[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs
The 1980s brought changes to music history and had a huge influence on later musicians.
Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Madonna, Earth, Wind & Fire…
Even those who didn’t live through the era can sink into a sense of nostalgia that feels familiar somehow.
Compared to modern songs, the classics of the ’80s often boast purer song quality and stronger musical structure—or, seen another way, the larger market meant bigger budgets, letting you enjoy luxuriously produced sounds.
Find a favorite track and really dive into it!
- Nothing but classics! A nostalgic collection of ’80s Western ballads
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of 80s Disco
- Legendary Western rock masterpieces and hit songs of the 80s
- Ranking of Popular Western Music Artists of the 1980s [2026]
- Nostalgic or fresh? Great Western pop masterpieces and hit songs from the 1980s
- Love songs in Western music that were hits in the 1980s. World-famous classics and popular tracks.
- Club Hits: Dance music from Western artists that energized the dance floors in the 1980s
- 80s Western pop hits featured in commercials. A roundup of nostalgic CM songs.
- The 1970s were the golden age of Western rock! Recommended classics and hit songs
- [80s Western Music] A roundup of debut songs by girl bands
- Classic and hit Japanese pop songs from the nostalgic 80s
- Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
- Dance music in Japanese (J-pop) that people in their 50s used to listen to. Nostalgic classic hits.
[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (141–150)
It’s All A GameNational Pastime
Back in ’84, they were expected to be the next idol band after Kajagoogoo, but unfortunately they never really broke through.
Still, their sound is quintessentially ’80s! The catchy melodies and the clear, glassy synth tones feel remarkably fresh even today.
Heartbreak BeatThe Psychedelic Furs
With the insert song of the same name as the film Pretty in Pink, The Psychedelic Furs made a rapid leap onto the mainstream path.
Released as the title track of their 1987 album, the song is poppy and danceable, brimming with quintessential ’80s charm.
The black-and-white music video is cool, too!
Don’t Wanna Lose YouGloria Estefan
It hit number one in the U.S.
in 1989.
It’s a killer ballad from her first solo album, Cuts Both Ways, after dropping the “Miami Sound Machine” name.
By this point, her ballads showcased her strengths even more than the early Latin dance tracks.
She’s truly outstanding, and her voice is fantastic! She was forced to take a hiatus after an unfortunate car accident, but she made a comeback and has continued a long, successful career.
The Spanish version is also wonderful.
[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (151–160)
Never Ending StoryLimahl
In the 1984 film The NeverEnding Story, the theme song—just like the film’s title—has no clear beginning or end.
It fades in and fades out, a structure that conveys the idea of being “never-ending.”
I wonder If I Take You HomeLisa Lisa & Cult Jam with Full Force
Lisa Lisa was like a standard-bearer for the rising Hispanic presence in American society alongside Gloria Estefan.
Her powerful voice, emanating from her small frame, was popular even back then.
The cool sound—anchored by Full Force during the hip-hop boom—is always a joy to listen to.
Take It EasyAndy Taylor
A solo single by former Duran Duran guitarist Andy Taylor.
It’s a featured song in the film “American Anthem.” True to Andy—who said in an interview at the time that what he really wanted to do was hard rock—it’s a straightforward, refreshing rock track.
Give Me The NightGeorge Benson
Released in the summer of 1980, Give Me The Night was produced by Quincy Jones.
It reached number one on both the soul and jazz album charts.
A classic anthem, it could be heard multiple times in a single night at the disco.