[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs

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.

New FrontierDonald Fagen

Donald Fagen – New Frontier (Video)

It reached No.

70 on the U.S.

charts in 1983.

Included on the legendary masterpiece The Nightfly.

Written at a time when awareness of nuclear war was rising—from the Cuban Missile Crisis through the U.S.–Soviet Cold War—it’s a song about a dance party held in an underground nuclear shelter.

The music video is excellent and totally mesmerizing.

With animation mixed with live action, it makes you wonder, “What does this mean?” and sets your imagination running.

Rather than criticizing nuclear war or the Cold War head-on, Donald Fagen serves it up with stylish irony—that’s his way.

Waiting For A Girl Like YouForeigner

Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You [Lyrics]

It peaked at No.

2 on the U.S.

charts in 1981—an astonishing 10 consecutive weeks—earning it the nickname “the tragic Number Two.” For nine of those ten weeks, Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” held the top spot.

That’s understandable.

However, even when “Physical” dropped to No.

3, it still couldn’t reach No.

1; at that time, Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” was No.

1.

Incidentally, the band later soothed their frustrations by finally scoring their first U.S.

No.

1 in 1985 with “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

LukaSuzanne Vega

Suzanne Vega – Luka

Peaked at No.

3 in the U.S.

in 1987.

A single cut from the album “Solitude Standing.” It’s the second track on an album that tackles introspective yet socially conscious themes.

The first track, “Tom’s Diner,” starts abruptly with a cappella, with her singing like she’s muttering to herself.

Then comes this second track.

The bright, breezy intro makes it feel as if light suddenly pours in, but in fact it’s a serious song about child abuse, which was becoming a social issue in the U.S.

at the time.

Back then I thought, “Child abuse? America is such a strange country,” but later in Japan as well… Even so, the fact that a song like this reached No.

3 on the charts shows that, in a way, America is pretty remarkable.

Smooth OperatorSade

Sade – Smooth Operator – Official – 1984

A single from the 1984 debut album Diamond Life.

The album has sold six million copies worldwide, and Smooth Operator has been covered by numerous artists to this day.

Its languid sound and her husky voice captivated many fans.

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Yoshizaki Keiko

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PhysicalOlivia Newton-John

Physical

For those who knew her from the 1970s, when she enjoyed idol-like popularity with a pure, wholesome image, her sudden pivot to a sexy style in this song must have been surprising.

This track comes from the period when Olivia Newton-John—British-born, Australian-raised, and a world-famous singer and actress—shifted toward a disco-influenced sound in the early 1980s.

The shocking leotard look in the music video also made headlines, and the song became a massive hit.

It can be called one of the signature masterpieces that symbolize the 1980s.

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KOH-1

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Another Day In ParadisePhil Collins

Phil Collins – Another Day In Paradise (Official Music Video)

It’s a single released in 1989 by the British musician Phil Collins.

It was a popular song that reached No.

2 on the UK Singles Chart and No.

1 on the Billboard 200.

Later, it was used in Japan for a Mazda “Cronos” commercial.