# What's the "Eighties-est" song? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 28, 2020, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247 "2020-08-28T14:52:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/41 "2020-08-28T18:22:12Z")
In the hair metal category, I submit Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again” the 1987 version. I feel like if we’re talking 80s the accompanying music video _has_ to be a criteria as well, and the video for that song is absolutely iconic. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WyF8RHM1OCg/hqdefault.jpg "Whitesnake - Here I Go Again '87 (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyF8RHM1OCg) In the same category, I’d also submit Slaughter “Up All Night.” It was actually released in 1990, but I feel like both the song and video are a perfect distillation of all that had come before and regurgitated as “Slaughter.” This is completely generic, it could really be any hair metal band and and any hair metal video. Actually has quite a lot in common with the Whitesnake video above. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8Za0gWXJW1w/maxresdefault.jpg "Slaughter - Up All Night") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Za0gWXJW1w) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/42 "2020-08-28T18:26:23Z")
Science! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/V83JR2IoI8k/maxresdefault.jpg "Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (Official Video - HD Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V83JR2IoI8k) ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/43 "2020-08-28T18:29:09Z")
Honestly, I think it’s hard to beat “Take On Me,” but I’ll throw a little Cutting Crew into the mix because the video is surprisingly clever for the 80s and the lead singer’s coat itself defines the decade. [(I Just) Died in Your Arms](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dOwHzCHfgA) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/44 "2020-08-28T19:30:59Z")
Ah, yes, Great White Lion Snake. The most unique band of the 80’s. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/45 "2020-08-28T19:43:04Z")
Missing Persons, “Walking in LA”, because Dale Bozzio (may be mildly NSFW): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/80WyBxo0Hto/maxresdefault.jpg "Missing Persons - Walking In L.A.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80WyBxo0Hto) ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/46 "2020-08-28T19:50:38Z")
Another vote for A-ha “Take on Me.” Honorable mention to the Bangles “Walk Like an Egyptian” and Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer” ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/47 "2020-08-28T19:53:32Z")
Super Freak! Super Freak! She’s super freaky! ---
**Author:** ![cormac262](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f14d63/32.png) [@cormac262](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cormac262)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/48 "2020-08-28T19:56:34Z")
Another vote for “Take Me On”. The song and video pretty much sums up 80’s music ---
**Author:** ![LilXMo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lilxmo/32/4225_2.png) [@LilXMo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LilXMo)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/49 "2020-08-28T19:58:03Z")
Little Red Corvette, Prince You’ve gotta fight for your right to party, Beastie Boys I can’t drive 55, Sammy Hagar ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/50 "2020-08-28T20:00:56Z")
She was a porn star. That is 80s. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/51 "2020-08-28T20:02:59Z")
My nominee: “Voices Carry” by 'Til Tuesday [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uejh-bHa4To/maxresdefault.jpg "'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uejh-bHa4To) ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/52 "2020-08-28T20:19:16Z")
[What’s He Got](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnughO_jbkA) by the Producers ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/53 "2020-08-28T20:33:08Z")
Man oh man, what a lot of great suggestions, thanks! I’ve been having a nostalgia overload. Thanks especially for the video links. So a-ha’s “Take On Me” seems to be the favorite so far, which is a fine choice to represent the 80s. I kind of feel like Tears for Fears, either “Shout” or “Everybody Want to Rule the World” really encapsulates the 80s too. And I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned this one yet 😆 [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AjPau5QYtYs/hqdefault.jpg "Men Without Hats - Safety Dance (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjPau5QYtYs) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/54 "2020-08-28T20:37:53Z")
I think I already said my real answer, but I had to go visit The Hooters. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/zB1Q-PfUvN0/maxresdefault.jpg "The Hooters - And We Danced") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB1Q-PfUvN0) I used to have that hair. That inevitably led to [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/AjPau5QYtYs/hqdefault.jpg "Men Without Hats - Safety Dance (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjPau5QYtYs) Eta Ninja-ed ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/55 "2020-08-28T20:40:21Z")
In addition to those mentioned I will add: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/56 "2020-08-28T20:56:53Z")
> [@cormac262](#): > > Another vote for “Take Me On”. The song and video pretty much sums up 80’s music Yeah, It is hard to beat “Take on Me”, but… if you watch the video for that, YouTube of course starts suggesting other 1980s music videos, like A Flock of Seagulls “I Ran (So Far Away)”. If that’s not tied with “Take on Me”, it’s a close second. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iIpfWORQWhU/maxresdefault.jpg "A Flock Of Seagulls - I Ran (So Far Away) (Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIpfWORQWhU) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/57 "2020-08-28T21:28:59Z")
> [@Paintcharge](#): > > Eta Ninja-ed Sweet, in 10 years of sporadically posting to this board, I think that’s my first ninja’ing! > [@WildaBeast](#): > > Yeah, It is hard to beat “Take on Me”, but… if you watch the video for that, YouTube of course starts suggesting other 1980s music videos, like A Flock of Seagulls “I Ran (So Far Away)”. If that’s not tied with “Take on Me”, it’s a close second. I agree, ‘I Ran (So Far Away)’ is about as 80s as it gets. And not to get all professorial here, but it seems there was a ‘fear of love/sex’ theme going on in some genre corners of 80s music. ‘Tainted Love’ by Soft Cell being another example. An AIDS metaphor thing, I’m guessing? ---
**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:** [August 28, 2020, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/58 "2020-08-28T21:36:26Z")
I’m gonna throw a curveball in here. But for late-80s, is there anything more quintessential to that time than Calloway’s “I Wanna Be Rich” in terms of sound and sentiment? “I want money, lots and lots of money.” That 80s in-your-face-synth snare, those synth pseduo-horn stabs and melody lines, that odd synthy-sounding slap bass, the synthy toms, the synth vibraphone. It’s kinda got everything. And that bridge – there’s something just really 80s about it. Not sure I can describe what it is. But it sounds like a quintessential 80s bridge. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d93oGsPjQ_A/hqdefault.jpg "Calloway - I Wanna Be Rich") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d93oGsPjQ_A) ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/59 "2020-08-28T21:38:16Z")
The first ones that came to my mind were: “Bette Davis Eyes” “Take on Me” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” “Tarzan Boy” “Down Under” “Africa” “One Night in Bangkok” “Don’t Stop Believing” “Eye in the Sky” “Break My Stride” “I Want to Know What Love Is” All of which could be heard in my college dorm any hour of the night and day. But in terms of “characterizing the era,” I’d say it’s a toss-up between these two: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/p2M7QwHnVXQ/hqdefault.jpg "Top Gun Anthem (HQ Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2M7QwHnVXQ) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/btPJPFnesV4/maxresdefault.jpg "Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger (Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btPJPFnesV4) So many others I could list, but these are enogh for now. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2020, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247/60 "2020-08-28T21:42:56Z")
Heh, going by the artist and song name, I thought I never heard the song, but when I played it I totally remembered it. yes, that is a quintessential 80s song, so much so it almost sounds like a parody of an 80s song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-eighties-est-song/919247.md?page=4)