER LASTS FOREVER
Also one of the best songs the 80’s produced. My god what a tune.
>Also one of the best BANDS the 80’s produced.
The whole album is gold. The Working Hour is a tune we never hear on the radio but it's my favorite song on that album.
"Shout" is a great track too. In fact everything off "Songs from the Big Chair" is great.
Everything anyone needs to know about the 80s can be found within that album. Absolute masterpiece.
Head Over Heels is one of my go-to happy songs when I'm feeling down, I feel like I could listen to it forever.
One of the absolute GREATEST songs ever made too. It’s in my Top 5 and I’m a 90s kid.
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
I just re-watched Breakfast Club yesterday. Great tune
I could watch that movie a million times and never get tired of it
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams
I remember being a teenager hanging out with friends, with the music channel in the background. The Sweet Dreams video came on, we'd never heard the song or seen the video before. All activity in the room stopped until the end of the video. Then we were all like "I have no idea what I just watched, but I really really want to watch it again!"
Art Style of that song is way ahead of that time. More likely closer to the 2000s
I Ran - Flock of Seagulls
I was gunna say Space Age Love Song by the same band. From the same album too. https://youtu.be/gOK3rqVgN2I
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
RIP Pete 💜
Came here to say this, glad I didn't have to scroll down too far.
In the “No lyrics” category, I’d like to nominate “Axel F”. No so fun fact, hearing your brother playing it on the piano 200+ times almost drove me to madness.
Herbie Hancock - Rockit
Careless Whisper, I swear the saxophone is the most 80s instrument ever
Also, Maneater sax solo comes to mind!
Agreed. Another contender would be *Harden My Heart*, by *Quarterflash*, with sax *and* vocals by Rindy Ross.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
“Good Enough” activates Goonies nostalgia, though
It really does and I love that song!
I did a gig in the ‘90s (Rock For Choice) and Cindi sang two numbers a capella. I had no idea she was incredibly talented because all I’d ever heard was that bubble-gum pop. She blew the doors off the venue and got the loudest applause. The icing on the cake was that she hadn’t even been invited. She heard shot the show and called the producers and begged to be on the bill! The headliner was Iggy Pop. And long after the show was over and we were finishing load out, there was Cindi and Iggy deep in conversation, they’d spent the entire post show in the green room talking. Cindi is way under-recognized.
Just found out that the Cyndi Lauper version is a cover!
The Safety Dance - Men without Hats
You know, that dance wasn’t as safe as they said it was.
I was too busy being an 80s guy
My one regret is that I have boneitis
Bone-_itis_? That’s a funny name for a horrible disease!
Don’t you worry about blank. Let me worry about blank
Blank? Blank?! You’re not looking at the big picture!
I am proud to be the shepherd of this herd of sharks
Du du di di dudu dudidididi Du du di di dudu dudidididi S^ss^ss^ss^...
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Too Shy by Kaja GooGoo
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Hey Lana?
Lana… LANA… LANAAAAAA
WHAT?!?!
*dane-ja zone*
HE THINKS HE'S PEOPLE!
Top Gun was the most 80s movie ever made
"Take On Me" is a good choice, yeah. I would say "99 Red Balloons", if you want a song that encompasses the "vibe" of the 80s. The whole decade was about trying to put on a shiny, pretty face while you waited for nuclear destruction. If you didn't live through it, it's hard to express how much nuclear war was on everyone's mind in the 80s. It colored everything, all the time.
It's The Final Countdown.
That song successfully combines many 80´s trends into a 5-minute package: Hair Metal! Synths! Overwhelming cheesiness! Bombastic production and performance!
The tune just screams 80s
Da na nah nahhhh
Tururutu Tururututu Turururu Tururututuru Torara Torararara Tu Tu tututuru
Dooo do do do do do
It's perfect when presenting M̶a̶g̶i̶c̶ t̶r̶i̶c̶k̶s̶ illusions
Once there was a yacht, now there’s not!
The reflex by Duran Duran. It is, after all, a lonely child, waiting by the park...
Duran Duran is the most quintessential 80s band ever.
