I’ve been trying to forget 
(along with “We Built This City”.)
It’s hard to argue with Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me.” That kind of is my quintessential 80s song. But I might throw one out for Huey Lewis and the News, too. Maybe “Heart of Rock and Roll.”
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing This was the decade of conspicuous consumption and overnight celebrities. The song speaks to that quite well.
Love that song. Forgot about that song. Song back in the playlist. Thanks
Good call—that, and “We Are the World,” have the advantage of involving a whole passel of 80s artists.
Yep, “Safety Dance” is one of the first things I thought of.
It’s hard to argue with the King of Pop.
However, this being the SDMB, I’m surprised no one has suggested Rio, by Duran Duran!
“We’ve got the Beat.”
Oh Yeah - Yello
It was in every movie…or so it seemed.
Yeah, and with its ties to The Breakfast Club, it’s probably what I’d pick, too.
I like When in Rome’s song The Promise, especially after seeing that video. Very quintessential 80s romantic synth-pop-soul. I prefer the song to the others mentioned in this thread so far.
It wasn’t as big, though.
My own 1980s music experience was mostly R.E.M., U2 and O.M.D. Lots of initials in my cassette player!
To epitomize the 80’s you need a song that lets you know how full of itself America was.
Take “Born in the USA” for example. A fantastic chorus that most people didn’t feel a need to look past. There was so much literal flag waving associated with this song I didn’t feel feel comfortable listening to it for the first few years it existed.
Of “Little Pink Houses” by John Cougar Madeupname. The chorus is a great American anthem. The rest of the lyrics are a bit more realistic.
Or maybe “Wild Wild Life” by Talking Heads because the 80’s were running rampant and a bit crazy.
Me too. Which reminded me of this. Or maybe that’s the reason.
Did you also have ABC, INXS, and X?
Heck, pretty much the entire Zoolander soundtrack.
My first thought also. My top 3
a-ha! - Take On Me
The Police: Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
I guess my vote is “Do they Know it’s Christmas” because it involves so many acts and is associated with Live Aid. DYFAM is hard to argue with, given that its connection with John Hughes.
The Spirit of Radio deserves mention as the unofficial first song of the 80s, being Track 1 of an album released on January 1, 1980.
Yet another of Those Songs That’s Not What Everyone Thinks It’s About. :o
I just listened to the OP’s choice, as i couldn’t place the name of the song or the band name in my head.
There was a reason. I never heard it before.
Hiw could that be? Was this song popular in the US? I was into music in the 80’s in a big way, and this song name, the band, or the tune itself is all foreign to me. I liked the song, but it was a new one. Was it at the very beginning or the very end of the 80’s?
Does everyone else recognize it?
Are you watching the intro to ROCKY III right now?
No?
Well, maybe you hate America or something. Still, cue it up and let the '80s wash over you as EYE OF THE TIGER plays: you’ve got Mr T, you’ve got Sylvester Stallone on the Muppet Show, you’ve got a Don’t-Leave-Home-Without-It commercial; you get to see a DeLorean and President Reagan; you get to see a celebrity telethon, you get the idea that being on the cover of Newsweek is a big deal; it’s the '80s, it could only be the '80s.
This. The end.