Club Hits: Dance music from Western artists that energized the dance floors in the 1980s
80s music is back in the spotlight amid the current revival boom.
The 1980s were a whirlwind of genres, but I can confidently say that dance music best represents the decade’s character.
This time, we’ve selected Western hits from the 80s that lit up disco dance floors.
Unlike today, rock was also popular as a form of dance music back then, and there are plenty of tracks that crank up the voltage.
If you want to boost your mood with nostalgic tunes, please enjoy to the very end.
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of 80s Disco
- [1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80's Best Hit Songs
- [Back to the '90s!] Dance Music from Western Hits of the 1990s
- Get in the Groove with Classic Albums: The World's Eurobeat – Recommended Popular Tracks
- Classic club music: recommended masterpieces and popular tracks.
- Still Shining! Recommended Female Singers of 1980s Western Music
- 1980s: Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Classic and Hit Songs
- Revival among the youth? Japanese dance music that was a hit in the 1980s. Showa-era dance tracks.
- Dance music in Japanese (J-pop) that people in their 50s used to listen to. Nostalgic classic hits.
- Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
- 80s Western pop hits featured in commercials. A roundup of nostalgic CM songs.
- [Western Music] Classic disco tracks that were hits in the ’90s
- Debut songs by female Western artists from the 1980s
[Club Hits] Western Dance Music That Lit Up the Floor in the 1980s (21–30)
GloriaLaura Branigan
This is a song used in the Academy Award–winning film Flashdance.
Although it isn’t featured for very long in the movie, it became a huge hit and reached as high as No.
2 in the United States.
It’s a cover of an Italian pop song.
Blue MondayNew Order
A bridge between techno and rock, they are a world-famous dance act that the UK is proud of.
They enjoy immense popularity not only among dance music fans, but also among listeners who love indie rock and alternative rock.
This is their smash hit released in 1983, a signature track that can be considered their masterpiece.
In 1988, a remix version by Quincy Jones was also released, so be sure to give that a listen as well.
[Club Hits] Western Dance Music That Rocked the Floor in the 1980s (31–40)
I Can Dream About YouDan Hartman
An attractive musician who mainly creates R&B-style songs.
This track became a hit, reaching No.
6 in the United States, and their other hit songs have all topped the Dance Club Songs chart.
It was used in the film Streets of Fire.
Electric YouthDebbie Gibson
Debbie Gibson is an American musical theater actress known worldwide.
She has also been hugely successful as a singer, producing many hit songs.
Among her works, the standout track I especially recommend is Electric Youth.
Centered on dance-pop and pop rock that evoke the atmosphere of the 1980s, it’s crafted with an exceptionally high level of energy.
If you want to feel the era while getting pumped up, be sure to check it out.
You Spin Me RoundDead Or Alive
Dead or Alive, the British band often cited as pioneers of Eurobeat and Hi-NRG.
Released as a single in 1984, this track became their first global hit.
The lyrics, likening an intense possessiveness toward a love-at-first-sight crush to a record spinning at high speed, are particularly striking.
Pete Burns’s powerful vocals fused with synths carrying a rock-like aggressiveness make for a sensational sound.
Also featured on the classic album Youthquake, the song reached No.
9 on the UK Albums Chart.
If you love dance numbers that set the floor on fire, this is an unmissable track.
Add it to your party playlist and you’re guaranteed to get everyone dancing.
Theme from S’Express (12″ Version)S’Express
A unit known for the so-called acid house sound that swept the late-’80s pop scene, especially across Europe.
They’re also famous for featuring the female singer Billie Ray Martin, who later succeeded as a solo artist.
This track was released as a single in 1988 and became a massive hit, reaching No.
1 not only in their home country of the UK but also on the U.S.
dance chart.
You can enjoy its innovative sound, which makes deft use of sampling.
Your Love (Remix)Lime
A four-on-the-floor disco/electro track with a pleasantly delayed synthesizer sound.
With male-female twin vocals leading the way, and passionate jungle-tinged percussion like handclaps and bongos, it’s a fiery number.
Many people likely enjoyed the dance beats that packed the discos of the time as a duet, just like in this song.