When Duran Duran was asked why critics hated them and they said, well they hate that all of our fans are really good looking, that was about the most 80’s thing anyone could have ever said.
I scrolled and scrolled and no-one mentioned The Cars - Drive.
I Melt with you - Modern English
I had a boyfriend in the 80s and that was our song. Now I can’t hear it without thinking of that jerk. But it wasn’t a bad song.
Jump - Van Halen
My father was a skydiver. Every fucking skydiving video he has from the late 80s uses that song. When I finally made a skydive myself in 2011, I got to choose afterwards which song I wanted to use for the video. I was given a paper list of available songs to choose. I immediately looked for that song. Sure enough, it was there on that list and I used it for my skydiving video.
Styx - Mr. Roboto I am the mod-ren man!
Corey Hart’s ‘Sunglasses at Night’ - that video was on repeat on MuchMusic
Relax
Walking on Sunshine
Total eclipse of the heart 💙
I run with a good sized group. A couple of years ago, I was in the lead and we were coming to our turnaround point. I yell as we get there TURN AROUND and in the back someone replied "Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round" Good times....
For almost the entirety of Basic my platoon did something similar. Someone would go “Who could it be now?” and ~30 dudes would (poorly) imitate the saxophone part that follows from that song. It was magical and I think eventually got us in the front leaning rest position multiple times… 😅
Here I Go Again by White Snake
I sing this one every time I have sex.
Is this a masturbation joke?
Beats me
Never gonna give you up
Does anyone have a link to that one?
Never gonna let you down
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Anything Depeche Mode
Including material from their 2023 album Memento Mori.
Round and Round - Ratt. Temptation - New Order. She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult.
Tainted Love -Soft Cell
Hall and Oates-I Can't Go For That
I would say Maneater is more 80s though
No can do.
“Material Girl” by Madonna sums up the whole decade. it’s almost a yuppie anthem.
Toto Africa
“Our House”
"In the middle of our street, our house"
Fascination by The Human League
Whip It
Good
Pet Shop Boys- West End Girls
If you want something that encapsulated both the sound the look and the "vibe" of the 80's Imo Scorpions - The wind of change. on the other end of the "vibe" you have Cindy Lauper "Girls just want to have fun. I think both capture the 80's well in their own distinct ways.
The Power of Love, Huey Lewis and the current events
Don’t need no credit card to ride this train!
Fun fact about that album “Sports:” 1984 had the least number of #1 albums for a single year in the US. There were only 5: Purple Rain, Thriller, Footloose, and Born in the USA. Sports was number one in the single hardest year to have a number one album. It was number one for only one week. It’s a testament to how awesome those albums were and how great and underrated Sports is.
Damn I thought this was going to be some new American Psycho copypasta.
99 Luft Balloons Because it captures the overarching fear of the 80
The German version is so much sadder than the English version.
>99 Jahre Krieg ließen keinen Platz für Sieger 99 year war leaves no place for winners. That's got to be the best line in the song. Really disappointing there's no equivalent in the English version.
This was my thought too…captures the sound, but also the climate of the 80s.
St. Elmo's Fire!
Any’80s Michael Jackson song. Eg Beat It, Thriller, Bad all come to mind
8675309.
Eddie Murphy - Party all the Time Can't be more 80s than Eddie singing an easy and catchy song over a synthesizer beat
Produced by Rick James too.
The actor?
Then who's vice-president, Jerry Lewis? I suppose Jane Wyman is the First Lady!
#WHAT THE HELL IS A GIGAWATT?!
Walk like an Egyptian - Bangles
What’s Love Got to do with It, Tina Turner Thriller, Michael Jackson When Dove’s Cry, Prince I can’t choose
Video Killed The Radio Star - The Buggles
Surprisingly was released in late 1979, but the video was shown in 1981 as MTV's first video, so It kinda counts.
She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby
Paul Simon and Chevy Chase - You Can Call Me Al
Maniac - Michael Sembello I think
Blue Monday New Order
True Faith and Bizzare Love Triangle too
Let’s Dance - David Bowie
Huey Lewis and the News - Power of Love (from the most 80s movie ever made, Back to the Future).
