Recommended Western music for men in their 40s: world classics and popular songs

You Might ThinkThe Cars

The Cars – You Might Think (Official Music Video)

Speaking of the ’80s, it was the heyday of MTV, but the landmark song that beat out Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” to win the very first MTV Video Music Awards’ “Video of the Year” was “You Might Think”! The video, which made extensive use of what was then rare computer graphics, was groundbreaking, and it’s a visual work packed with the band’s innovation alongside an ultra-pop, catchy track.

“You Might Think” is one of the signature hits released in 1984 by The Cars, a leading new wave band active from the late ’70s to the mid-’80s.

With live performances on par with their studio recordings, the outstanding songwriting talent of Ric Ocasek—who would later shine as a producer for bands like Weezer—and a lineup of distinctive members, they not only wrote great songs but also had a strong commitment to visuals and artwork, making them a wonderful band that balanced artistry with commercial success.

Be sure to check out the MVs for their other songs too!

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KOH-1

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Don’t You Want MeThe Human League

The Human League – Don’t You Want Me (Official Music Video)

It’s one of the new wave/technopop groups that sparked a boom centered in the UK in the early ’80s.

This song, which was a hit in the UK in ’81, caught fire in the U.S.

a year later and became one of the few technopop tracks to reach No.

1 on the American charts.

Shout To The TopThe Style Council

The Style Council – Shout To The Top

This is a track from The Style Council’s second album, a group that enjoyed immense popularity as chic music of the 1980s.

As a British pop-rock band, it’s said that not only their music but also their fashion and very presence were objects of admiration for fans.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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Sunday Bloody SundayU2

Sunday Bloody Sunday (Live From Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Colorado, USA / 1983 / Remastered 2021)

Speaking of U2, they’re now a monster band in the rock world, but in the ’80s they were still a promising up-and-coming act.

Their third album, War, released in 1983, was a powerful work that tackled social issues and religious views in their native Ireland head-on, and it’s regarded as an early masterpiece that set the stage for their breakthrough.

We Are The WorldUSA For Africa

USA For Africa – We Are The World (Subtitles)

This is the song “We Are the World” by USA for Africa, released in 1985.

USA for Africa, which featured a lineup of prominent artists such as Michael Jackson, Cyndi Lauper, and Stevie Wonder, was a charity project aimed at relieving the famine in Africa, a major social issue at the time.

It remains a beloved song around the world to this day.

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Yoimachi Jēn

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