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Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 | Playlist 🎧

Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; Tatiana Castrillon via Pexels]
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Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; Tatiana Castrillon via Pexels]Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; Tatiana Castrillon via Pexels]Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 features music courtesy of Aretha Franklin, George Michael, Kool & The Gang, Queen, and Pink Floyd. 

Ah, the 1980s – what a time, what a time! What better way to reminisce on the decade than to select some of its best songs.  There were plenty of kick a$$ rock, pop, and R&B records that stand the test of time. Honestly, there are far too many awesome musicians to recognize in one musical compendium – at least with blurbs involved. Still, we continue the process with 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2, following 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 1. 🎧 Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 features some of the 80s finest courtesy of 🎙 Aretha Franklin, 🎙 George Michael, 🎙 Kool & The Gang, 🎙 Queen, and 🎙 Pink Floyd among others.  So, get into the spirit of the 1980s and check out these epic musical classics!

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1. Pink Floyd, “Another Brick in the Wall, (Part II)”

💿 The Wall • 🏷 Pink Floyd Ltd / Sony Music Entertainment • 📅 1979

“All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall.” So, are we cheating by including 🎵 “Another Brick in the Wall, (Part II)” on a 1980s list? NO, because while the beloved 🎙 Pink Floyd classic, which appears on their 1979 masterpiece, 💿 The Wall, first debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1980! This anti-teacher classic would reach no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 near the end of March 1980, spending four weeks in the penthouse.

Regardless of if you are a teacher, like me, or not, who can resist singing those famous (or infamous) lyrics:

“We don’t need no education

We don’t need no thought control

No dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teacher, leave them kids alone

Hey! Teacher! Leave them kids alone!”

WOO!  The lyrics from the verses are easily one of music’s most memorable lyrics. Notably, the 🎙 Islington Green School Students perform the second verse and the subsequent chorus. It is even more charming given that British accent!  The music is incredible in its own right from the infectious groove as well as the famous guitar 🎸 solo by 🎙️ David Gilmour, who also sings alongside Rogers Waters.

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2. Queen, “Play The Game”

💿 The Game • 🏷 Hollywood • 📅 1980 

“Open up your mind / And let me step inside.” Hmm, okay 🎙 Freddie Mercury, if you say so! As the saying goes, an open mind is the best kind… something like that! Anyways, 🎵 “Play The Game”, the song from which the lyrics hail, commences 💿 The Game (1980), an album which Max Bell of udiscovermusic asserts iconic band 🎙 Queen “broke all the rules.” The rules broken namely were the inclusion of synths, specifically Mercury playing the 🎹 Oberheim OB-X, which has been well documented. In the intro, the listener hears the synths/sound effects, which also recur in the song. Post-intro, we hear the celestial piano and vocals of the legendary front man.

Despite the synth evolution on this classic, which peaked at no. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100, the theme itself is tried-and-true: LOVE.  The game of love has been around forever – it’s well established.  Even so, it never fails to captivate, particularly when the inspiration is a breakup or heartbreak.  According to Mercury, per the chorus, “It’s so easy when you know the rules / It’s so easy, all you have / To do is fall in love / Play the game / Everybody play the game of love.” He has a point BUT, is it really that easy, Freddie? The falling part, yes, however, things get more arduous beyond that! Later, the second chorus features varying lyrics, with Mercury giving advice: “don’t play hard to get.” The bridge marks one of the most intriguing moments both musically (change of feel, articulation, and melodically) and lyrically.  Notably, Mercury asserts, “My game of love has just begun / Love runs from my head / Down to my toes / My love is pumping / Through my veins / Driving me insane.”  Honestly, with song like “Play The Game”, there’s so much more to capture.  Besides Mercury’s stellar lead vocals, what about the layered backgrounds? What about the ripe guitar of 🎙 Brian May including the solo post-bridge leading into another chorus? 🎵 “Play The Game” exhibits the genius of this once in a lifetime band, PERIOD!

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3. Keni Burke, “Risin’ to the Top”

💿 Changes • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1982

“Give it all you got / You gotta wake up your body.” Sometimes, the beat – the groove – is enough to solidify a song’s hit status. 🎙 Keni Burke, initially known as a member of 🎙 Five Stairsteps, delivered one of those gems where the groove cemented the musical legacy. 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top”, from Burke’s 1982 album, 💿 Changes, is nothing short of a surefire vibe.  If you opt for the 7” Version,  you miss out on the build-up of the intro (the 5-minute version is the one to beat).  Beyond the beat, the bass line is among the most elite you’ll ever hear, often outlining an F minor 9 chord. Furthermore, the keys are utterly sublime giving “Risin’ to the Top” a jazzy, soul aesthetic. Soul is alive and well on this early 80s cut but it also shows evolution to a new breed of R&B. The color of the backdrop is one of the biggest selling points, making this Burke joint a popular source of sampling.