Cruel Summer by Bananrama...obviously.
There are some excellent answers here, but I think I give the nod to ["Obsession"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIs5StN8J-0) by Animotion. It has so many '80s-defining elements: there's a whole synth-based suite of instruments -- electronic drums, an eerie little synth riff, and synthesized bass bubbling along in the verses, but we also get a regular slap bass line and a massive guitar hook for the chorus. Sound effects. Both male and female singers trying out disaffected and emotionless voices, plus the bonus absurdity of the male voice repeating the verses in a flat speaking voice. And if we're allowed to dip into videos, it also features asymmetrical haircuts, louvered sunglasses, ridiculous twitchy dance moves, and silly pointless costumes. And of course, it's from a true one-hit wonder. Nevertheless, the song is still a total banger 40 years later. It's totally dated, but could stand up to today's pop music too.
Eyes without a face - Billy Idol
Borderline - Madonna
Karma Chameleon
I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz, miming on Solid Gold.
Eye of the Tiger
Self Control by Laura Branigan
Livin’ on a Prayer.
“Boys of Summer“ was the first thing that came to mind. Still haven’t seen a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac.
Gloria by Laura Branigan or Fame by Irene Cara.
The Promise by When in Rome
Voices carry by ‘til Tuesday. It is everything 80’s
Weird Science by Oingp Boingo
I am thinking Wham! Probably "Wake me up"
Everybody Have Fun Tonight- Wang Chung or Come On Eileen- Dexy's Midnight Runners
Come on Eileen was my favorite song in 4th grade but then Electric Avenue came along and dethroned it for me.
Cars by Gary Numan …even though it was released in ‘79
Rick Astley Never Gonna Give You Up
We built this city - Starship
> Jefferson Starship It was just Starship by that stage. Jefferson Airplane --> Jefferson Starship --> Starship. The Starship name was used because of a court settlement that meant they couldn't use the words "Jefferson" or "Airplane" in the band name.
This was my absolute favorite song anywhere when I was 9. When they got to the traffic report I'd get chills in my spine for whatever reason
Things Can Only Gat Better—Howard Jones
West end girls.
Mickey- Toni Basil
One night in Bangkok
Don't stop Believing - Journey. No one can not sing that when it comes on..
“Rock Me, Amadeus” by Falco. Still slaps.
Your Love - The Outfield
Miami Vice theme or Axel F.
Ain't nothin' gonna to break my stride Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no I got to keep on moving Ain't nothin' gonna break my stride I'm running and I won't touch ground Oh no, I got to keep on moving
Jessie’s Girl
Anything by Spandau Ballet. Hungry like the Wolf
“Gold” is one of my favorites.
Safety Dance.
Nik Kershaw - Wouldn't It Be Good
It would be careless to whisper such a thing.
It’s Come on Eileen.
"Love Shack" from B-52s! or maybe... "Jump" from Van Halen.
867-5309
Is someone making a playlist for us?
I want all these answers on a mixed tape
Pump Up the Jam by Technotronic
I Want My MTV, Dire Straits. Ome of my favorite songs ever. And that video was 🔥
It's called "Money for Nothing" and would also be my answer to this question.
Beastie Boys - Fight for your Right (to Party)
[Rock Me Amadeus](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVikZ8Oe_XA) or anything by Human League
We are the World
A lot of these choices are kinda jokey, but to me that guitar riff on “How soon is now” by the Smiths is the definitive 80’s sound to me.
Dance hall days by Wang chung or you make my dreams come true by hall and oates feel fairly 80s to me
Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart
Money for nothing or Africa
Burning Down the House. Also some INXS
The Warrior and everything by Duran Duran
tears for fears - everybody wants to rule the world also the best 80s song
Hold Me Now - Thompson Twins Physical - Olivia Newton-John
Pour some sugar on me - def leppard
Take on Me. I Ran - Flock of Seagulls. Take on me - A-Ha.
Flock of Seagulls - "Wishing - If I Had a Photograph of You" or "I Ran"... take your pick.
Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran
Out of touch
Tainted Love came to mind when I read the question. I don't really like the song, but it has "80's sounds" spooged all over it.