For the 80s generation

[DrFeelgood]

If you had to pick a "poster song" for the 1980s? What song, personified the 80's more than any other song of the decade.

For me it's "We Got The Beat"

 

[BellaRisa]

"Wake me up before you Go-Go" by Wham OR "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" by Cyndi Lauper OR "King of Rock" by Run-DMC, depending on who you were.

Bella

 

[Mimi]

"Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi was the anthem to my teen years. I'd have to go with that.

Mimi 😀

 

[amk714]

There are so many songs that could personify the 80's, but I pick "Material Girl" by Madonna. 😀

 

[Texas_Tickle]

Hmmmm, well I am sorry I cannot pick one, so I will have to pick 2. Both of these songs equally qualify.

The 1st song would have to be "We're Not Gonna Take it", by Twisted Sister. That was pretty much my anthem during my "angry, brooding teen-age years".

The 2cd one would have to be "I heard a Rumor" by Bananarama

 

[TicklingDuo]

One song? Almost impossible with so many tunes to choose from.
For me........I'd say either "Gimmee All Your Loving" from ZZ-Top
or "Gear Jammer" from George Thorogood.
These two songs always came up when I was partying, and that's ALL I did in the 80s.😀

Drew😉

 

[Mimi]

A couple more came to mind for me today...all summarize the 80's pretty well.

"Video Killed the Radio Star" - The Buggles
"Fight for your Right to Party" - Beastie Boys
"Footloose" - Kenny Loggins (actually the whole soundtrack)
"Rock this Town" - Stray Cats
"We are the World" - USA for Africa

There are tons more, of course. These just came to me as ones that could represent the entire era. Give me time, I'm sure I'll come up with more...lol

Mimi 😀

 

[guitman69]

Everytime I think back to the '80's I think of:

"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds
and
"She Blinded Me With Science" by Thomas Dolby

 

[Oddjob0226]

I thought of many, but Prince's "Go Crazy" works on the same level as Madonna's "Material Girl" in many ways.

As does The Dead Kennedy's "Kill the Poor".

But what do I know? I'm not trying to grow flowers in the desert; I might like you better if we slept together. But I know I can't live without my radio - Now, run, run away!

 

[Dave2112]

Hmmm....one song to epitomize the '80's? I don't think that's possible. The '80's were an ecclectic mix of real metal, synth-pop, the birth of rap, the best of prog-rock...way too much to define by one song.

However, here's a few that epitomize the '80's for me within certain genres...

"Rock You Like A Hurricane" - Scorpions. Pretty much set the stage for power metal with a radio-friendly sound.

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" - Metallica. The drawing board for true metal.

"Keep On Loving You" - REO Speedwagon. The first of many true power ballads of the '80's.

"The Big Money" - Rush. The top of all '80's progressive rock.

"Moving in Stereo" - The Cars. They pretty much summed up the "we're pop, but we still play our own instruments" bands.

"Sledgehammer" - Peter Gabriel. In a day when videos were still cool and not all shot with half-naked dancers in front of a brick wall, Gabriel made the best.

😎

 

[Novus]

"Material Girl" says alot about the attitudes of the 80s (the decade of Greed) but says nothing for about dominant style of music in the 80s.

My choice would be "S-A-F-E-T-Y Dance" because it is the ultimate 80s new wave dance song. Music like that was only made in the 80s nothing before or since has sounded anything like that song.

 

[Moses25]

Yeah, I'd have to go with "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats.

2nd place would definitely be "We Built This City (On rock n'roll)" by Jefferson Starship.

Cheers.😀

 

[Jamandi]

Safety Dance all the way 🙂

-Jamandi-

 

[amk714]

"Material Girl" says alot about the attitudes of the 80s (the decade of Greed) but says nothing for about dominant style of music in the 80s.

That's what I was thinking about when I posted that, Novus. The question was what song personified the 80's most. Like Dave said, there were a myriad of music genres during the decade, but I do agree that new wave reached its peak then.

 

[ticklish latin]

My vote goes to...

Living on a prayer, by Bon Jovi,
The final countdown and Carrie, by Europe,
I want out, by Helloween,
and of course...
Run to the hills, by Iron Maiden... awh.. and Wasted years!

... i loved those bands on the 80's... *sighs*

 

[TicklingDuo]

Also...."Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung

(Even Fraiser Crane liked that one🙂)

Drew😉

 

[Daumantas]

What's the name of that song the Roxbury guys used to bob their heads to on Saturday Night Live (the one that goes "What is love/Baby don't hurt me/Don't hurt me/No more")?

 

[amk714]

Daumantas, that song is "What is Love" by Haddaway, and it's from 1993, not the 80's. One of my favorite 90's songs, BTW. 😀

 

[Brad_is_tklsh]

The 80's, what an amazing era of music...

Morris Day & The Time - 'Gigalo's Get Lonley Too', only in America