The 1980s were full of hits that folks still bop to these days. If you’re a Gen X or Millennial, you probably walk through the aisles of ShopRite and feel a twinge of nostalgia as you hear your favorite old school pop stars.
Back then, there were only Walkmans or handheld radios on which to listen to the latest music. Or, if you were lucky enough to have cable television, music videos were available on MTV and VH1.
Those were the times people relied on tunes to survive their angsty childhood years, and here are six songs that got you through school as an ’80s kid.
‘Take On Me’ by Aha
Who doesn’t remember “Take On Me” by Aha? This was one of the most-played songs of the ’80s that was both romantic and family-friendly.
Released in 1985, the music video featured lead singer Morten Harket as a cartoon who comes to life after a woman in a diner catches his eye.
Now, it’s an ’80s classic, but it took time to reach its audience. “We’d already written ‘Take on Me’ but hadn’t recorded it. Paul [Waaktaar-Savoy, guitarist] had first played it to me in his parents’ house, down in the basement,” Harket told The Guardian.
He continued, “It was released three times and kept flopping. Things weren’t well-managed in the early days … It was a steady climb, getting to No. 2 in the UK and No. 1 in America in 1985. It was what we’d been waiting for and expecting to happen. It was meant to be.”
‘Livin’ On A Prayer’ by Bon Jovi
Once upon a time, not so long ago, you heard “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi and your life changed. Even if you weren’t Tommy hocking his six-string or Gina working at a diner all day, you felt their determination to pull themselves out of their working-class lives and follow their dreams.
You may have silently hummed “We’re halfway there” while waiting for AP Lit to end in high school, but now that you’re an adult, you can totally belt out the lyrics when you hear this song in a bar or in your car. Rock on.
‘Time After Time’ by Cyndi Lauper
When you think of an ’80s ballad, Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” comes to mind. The sweet lyrics of loving your beau forever, combined with the lullaby-like melody, make this song a classic that will live on in first wedding dances everywhere.
No matter how old you are, “Time After Time” hits you in the feels. “The melody was catchy and hypnotic. The rhythm was hypnotic. My vocal was hypnotic. If you’re writing something and you put something very real in it then someone listening is going to feel something very real,” Lauper told Rolling Stone in 2021.
‘Express Yourself’ by Madonna
Madonna was the reigning queen of the ’80s with so many songs that folks could relate to. However, “Express Yourself” was one that stood out as the voice of empowerment.
If you were bullied by peers or ignored by your crush, this was the anthem to pick yourself up and remember just how fierce you were — and still are.
‘How Soon Is Now’ by The Smiths
Our list wouldn’t be complete without a brooding, goth song, which “How Soon Is Now” embodies to a T.
We’ve all felt like an outsider standing in a club all alone, then leaving all alone and crying at home. While our feelings may not have been as dramatic as Morrissey’s, the haunting tones and lyrics still speak to our past teenage selves, making “How Soon Is Now” an ’80s classic.
‘How Will I Know’ by Whitney Houston
We couldn’t round out our list without mentioning the one and only Whitney Houston. And while there were so many ’80s hits from her to choose from, “How Will I Know” perfectly embodies the feelings of a teenage crush.
Houston described longing perfectly with her lyrics: How will I know if he really loves me? / I say a prayer with every heartbeat / I fall in love whenever we meet / I’m asking you ’cause you know about these things / How will I know if he’s thinking of me? / I try to phone but I’m too shy (can’t speak) / Falling in love is so bittersweet / This love is strong, why do I feel weak?
Ah, young love. Good thing we don’t have to live through it anymore, but thankfully, we had these songs to help us through those times.