It is NOT only the instrumental that makes “Risin’ to the Top” hot. Vocally, Burke serves up compelling lead vocals – both smooth and soulful.  Furthermore, the backing vocals up the ante.  Then, of course, there is the songwriting, with plenty of memorable lyrics to complement the tuneful melody and impressive backdrop.  “Stop losing, yeah losing / Keep risin’ to the top,” Burke asserts at the end of the first verse, prior to encouraging the waking of your body.  The third verse is a prime example of the rise: “Big time illusions / Create a lot of confusion / But the time has finally come / Let’s get it done / Keep moving, yeah moving.” More than 40 years later, 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top” continues to be the definition of an R&B classic. It deserved to be a pop hit, yet, it only reached the R&B charts. Nonetheless, the legacy of the record, written by Burke, 🎼 ✍ Norma Jean Wright, and Allan Felder, is enduring 💪. 

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4. Don Henley, “Dirty Laundry”

💿 I Can’t Stand Still • 🏷 Don Henley and Past Masters Holdings, LLC • 🗓 1982

“People love it when you lose / They love dirty laundry.” 🏆 Grammy winning rock musician 🎙 Don Henley has a legitimate point. “It’s interesting when people die / Give us dirty laundry.” Woo!  On 🎵 “Dirty Laundry”, Henley drops a song for the ages about, well, people honestly.  A standout from his 1982 debut album,  💿 I Can’t Stand Still, “Dirty Laundry” peaked at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Furthermore, it was nominated for a 🏆 Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards.  So, who and what song did “Dirty Laundry” lose the Grammy to? Oh, one 🎙 John Mellencamp – 🎵 “Hurts So Good”.

“Can we film the operation? Is the head dead yet?

You know, the boys in the newsroom got a running bet

Get the window on the set!

We need dirty laundry.”

The theme and lyrics are just one of the things that make “Dirty Laundry” awesome.  The production and sound are 1980s to the core, which is incredibly sweet, to be honest. Not only do you get some great guitar riffs, but you also get the boxy drums and rich keys/synths.  Throw in the gang vocals on the chorus, and “Dirty Laundry” is a whole vibe: “Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ’em when they’re down / Kick ‘em when they’re up / Kick ‘em when they’re down.” The laundry may be filth but dis song right here – a surefire bop! Can anybody sing 🎵 “Dirty Laundry” other than Don Henley?

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5. Eurythmics, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)”

💿 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) • 🏷 Sony • 📅 1983

“Sweet dreams are made of this / Who am I to disagree?” One word: ICONIC.  🎵 “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” is by far the biggest hit from 🎙 Eurythmics.  If 🎙 Annie Lennox and 🎙 Dave Stewart hadn’t recorded anything besides this 1983 classic, their legacy would be secure, NO CAP.  This is the quintessential 80s record. It shines for several reasons.  The 💿 Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) highlight features awesome production by Stewart – the rhythm, the synths! Meanwhile, Lennox shines from a vocal perspective, infusing personality to match the lyrics.  Her robust pipes have always been formidable. Lyrically, this isn’t a complex song, but the few lyrics used pack a mean punch (“Some of them want to use you / Some of theme want to get used by you / Some of them want to abuse you / Some of them want to be abused”). Woo! As Lennox finishes the chorus (excerpted at the top), “I’ve traveled the world and the seven seas / Everybody’s lookin’ for something.” Indeed!  This has become an oft-covered song, with the most notable interpretations coming from 🎙 Marilyn Manson and 🎙 Beyoncé.

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6. Elton John, “I’m Still Standing”

💿 Too Low For Zero • 🏷 Mercury • 📅 1983 

“And did you think this fool could never win? / Well look at me, I’m a-comin’ back again.”🎵 “I’m Still Standing” is one of those quintessential 1980s classics – period! Furthermore, it’s one of the best songs from the 🎙 Elton John collection. John was well in his 30s when this catchy gem materialized. Somehow, this standout from 💿 Too Low For Zero (1983) wasn’t even a top-10 hit (it peaked at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100)! Sacrilege! Blasphemy!

