# Song that epitomizes the 80s **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2013, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465 "2013-11-08T22:14:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/81 "2013-11-10T03:34:18Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The problem with “Don’t You Forget About Me” is that it doesn’t make me think “80s!!”, it makes me think “The Breakfast Club!!” > Does anyone really picture the 80s when they hear it? Does anyone even remember the video? Or do you just picture Judd Nelson walking across the football field doing a freeze frame fist pump? I don’t remember the video for it either. I think it’s connection to the movie messes up the memory of it for me. I was a kid in the 80s, though. I was into “The Goonies”, “The Neverending Story”, and “Labryinth” much more than “The Breakfast Club”. ---
**Author:** ![montag01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/51bf81/32.png) [@montag01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/montag01)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/82 "2013-11-10T03:43:59Z")
Gotta agree with “Don’t You Forget About Me.” Other potential candidates are Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love.” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/83 "2013-11-10T04:13:55Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Does anyone really picture the 80s when they hear it? Yes. > [@](#): > > Does anyone even remember the video? I’m not actually sure I’ve ever seen the video > [@](#): > > Or do you just picture Judd Nelson walking across the football field doing a freeze frame fist pump? I’m embarrassed to say, I actually am not sure what scene this is. I’ve seen “Breakfast Club” a couple of times, but I don’t remember this. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/84 "2013-11-10T04:52:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I still think Huey Lewis could figure into this. Nobody, and I mean nobody, is trying to imitate that sound now. It is soooooo stuck in the 80s. While my other choices, Simple Minds, a-ha, Modern English, I could actually see working out for a current band, even if they are simply preying on 80s nostalgia. You like Huey Lewis and the News? Their early work was a little too New Wave for my taste, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He’s been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '87, Huey released Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is “Hip to Be Square,” a song so catchy, most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it’s not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it’s also a personal statement about the band itself! ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/85 "2013-11-10T04:56:37Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’m embarrassed to say, I actually am not sure what scene this is. I’ve seen “Breakfast Club” a couple of times, but I don’t remember this. It’s the ending: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkVjkvaeFnQ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkVjkvaeFnQ) ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/86 "2013-11-10T05:44:54Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > You like Huey Lewis and the News? I can’t honestly say I’m a huge fan of Huey Lewis and the News. It’s not my cup of tea, but they just SCREAM 80s to me. I don’t think they’re bad, though. But they’re not any kind of music I’d ever want to make, either. I’ve actually never listened to “Sports” as a whole, and I’m kind of curious now. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/87 "2013-11-10T06:31:39Z")
Actually, now re-reading your description of Huey Lewis, I do want to listen a little bit more attentively… ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/88 "2013-11-10T06:38:27Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > You like Huey Lewis and the News? Their early work was a little too New Wave for my taste, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He’s been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '87, Huey released Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is “Hip to Be Square,” a song so catchy, most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it’s not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it’s also a personal statement about the band itself! Do you like Phil Collins? I’ve been a big Genesis fan ever since the release of their 1980 album, Duke. Before that, I really didn’t understand any of their work. Too artsy, too intellectual. It was on Duke where Phil Collins’ presence became more apparent. I think Invisible Touch was the group’s undisputed masterpiece. It’s an epic meditation on intangibility. At the same time, it deepens and enriches the meaning of the preceding three albums. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/89 "2013-11-10T07:14:49Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > [“Don’t You Forget About Me”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdqoNKCCt7A). > > Thread over. This. If I had to pick a single song to characterize an entire decade of music – particularly one that had so many things going on all at the same time – this would be it. It has the New Wave sensibility that Simple Minds brought to the table along with the rock influence of the song’s writer, Keith Forsey, along with the context of being intertwined with a definitive 80s John Hughes movie. The only thing it’s missing, as my wife has astutely pointed out, is a sax solo, which seemed to be something that happened a lot in the 80s and now is completely gone from music (thanks for that, grunge bastards. :mad:). Looking through the 1600+ songs I have in my 80s collection on my iPod, other songs I might add to the potentials mix, if “Don’t You” were rejected, might be “When Doves Cry” by Prince and the Revolution, “Flesh For Fantasy” by Billy Idol, “Careless Whisper” by George Michael/Wham!, “Obsession” by Animotion, “Caribbean Queen” by Billy Ocean, “You Belong To The City” by Glenn Fry, “Maneater” by Hall and Oates, “Who Can It Be Now?” by Men At Work, or “Shake It Up” by the Cars. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/90 "2013-11-10T07:35:29Z")
