# 80's Makeout Music

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 12, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005 "2005-04-12T18:33:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Vision\_of\_Love](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Vision\_of\_Love](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vision_of_Love)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/21 "2005-04-13T03:40:41Z")

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> [@Vision of Love](#):
>
> Definitely Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game.”
> 
> You _get_ it after hearing the first few notes, even before the man starts to sing.
> 
> Methinks this song is even too hot to be considered a mere “makeout” song. 😛

Ugh, please excuse me. 80’s songs, right?

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**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/22 "2005-04-13T03:57:49Z")

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I had \*\*Rhiannon8404 \*\* over for a “romantic evening”, and decided to put on Don Henley’s album _The End of the Innocence_ for some mood music.

Unfortunately, I selected “repeat track” instead of “repeat album” on the CD player.

I didn’t notice until much later in the evening. **Rhiannon** , being much more observant than me, spotted it right away. Luckily for me, she married me anyway.

But she still won’t listen to the title song.

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**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/23 "2005-04-13T04:37:23Z")

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_Angel Eyes_, by the Jeff Healey Band. Already a favorite of mine, I had the good fortune to have a radio DJ play the song twice, back-to-back, whilst I and my squeeze-of-the-moment…uh, _ahem_…never mind

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**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/24 "2005-04-13T04:49:27Z")

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> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> “Stone in Love” by Journey (whew. dating myself, like majorly 😉 )

_ **gasp** _ I’d completely forgotten about this one. Janie, I hope you’re well.

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**Author:** ![Joools](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6de8d8/32.png) [@Joools](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joools)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/25 "2005-04-13T04:57:22Z")

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I only have one that hasn’t been mentioned already – **Eternal Flame** by the Bangles. Sigh.

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**Author:** ![Bad\_Samaritan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bad\_Samaritan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_Samaritan)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/26 "2005-04-13T05:48:31Z")

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jesus christ people… this is some of the worst wussy rock from that time. So let me throw in my few selections…

When I’m with You -Sheriff  
Just Between You & Me - April Wine  
Love Song - Tesla

I experienced my first hardcore makeout section while listening to Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus” repeatedly.

If any of you really grew up in the '80’s, you’d know the ultimate makeout album then was side one of Led Zeppelin IV. Fast Times at Ridgemont High anyone?

Never mind that IV was not from the '80s and in the movie they were playing Kashmir, which is on a different album altogether…

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**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/27 "2005-04-13T06:54:01Z")

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_Avalon_, the album, by **Roxy Music**

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**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/28 "2005-04-13T12:31:49Z")

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Isaak’s “Wicked Game” makes the cut - copyright 1989.

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/29 "2005-04-13T15:13:45Z")

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What? No power ballads? Outrageous!!!  
Def Leppard - Love Bites  
Poison - Every Rose Has a Thorn  
Whitesnake - Is This Love  
Bon Jovi - I’ll Be There For You  
Saigon Kick - Love is on the Way

Bunch of freakin savages

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/30 "2005-04-13T19:10:09Z")

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> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> “Stone in Love” by Journey (whew. dating myself, like majorly 😉 )

Don’t feel bad. Recently, those are the only dates I’ve had.

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**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/31 "2005-04-13T19:35:28Z")

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_rim shot_🙂

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/32 "2005-04-13T19:36:21Z")

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I’ll be here all week. Try the meatloaf.

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**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/33 "2005-04-13T21:25:35Z")

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> [@AnatomicallyCorrect](#):
>
> When I’m with You -Sheriff  
> Just Between You & Me - April Wine  
> Love Song - Tesla

It’s a shame you can’t sing a few bars of these for you because I can’t place any of them.

Ahem. Back to the wussy songs.

I’m going to have to second “Open Arms” and “Faithfully” by Journey and “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. Then there’s “Endless Love” by Lionel Ritchie/Diana Ross.

