Listen to this playlist on our Seeds Spotify playlist here.
[title size=”1 to 6″ style=”options: default, sidebar”]”Eighties Anthems”[/title]
[title size=”3″ style=”options: default, sidebar”]By Madison Nichols[/title]
One of my personal favorite decades for music is the 1980s, a time of moral ambiguity, gigantic hair, and amazing fashion trends. So throw on your legwarmers and toss your hair up in a side ponytail for some of the best and most iconic songs of the 1980s, as chosen by me.
1. “Take the Long Way Home” | Supertramp (1979)
While technically not released in the 80s, this song remained on the charts well into 1980 and is thus a great transition into the 80s songs.
2. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” | Queen (1980)
3. “Jessie’s Girl” | Rick Springfield (1981)
4. “Don’t You Want Me” | The Human League | 1981
5. “The Safety Dance” | Men Without Hats | 1982
Because nothing screams the 80s quite like making a strangely shaped S with your arms.
6. “Come On Eileen” | Dexys Midnight Runners | 1982
7. “Here I Go Again” | Whitesnake | 1982
No 80s playlist would be complete without some bitchin’ hairbands, and this is a real solid example.
8. “Cum On Feel the Noize” | Quiet Riot | 1983
While this song a cover, it’s obnoxious and fun and the first hair metal song to make it on the charts. You can hear how much fun the band is having while recording it.
9. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” | Eurythmics | 1983
A musical masterpiece of the 80s. Between the synth, the high pitched riffing, and the dark lyrics it’s everything about the 80s alternative movement that I idolize.
10. “Relax” | Frankie Goes to Hollywood | 1983
11. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” | Cyndi Lauper | 1983
12. “Footloose” | Kenny Loggins | 1984
13. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” | Wham! | 1984
The most 80s song to ever 80s.
14. “Let’s Go Crazy” | Prince | 1984
If this intro doesn’t get you pumped then I don’t know what will. Prince is a staple of the 80s, as is “Purple Rain,” so if he wasn’t represented here, I would have failed at my job.
15. “Jump” | Van Halen | 1984
I always forget about this song until I hear it again, and then the instant I hear the opening keyboard riff, I’m ready to jazzercize.
16. “Wanted Dead or Alive” | Bon Jovi | 1986
As a huge Bon Jovi fan (of his hair metal days, not so much the country), it was hard to narrow my Bon Jovi pick for this playlist down to one, but this is the winner. It’s the ultimate ballad of the life of a rockstar complete with the most solid steel string guitar riff of all time.
17. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” | Simple Minds | 1987
This song makes me want to dance around a library with the friends I made in detention earlier that day, preferably in awesome 80s attire.
18. “Rock and Roll All Nite” | Poison | 1987
19. “Patience” | Guns N’ Roses | 1988
While a lesser known Guns N’ Roses song, the pure acoustic sound in addition to the haunting whistle make for one of the best hair metal ballads of the 80s. While all Guns N’ Roses songs feature amazing guitar solos, the lack of percussion in this one really brings it forward. It felt like the perfect way to end this overwhelmingly 80s playlist.
