[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!
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[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (21–30)
Every Breath You TakeThe Police
If there are people who have never heard this track, that would be a huge loss in their musical lives (lol).
It’s such a masterpiece that it makes me want to say so.
To borrow the words of Rolling Stone, I think it’s the greatest rock song of all time.
Sting’s calm, steady vocals and the sound get stuck in your head after just one listen.
The lyrics are divisive, but this song will continue to be sung for generations to come.
JumpVan Halen
This is a signature song by the American hard rock band Van Halen, whose intro captivated everyone.
Some fans thought adding synthesizers would take them away from hard rock, but their new appeal exploded, and the song effectively became a massive hit.
The guitar solo is awesome, and the upbeat lyrics—seen as breaking out of one’s shell and taking flight—gave me a real boost.
AfricaTOTO
Formed in 1977, this band became a major commercial rock icon with a huge breakthrough in the 1980s.
All members were also studio musicians with high technical proficiency, and they broke through with songs that incorporated various genres often categorized as AOR.
Club TropicanaWham!
This is a track bursting with the breezy freedom of a tropical resort, woven from lively Latin jazz rhythms and post-disco sounds.
Released in July 1983 by the British pop duo Wham!, the song paints an ideal holiday scene unfolding poolside while satirically portraying escapism from society under the Thatcher government.
Included on their debut album Fantastic, it spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 4.
The music video, filmed on the Spanish island of Ibiza, vividly captured the youth culture of the time, enhanced by its liberating atmosphere.
It’s a perfect pick for summer drives and vacation soundtracks, as well as a refreshing mood booster at work or parties.
Karma ChameleonCulture Club
This is a single released from the album Colour by Numbers by the British band Culture Club.
Released in 1983, it became the band’s biggest hit, reaching number one in 16 countries worldwide.
The message conveyed through the music video is also noteworthy.
Beat ItMichael Jackson
A re-cut single from Michael Jackson’s smash-hit album Thriller.
For the music video, rival LA street gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, were cast, creating a highly volatile filming environment.
Because they could only shoot once, a famous outtake among fans—where Michael steps on Mr.
Peters’s foot while he’s standing next to him in a white outfit—ended up being used.
Hard to Say I’m SorryCHICAGO
It’s one of the signature songs by the American rock band Chicago, released in 1982.
Departing from their earlier soft rock style, the song marked a major shift in musical direction by centering on synthesizers and electric guitar.
We Are The WorldUSA For Africa
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.
Separate WaysJourney
Despite their long career, they shot to fame in the 1980s by churning out a string of hits.
After the addition of the renowned vocalist Steve Perry, they achieved tremendous success as a commercial rock act.
This song is one of their signature works, notable for its striking intro.
We Built This CityStarship
US number one in 1985.
This song was chosen as the first single when Jefferson Airplane—the prestigious band synonymous with San Francisco—overcame repeated lineup changes and other challenges, restarted under the simpler name “Starship,” and went on to earn the first number-one hit in the band’s long history.
The song was written by Martin Page—also known for Heart’s “These Dreams”—and Bernie Taupin, who is famous for his work with Elton John.