There’s a song by MeatLoaf that is great to make out by because it’s passionate and lasts forever. “Baby, we can talk all night/But it ain’t getting us nowhere.” My brain stops after that line. What can I say? My brain needs an upgraded processor and more memory.  
I’d add “Father Figure” but I can’t listen to it anymore without thinking of pedophilia.

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**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/34 "2005-04-13T21:31:45Z")

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> [@Superdude](#):
>
> Don’t feel bad. Recently, those are the only dates I’ve had.

That was, like, totally gnarly.  
😃

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**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/35 "2005-04-13T21:51:48Z")

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> [@PunditLisa](#):
>
> There’s a song by MeatLoaf that is great to make out by because it’s passionate and lasts forever. “Baby, we can talk all night/But it ain’t getting us nowhere.” My brain stops after that line. What can I say? My brain needs an upgraded processor and more memory.

You’re thinking of [Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad](http://www.members.tripod.com/~GrahamMcN/meat/tota.htm).

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**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/36 "2005-04-13T22:40:22Z")

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I usually _hate_ slow love ballads. (If I heard too much of that kind of crap, I’d be tempted to get up and put on The Replacements, or something.) Sometimes the best makeout music is the best music, period, whether that’s manic, two-minute punk songs, or whatever. (Just so long as you don’t choreograph yourself to your music, that is!) But I know what you mean by “makeout music,” so consider the following something of a compromise list:

The soundtrack from **Bladerunner** (1982), by Vangelis. Also, the decidedly non-Vangelis-like **Flashdance** soundtrack.

Most of The Cars’ ouvre dates from 1980 and after. Unfortunately for this list, the LPs \*\*The Cars \*\* and **Candy-O** date from '78 and '79. But that still leaves plenty of hits.

Ditto for Blondie: their '80-'81 material includes “The Tide is High,” “Heart of Glass,” “Rapture,” “Call Me,” and “In the Flesh”.

\*\*The Feelies \*\* (1980) by The Feelies. Intense, jittery, depressive jangle-pop, so YMMV.

**Hatful of Hollow** (1983) and **Meat is Murder** (1985) by The Smiths.

“Strobe Light” (1980) by the B-52’s (“Wanna make love to you under the strobe light…” … “I wanna kiss your… _pineapple_!”).

Side One of \*\*Remain In Light \*\* (1980), by Talking Heads. High-energy stuff, there.

**Three of a Perfect Pair** (1984) by King Crimson. It’s relatively mellow for them.

**The Other Ones** (1986), by the silly German pop group of that name that no one’s ever heard of (and not to be confused with The Only Ones, who had a hit with “Another Girl, Another Planet”). Very smooth, slick, synth-heavy, and with ridiculously vapid lyrics about passion. Some of it’s great for dancing, and some of it’s great for slow dancing. 😉 For better and for worse, this is what people usually think of by “makeout music”.

“Do the Dog” (1980) by The Specials.

“I Want You” (1986) by Elvis Costello. The rest of the **Blood and Chocolate** LP’s good too, for EC fans.

**Skylarking** (1986) by XTC – especially early on.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/37 "2005-04-13T23:16:48Z")

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> [@spooje](#):
>
> _Avalon_, the album, by **Roxy Music**

There it is. I can’t believe it took 27 posts before someone said it. That album is the closest thing to a sure thing.

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**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/38 "2005-04-13T23:17:58Z")

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> [@Dogzilla](#):
>
> That was, like, totally gnarly.  
> 😃

Thanks. Don’t forget to tip your waiter or waitress.

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**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/39 "2005-04-16T05:27:13Z")

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(bump) so i get it in my mailbox…

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**Author:** ![Gorgonzola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e480ec/32.png) [@Gorgonzola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgonzola)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/80s-makeout-music/299005/40 "2005-04-16T05:32:06Z")

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_Tonight’s the Night_, Rod Stewart  
_Waiting For a Girl Like You_, Foreigner

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