The 1980s saw a shift in pop culture, leaving a legacy that lasts to this day. The world was changing, and entertainment followed suit. New technology launched. Blockbuster films dominated theaters (1980s were famous needle drops). Growing globalization allowed for greater cross-cultural collaboration like never before. At the forefront of these changes was music.

The launch of MTV provided visual components alongside conventional audio. The Walkman catered to individual interests and saw single tracks become more popular than entire albums. Genres formed through experimentation, resulting in synth-pop “New wave” sounds. As a result, major players in the industry continued to top the charts (Journey, Michael Jackson) while new acts were brought to the spotlight (Madonna, Whitney Houston). Regardless of their status, these artists produced beloved songs that defined the 1980s.

10

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (1985)

Tears for Fears

This New wave track offers an intriguing juxtaposition between sound and meaning. Like many songs from the 1980s, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” includes deeper themes hiding behind mainstream music. The British band understood what listeners wanted to hear in both sound and meaning as it took over charts in the UK and beyond.

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is an ode to a decade of financial success, man’s ambition over nature, and the role of the individual in a tumultuous world. As it turns out, these lyrics resonate across generations as it has been covered countless times over the years. Most notably, singer Lorde crafted a slowed-down, darker version for the 2013 soundtrack of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.

9

“Faith” (1987)

George Michael

George Michael’s “Faith” served as the singer’s second single from his debut album. The 1987 hit performed well internationally, topping the charts in Canada and various European countries. This can be attributed to a music video that featured Michael playing the guitar beside a jukebox. He presented himself as a true rockstar.

“Faith” is a song about love. Or rather, waiting for the right love. It’s not enough to be in a relationship with someone who isn’t “the one.” So for now, Michael suggests in the song, he will remain distantly engaged (“I need someone to hold me. But I’ll wait for something more”). Its versatility and relatable themes lend well to needle drops for movies including Ready Player One and House of Gucci.

8

“Purple Rain” (1984)

Prince

“Purple Rain” invokes a feeling akin to spiritual awakening as it relates to the listener; the lyrics are rather simple and open to interpretation. As Prince explains, “[It] pertains to the end of the world and being with the one you love and letting faith/god guide you through purple rain.” “Purple Rain” is closely associated with live performances, including its original release and now-iconic 2007 Super Bowl Half-Time show.

From his emergence on the music scene during the late 1970s through the 1980s, the pop/rock singer left an impact that transcended his time. It can pertain to anything from love and loss, the end of the world, or even just an homage to his favorite color. Whether about the song, album, or film of the same name, “Purple Rain” left an eternal influence on pop culture and music.

7

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” (1987)

Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston’s name is associated with many things. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” seemed to embody many of these facets in one cohesive, award-winning track. Decades later, it became the title of her biopic, which covered all aspects of the late singer’s life, filled with fame, fortune, and tragedy.

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” is meant to be heard at the club or on the radio; something to sing and dance to. It’s mainstream yet emotional. Initially, the song struggled on the charts in comparison to her other hit track at the time (“How Will I Know”). But its success surpassed the former and became a staple in Houston’s impressive discography.

6

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” (1985)

Simple Minds

There are very few songs that evoke a generation to a single memory. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” is one of them. Simple Minds created the single specifically for The Breakfast Club, and the rest is history. It not only reached young audiences in America but around the world, topping charts in the UK and beyond.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” will forever be associated with The Breakfast Club. The group of misfits walk away from their school after one fateful Saturday afternoon in detention. A closing shot of John Bender’s (Judd Nelson) fist raised in the air. While these characters might go their separate ways after that fateful day in detention, their impact on one another is long-lasting in the classic coming-of-age film. In a sense, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” encapsulates what it meant to be a teenager in the 1980s.

5

“Take On Me” (1984)

a-ha

“Take On Me” is a quintessential ‘80s track. It flawlessly infuses synth-pop and new wave sounds from the era. The Norwegian band, a-ha, achieved international success with their single about love. But together, they work to tell a compelling narrative of taking risks and, as the video further implies, leaping into a new world.

The success of “Take On Me” can, in part, be attributed to a music video that blended animation with live action, a concept that audiences were not accustomed to. As with many songs from this decade, visual components served as a support for the music itself. The band gained recognition at the 1986 MTV Music Video Awards, but ultimately became regarded as a one-hit-wonder in later years.

4

“We Didn’t Start the Fire” (1989)

Billy Joel

How does one confront forty years of history in under five minutes? Billy Joel attempted to do just that in this now-iconic 1989 song. “We Didn’t Start the Fire” relies on its poetic lyrics over a consistent backdrop. Whether you’ve memorized the lyrics or can recite the repeating chorus, Joel’s song serves as a time capsule and ode to a generation.

As the story goes, fellow musician Sean Lennon discussed his fear of the world with Joel, who responded with a list of reasons of how it’s always been that way. The rest is (literally) history. The song saw a resurgence when Fall Out Boy released a continuation of the song, recapping the years between 1989 and 2023. Which begs the question: who did start the fire?

3

“Like a Virgin” (1984)

Madonna

Madonna shocked the nation with raunchy lyrics regarding sex and femininity. While other songs in her discography presented these themes subtly (“Like a Prayer“), she did not hold back in her 1984 single, “Like a Virgin.” In the song, Madonna portrays herself as a free and sexual woman taking control over her body and who she chooses to share it with.

At the time, the United States viewed sex via the lens of the HIV/Aids crisis and anti-abortion laws (making Madonna’s pop hit even more controversial). Going along with the changes occurring in the 1980s, “Like a Virgin” resonated particularly with younger women coming of age in a decade where they challenged the normativity of a conservative nation. The “Queen of Pop” was truly ahead of her time.

2

“Don’t Stop Believin’” (1981)

Journey

Journey’s chart-topping song, “Don’t Stop Believin’” takes us on a “midnight train going anywhere.” It’s a stereotypical plot of a small-town girl who meets a boy from a bustling city. Each dreams of the others’ lives and what it might be like. But ultimately, they meet in the middle, and the story goes on from there. After seven studio albums, Journey managed to hook fans in again.

Released in 1981, “Don’t Stop Believin’” ushered in a new decade of sound, storytelling, and fanfare. The song remains a fixture in pop culture, heard in the infamous finale of The Sopranos and iconic Glee cover. In particular, these shows don’t just incorporate the song as needle drops; they are infused into the script. “Don’t Stop Believin” remains, to this day, a fixture of cross-generational culture. And it makes for a great karaoke song choice.

1

“Thriller” (1983)

Michael Jackson

It’s a movie. A song. A clever encapsulation of 80s culture in all its glory. More than that, “Thriller” is a reminder of why Michael Jackson has been deemed the “King of Pop.” The single was featured on Jackson’s sixth studio album of the same name. “Thriller” was “the sound of a new pop renaissance,” Time Magazine wrote after the music video was added to the Library of Congress in 2009.

“Thriller” paints visions of a horror film with words (“Evil lurking in the night,” “Darkness falls across the land”). It’s captivating, referring to the best horror movies of the 1980s, which featured slashers, monsters, and gore. This, in addition to being a standout music video in an era where MTV was in its infancy, elevated the song’s significance in pop culture. It was a decade of experimentation as to what audiences wanted to see in the 1980s and beyond.

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