Never mind all the other candidates - [I have the perfect song that epitomizes the '80s!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE-8yO3fnJ4) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JKilez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@JKilez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKilez)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/91 "2013-11-10T12:55:37Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > You like Huey Lewis and the News? Their early work was a little too New Wave for my taste, but when Sports came out in '83, I think they really came into their own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and a new sheen of consummate professionalism that really gives the songs a big boost. He’s been compared to Elvis Costello, but I think Huey has a far more bitter, cynical sense of humor. In '87, Huey released Fore!, their most accomplished album. I think their undisputed masterpiece is “Hip to Be Square,” a song so catchy, most people probably don’t listen to the lyrics. But they should, because it’s not just about the pleasures of conformity, and the importance of trends, it’s also a personal statement about the band itself! LOL. I think that was all in your imagination. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/92 "2013-11-10T13:11:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I can’t honestly say I’m a huge fan of Huey Lewis and the News. It’s not my cup of tea, but they just SCREAM 80s to me. Maybe you’ve just seen _Back To The Future_ too many times. ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/93 "2013-11-10T19:42:08Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Now that I think of it though, ‘video killed the radio star’ may be up there. Released as a single September '79, so just misses the cutoff. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/94 "2013-11-11T00:07:39Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > The rest of the world had the '80s too, you know. 🙂 Oh, don’t worry. We’re full of ourselves enough that it doesn’t matter. We all loved “99 Luft Balloons” though. A song about balloons being mistaken for nuclear war. You can’t get more 80’s then that. > [@Hampshire](#): > > The problem with “Don’t You Forget About Me” is that it doesn’t make me think “80s!!”, it makes me think “The Breakfast Club!!” > Does anyone really picture the 80s when they hear it? Does anyone even remember the video? Or do you just picture Judd Nelson walking across the football field doing a freeze frame fist pump? Yeah, it doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense to me. Even though I went to a Breakfast Club looking high school in the 80’s, I don’t see how that song epitomizes anything. Really, the 80’s was the don’t forget about me decade? That’s what things were about in the 80’s, acknowledging people in casual encounters? It’s more the song of to-day, considering the popularity of Facebook and scrap booking. If you’re going to go with a song just because of a movie, try the Ghostbusters song. I think we were all just a little less afraid of ghost thanks to that song. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/95 "2013-11-11T00:11:27Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huey Lewis Ca. 1990, I dated a man who owned a used record store, and this was one artist whose albums (in all formats) they couldn’t give away. The other artists that come to mind were Asia, Twisted Sister, and (this was most surprising) Bob Seger. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/96 "2013-11-11T00:47:05Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Maybe you’ve just seen _Back To The Future_ too many times. Which Huey Lewis song was in that? I’m not sure what it is, but, for whatever reason, my early 80s memories seem to have Huey Lewis a lot in the background. I remember coming home from Warren Dunes (a beach) in the back of my aunt’s car in the summer, listening to some Top 40 countdown show with “Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll” playing. Or perhaps it was “Power of Love.” Also, now that I think about it, “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer also strikes me as quintessential 80s pop that can only exist in the 80s. While I agree with “Don’t You Forget About Me” (or “Take On Me” or whatever) as being THE definitive 80s song, I just feel someone like Huey Lewis or Robert Palmer is so completely tied to that decade of pop music, that it can’t exist outside that time period. In other words, even if it came out today “Don’t You Forget About Me” or “Take On Me,” I think could pass as modern songs, perhaps with a retro feel, and enjoy moderate success. I can’t see someone aping Huey Lewis now and getting away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/97 "2013-11-11T00:53:58Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > Never mind all the other candidates - [I have the perfect song that epitomizes the '80s!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE-8yO3fnJ4) 😃 Snerk 🙂 I actually like this song… ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/98 "2013-11-11T00:57:33Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Which Huey Lewis song was in that? Huey Lewis himself was in that. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/99 "2013-11-11T01:14:24Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Huey Lewis himself was in that. Huh. I actually did not know that. And, apparently, the song is “Back in Time,” right? :smack: duh. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465/100 "2013-11-11T01:21:12Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. I actually did not know that. And, apparently, the song is “Back in Time,” right? :smack: duh. “Power of Love” is also in it, when Marty skateboards around '80s Hill Valley to set up the big before-and-after contrast with its '50s-era “Mister Sandman” counterpart. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-that-epitomizes-the-80s/673465.md?page=6)