“I’m Still Standing” features a quick tempo, which bodes well in its favor.  Furthermore, it’s an incredibly groovy and infectious record from the onset.  Elton John serves up enthusiastic vocals.  The melody is rhythmic – incredibly quick.  Furthermore, musically, John concocts some nice harmonic moments, playing between major and parallel minor keys. Of course, it’s those exceptional lyrics by 🎼 ✍ Bernie Taupin that Elton masterfully brings to life.  “I’m Still Standing” features one of the catchiest, most recognizable choruses of all time:

“Don’t you know I’m still standin’ better than I ever did?

Lookin’ like a true survivor, feelin’ like a little kid

And I’m still standin’ after all this time

Pickin’ up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.”

Also, it’s worth shouting out the brief but ear-catching electric guitar solo.  Another also – the music video is a treat itself!

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7. Asford & Simpson, “Solid”

💿 Solid • 🏷 Capitol • 📅 1984

“We build it up / And build it up / And build it up.” Build what up, 🎙 Ashford & Simpson? Why, L-O-V-E, of course! The result of this build is something that can best be described as 🎵 “Solid”.  “Solid” appeared on the husband-wife duo’s 1984, 🏆 Grammy-nominated album, 💿 Solid. “Solid,” the single marked the iconic singer/songwriting duo’s biggest hit, peaking at no. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Likely, the record is the reason why the album earned the 🏆 Grammy nomination for Best R&B Performance By A Duo or Group with Vocal.

It’s safe to say that the solidness – the solidarity – runs long. “Solid” runs north of five minutes in duration.  Even so, 🎙 Nickolas Ashford and 🎙 Valerie Simpson serve up ample musical excellence. The vocals are on-point, the production is exuberant, and the lyrics are – wait for it – SOLID! “You didn’t bat an eye / When I made you cry,” Ashford sings in the first verse, continuing, “We knew down the line / We would make it better.” Simpson, who handled much of the intro, holds down most of the pre-chorus, which focuses on building up that love. The chorus, as to be expected, is the centerpiece. it’s catchy as albeit – definitely solid as a rock!

“And now it’s solid
Solid as a rock
That’s what this love is
That’s what we’ve got, oh
Yes, it is
Solid
Solid as a rock
And nothing’s changed it, oh
The thrill is still hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot.”

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8. Kool & The Gang, “Cherish”

💿 Emergency • 🏷 UMG Recordings Inc. • 🗓 1984

“Let’s cherish every moment we have been given / For time is passing by.” So true, 🎙 Kool & The Gang.  The R&B collective is responsible for a host of hits, including 🎵 “Cherish”, which just missed the top spot on the pop charts in 1985. It was the highest charting of the two top 10 hits from the group’s 1984 album, 💿 Emergency.  “Cherish” is an exquisitely produced, mid-tempo ballad that encourages cherishing love. “If you receive your calling before I wake / Could I make it through the night?” It is, indeed, food for thought.

The chorus, of course, serves as the centerpiece of “Cherish,” repeating the titular lyric a total of five times:

“Cherish the love we have

We should cherish the life we live

Cherish the love, cherish the life, cherish the love.”

The words are simple but absolutely prudent – sound, sound advice.  The second verse focuses on an ever-changing world highlighting the fact that “Love will stand the test of time.” Good stuff! Also great is the following lyrics: “The next life that we live in remains to be seen / Will you be by my side?” We can only hope, right? 🎵 “Cherish” is a solid representation of the adult contemporary brand of R&B that evolved in the 1980s. While it sounds characteristic of the era, it certainly does NOT sound like an anachronism in the 2020s.  This is an epic R&B joint!

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9. Patti LaBelle & Michael McDonald, “Own My Own”

💿 Winner in You • 🏷 MCA • 📅 1986

🎙 Patti LaBelle definitely experienced a resurgence of sorts in 1986.  She’d had plenty of success prior to this, with LaBelle (the iconic 🎵 “Lady Marmalade”) and as a solo artist (🎵 “If Only You Knew”).  Even so, 🎵 “Own My Own” gave the R&B veteran a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 – the pop charts! This gorgeous, lush duet between two awesome, distinct, and powerful voices (🎙 Michael McDonald is the man) propelled her album, 💿 Winner in You, to no. 1 on the Billboard 200, and her sole platinum-certified album.

