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

I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)Daryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall & John Oates – I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) (Official Video)

They were a popular duo commonly known as Hall & Oates.

Their songs were loved around the world, and they commanded respect as artists of the ’80s.

This song is one that everyone has surely heard at least once—a timeless classic with a fresh feel, featuring a repeating rhythm and stylish saxophone sound.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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ManeaterDaryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Maneater (Official Video)

They are a duo representing the United States, consisting of Daryl Hall and John Oates.

With their distinctive pop sound infused with elements of Black music such as soul, they became hugely popular in the 1980s.

They are also very popular in Japan and performed there five times during the 1980s alone.

Private EyesDaryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Private Eyes (Official HD Video)

Released in 1981, this song is a signature track from Hall & Oates at the height of their success.

While the song itself is highly polished, the performers can seem a bit hesitant in the video… Still, given their top-tier musicianship that captivated audiences worldwide, their true strength was likely in their live performances.

Their Blue-Eyed Soul era from their 1972 debut through 1978 also has some really nice tracks.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Let’s DanceDavid Bowie

Let’s Dance (Single Version) [2014 Remaster]

After moving away from the glam rock of the ’70s and shifting to a pop-rock direction, David Bowie released “Let’s Dance” in 1983, which became one of his signature songs.

With this track, he succeeded in capturing the hearts of the youth of the time, and it became a major hit.

The album Let’s Dance, which includes the song, was also a worldwide success, establishing David Bowie’s status as a star.

Upside DownDiana Ross

Upside Down

Diana Ross is a superstar who kept producing hits from her time with The Supremes in the 1960s.

She went solo in the ’70s and became widely known as a diva.

This song was such a massive hit that it can be considered one of her signature tracks.

Its crisp, stylish, and tasteful sound was played constantly in clubs—and in Japan at the time, there wasn’t a day it didn’t spin at the disco.

As a dance number, it had a tremendous impact on music history.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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Money For NothingDire Straits

Dire Straits – Money For Nothing (Official Music Video)

It topped the U.S.

charts in 1985.

It was the very first song aired when MTV Europe launched in 1987.

When the music video’s computer graphics appeared, many music fans were astonished.

The song is also known for having Sting as a co-writer; he was reportedly invited to join the recording while he happened to be vacationing on the island of Montserrat.

Walk Of LifeDire Straits

Dire Straits – Walk Of Life (Official Music Video)

A song by Dire Straits, who were active from the 1970s through the 1990s and enjoyed worldwide popularity for their unique musical style that added originality to roots music.

Released as the fourth single from their fifth album, Brothers in Arms—known as their biggest hit with sales exceeding 30 million copies—the track hooks you with an arrangement that’s catchy yet distinctly apart from the trends of the time.

Its light, exhilarating sound still feels irresistibly addictive even today.

It’s a number that, while pop, carries a unique sense of melancholy—one that makes Dire Straits’ lasting popularity easy to understand.

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Hoshino Takashi

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