80s Music

I am a huge fan of 80s music. Seeing as I'm currently twenty-one and was born in 1990, I get weird looks when I tell people this.Yes, I, unlike the airhead girls on an episode of Tosh.0, do actually know the words to Paula Abdul's 80s hit, Straight Up.

The number one complaint I hear when trying to defend 80s music is that "it's terrible." And okay, I will admit to that. But it's also FUN. So many 80s songs are super catchy, whether or not we actually think of them as "good" music. Plus, synth sounds totally came back into style recently. So here are some of the 80s songs that I've always found to be fun and catchy, even as a little kid in the early 90s that heard them on the radio all the time.

"Take On Me" by A-Ha

I love this song and especially love the way they did the music video. Such cool animation. Terrible hair, pretty terrible clothes, but the idea here is pretty timeless--who hasn't dreamed about crossing over into comic book world? AND they totally made a parody of it on Family Guy. Sweet.

"I Can't Wait" by Nu Shooz

Okay, this is one of the ones I'll admit is pretty bad. Weird music video. Kind of cheesy lyrics. But that pop-y synth sound is SO COOL. The thing that hooks you here is definitely the weird synth noises. And it's always been one I enjoy singing.

"Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" by Wham

I think we can all remember this from watching Zoolander. It's definitely very high-energy and it's hard for me to resist singing and/or dancing whenever I hear it. Somehow, without consciously deciding to do this, I learned all of the words, and I mean ALL of the words, which surprised me when my best friend played it in the car and I just sang all the way through it. It was weird. According to my mom, who was a big music fan in the 80s, this was hugely popular and I can see why. Most people my age still know this song. 

"Dance Hall Days" by Wang-Chung

This is one that I specifically remember hearing on the radio when I was riding in the car as a kid. I couldn't make out any of the lyrics, as kids often can't, but I thought the beat and rhythm made the song very dance-y and fun. 

And of course, because I already mentioned it in the beginning of this post, "Straight Up" by Paula Abdul.

Typical "girl-shows-off-dance-moves-and-cool-wardrobe" kind of thing. But it will get stuck in your head after hearing the slightest bit so beware. I remember liking this one as a kid before I connected the girl in the video with the woman on American Idol that fights with Simon Cowell. Now, it wouldn't be my first choice if I was in an 80s mood, but I'd still listen to it. 

Oh, and anything by Madonna for sure, even though "Lucky Star" is a super annoyingly addictive kind of earworm and I never want to hear that song for fear it will lodge itself in my brain and I won't be able to get it out.