Not only does “On My Own” feature two legendary musicians, but it’s also written and produced by a legendary team: 🎼 ✍ Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager.  The form features standard sections (verses, chorus, bridge), but isn’t written ‘predictably’ either.  LaBelle sings the first verse, singing incredibly expressively while also showing tremendous control. She follows with an abbreviation of the chorus essentially. As for McDonald, he matches her in the second verse, also singing with great expression, followed by the full-fledged chorus: “On my own / Once again, now / One more time / By myself.”  They then sing collaboratively on the bridge, followed by a Patti chorus, another McDonald verse, and the most powerful chorus yet, performed jointly.  LaBelle and McDonald let loose in that extended closing chorus, and we wouldn’t have it any other way!

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10. Aretha Franklin & George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”

💿 Aretha • 🏷 RCA • 📅 1986

“Like a warrior that fights and wins the battle / I know the taste of victory.” WOO 💪! 🎙 Aretha Franklin and 🎙 George Michael. Two utterly brilliant artists. Both of them deceased 😢.  Think about that.  Starting with Franklin, her vintage music, much of which arrived in the late 1960s and 70s, is her best and most lucrative period.  As for Michael, post- 🎙 Wham!, the dashing, pop star would have a tremendous career, with his 1987 album, 💿 Faith, winning the highly coveted 🏆 Grammy for Album Of The Year at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards. Both artists would win a 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1987 for the dynamic 🎵 “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”, which was written by 🎼 ✍ Dennis Morgan and Simon Climie and produced by 🎛 Narada Michael Walden. 

“When the river was deep, I didn’t falter

When the mountain was high, I still believed

When the valley was low, it didn’t stop me, no, no

I knew you were waiting, I knew you were waiting for me.”

It should come as no surprise that “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” was a big hit – it spent two weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.  Sure, vintage Aretha Franklin is the best Aretha Franklin but on this gem, the soul icon shows continued versatility as a pop artist in the mid 80s. “I Knew You Were Waiting” exhibits a starkly different sound from the past but finds Franklin continues cut through with those powerful, untouchable pipes.  She performs the verses with Michael performing the pre-choruses (“Somehow I made it through the heartache, yes, I did / Oh, I escaped / I found my way out of the darkness / I kept my faith”), and both collaborating on the chorus and later, the bridge and outro. The powerful duet appears on her 1986 album, Aretha, which was  awarded the 🏆 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female (Note: The Recording Academy does not award categories like this anymore).

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11. Janet Jackson, “What Have You Done for Me Lately”

💿 Control • 🏷 A&M • 📅 1986

“I know he used to do nice stuff for you / But what has he done for you lately?” It all comes down to one simple but important question on 🎵 “What Have You Done for Me Lately”, WOO! That is what the R&B/pop superstar 🎙 Janet Jackson asked on the infectious, no. 4 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from her 1986 album, 💿 Control.  Both “What Have You Done for Me Lately” and Control were nominated for 🏆 Grammys, though Jackson would ultimately win her five Grammys for other musical endeavors.  Still, revisiting dance-pop gem, it deserved a Grammy, dammit!

“What Have You Done For Me Lately” has the 1980s written all over it – those groovy, boxy drums, and  increased palette of electronic sounds via synthesizers. Iconic producers 🎛 Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis give Jackson a marvelous backdrop that fit the lyrics without a hitch.  Basically, this guy, who was once a catch, is neglecting Janet something fierce. “Used to be a time when you would pamper me,” she sings in the first verse, later adding, “But my friends say neglect is on your mind / Who’s right?” Well, apparently, they are given the fact he has done sugar honey iced tea for her lately! Another prime example comes in the second verse, where she asserts, “Used to go to dinner almost every night /… Good thing I cook or else we’d starve to death / Ain’t that a shame?” Basically, Janet Jackson, and any woman being taken for granted deserve better! 🎵 “What Have You Done for Me Lately” is a certified classic, PERIOD! #GIRL POWER!!!

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12. George Michael, “One More Try”

💿 Faith • 🏷 Sony • 📅 1987

“‘Cause teacher / There are things that I don’t want to learn / And the last one I had / Made me cry.” The timeless 🎵 “One More Try” was a no. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 from 💿 Faith, the biggest album of 🎙 George Michael’s career, ultimately winning the 🏆 Grammy for Album Of The Year at the 31st Annual Grammy Awards.  Had Michael never released another album, Faith was enough to cement his legacy.

“Now I think it’s time / That you let me know / So, if you love me / Say you love me / But if you don’t / Just let me go.” “One More Try,” an utterly sublime ballad, plays to his strengths, allowing him to flaunt his gorgeous tone.  Running nearly six minutes in duration, Michael milks this gem for all it’s worth, and who can blame him! Even better than Michael’s ravishing good looks was his marvelous instrument.  Regarding production, “One More Try” is firmly planted in the 80s. The backdrop, fueled by electric keyboard (the patch, pads, and synths) sounds little like the music of the aughts and beyond.  Despite lacking flashiness or pizzazz, the sound feels right. Beyond the vocals, shout out Michael’s songwriting skills. The result is a personal, authentic song that shines thanks to simplicity and sheer artistry.  The chorus is the centerpiece, thriving off love and heartbreak:

“And teacher

There are things that I still have to learn

But the one thing I have is my pride

Oh, so I don’t want to learn to

Hold you, touch you

Think that you’re mine

Because there ain’t no joy

For an uptown boy

Who just isn’t willin’ to try.”

All told, 🎵 “One More Try” is a classic that remains potent approaching 40 years later. 

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13. The Beach Boys, “Kokomo”

💿 The Very Best of The Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓 2003

“Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you to / Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama.” In 1988, iconic pop/rock collective 🎙 The Beach Boys earned their final no. 1 hit: 🎵 “Kokomo” (💿 Still Cruisin’).  “Kokomo” arrived years after the band’s heyday, which makes the ascent to the top of the pop charts such a big deal. Also, notably, 🎙 Brian Wilson is NOT on “Kokomo” 🤯! The infectious, love-oriented gem was also written by 🎼 ✍ John Phillips, Mike Love, Scott McKenzie, and Terry Melcher (Melcher also produced the track).  From a first listen – even if, somehow, your first time hearing the records is in the 2020s – “Kokomo” is tuneful to the nth degree.  The chorus, indisputably, is the centerpiece, continuing as follows: “Key Largo, Montego / Baby, why don’t we go / Ooh, I wanna take you down to Kokomo / We’ll get there fast / And then we’ll take it slow / That’s where we wanna go / Way down in Kokomo.”

As alluring as the instrumental backdrop is, and as memorable as the chorus is lyrically and tunefully, the verses are interesting too.  The Beach Boys construct an idyllic aesthetic: “Bodies in the sand / Tropical drink melting in your hand.” Of course, more important is “We’ll be falling in love,” with bonus points going for lyrics like, “To the rhythm of a steel drum band / Down in Kokomo.”  The love is high, and honesty, just listening to 🎵 “Kokomo”, you’ll get that “Tropical contact high” that the collective references.  Are the lyrics genuinely clever? No.  This song has received its fair share of critical disdain.  It does sound, in all honesty, sound different than vintage Beach Boys songs.  Still, this innocent 80s pop record is inescapable.

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Incredible Songs: 1980s, Vol. 2 [📷: Brent Faulkner, The Musical Hype; A&M, Capitol, Don Henley and Past Masters Holdings LLC, Hollywood, MCA, Mercury, RCA, Sony, UMG Recordings Inc.; Tatiana Castrillon via Pexels]

 

Tags: 1970s1970s progressive rock1970s rock1980s1980s pop1980s progressive rock1980s R&B1980s rock20232023 evergreen playlist2023 music list2023 playlist70s70s progressive rock70s rock80s80s pop80s progressive rock80s R&B80s rockAllan FelderAnnie LennixAretha FranklinAshford & SimpsonBernie TaupinBrian MayBrian WilsonBurt BacharachCarole Bayer SagerDave StewartDavid GilmourDennis MorganDon HenleyElton JohnEurhythmicsevergreenevergreen playlistevergreen playlistsFive StairstepsFreddie MercuryGeorge MichaelJanet JacksonJimmy JamJohn MellencampJohn PhillipsKeni BurkeKool & The GangLGBTQLGBTQ musiciansMichael McDonaldMike Lovemusic listmusic listsNarada Michael WaldenNickolas AshfordNorma Jean WrightOberheim OB-XPatti LaBellePink Floydplaylistplaylistsprogressive rockQueenR&BrockRoger WatersScott McKenzieSimon ClimieTerry LewisTerry MelcherThe Beach BoysValerie SimpsonWham!
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