Around Christmas last year, a slew of social media posts listed songs that, to me, were a shocking number of years old. I thought it would be fun to capture most of them here and expand upon the lists I saw a few months ago.
I've always said I'm not a music person, but apparently, I am because I can sing along to every one of these songs. I've found myself listening to music more and more while I do housework or other chores, and I'm losing interest in most of the podcasts I've listened to for years (some for a decade!).
To be fair, though, every one of these is "a banger" (as "the kids" say) and something you can rock out to in the car... before quickly turning the music down when someone pulls up next to you. Or maybe that's just me?
This is not an exhaustive list by any means, nor were they all number-one hits, but I hope you enjoy them. Please play at least a little of each video so you can sing along with each song as you realize just how old some of our favorite songs are!
Turning 40 in 2025:
"Material Girl" by Madonna
January 23, 1985
From Madonna's second album, "Like a Virgin," this song was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans. Madonna said the song's concept was indicative of her life then, and she liked it because she felt it was provocative. The video pays homage to Marilyn Monroe's performance of the song "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It reached top-five status in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Ireland, Japan, and the United Kingdom while reaching number two in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100.
"We Are The World" by USA For Africa
March 7, 1985
This charity single was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie to raise money for the 1983-85 famine in Ethiopia. With sales in excess of 20 million copies, it became the fastest-selling U.S. pop single in history and is the eighth-best-selling single of all time. Following British group Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in December 1984, Harry Belafonte created an American benefit single for famine relief. The event brought together some of the era's best-known recording artists, including Bruce Springsteen, Cyndi Lauper, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, and Tina Turner.
"Everybody Wants to Rule The World" by Tears for Fears
March 22, 1985
English pop rock band Tear for Fears released this song, which features new wave and synth-pop music, from their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair. The lyrics describe the band's human desire for control and power and, according to the band, the corruption of man and politics. The song was a worldwide success, peaking at number two in Ireland, Australia, and the United Kingdom and at number one in Canada, New Zealand, and the United States.
"Heaven" by Bryan Adams
April 9, 1985
Initially recorded in 1983, this song first appeared on A Night in Heaven soundtrack, but wasn't released until April of 1985 on his album "Reckless." It was the third single from the album and reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1985, over a year and a half after the song was recorded. It was certified Gold in Canada in 1985. Adams has said the song is heavily influenced by Journey's 1983 hit "Faithfully."
"Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and The Waves
April 15, 1985
Written by Kimberley Rew for the British rock band Katrina and the Waves' 1983 debut album, the rerecorded version was released on the 1985 self-titled album. It would reach number four in Australia and nine in the United States. Most of the band members disliked the song at first, even calling it "irritating." The song also does not have any significant meaning, as writer Rew and the band call it "just a piece of simple fun, an optimistic song, despite us not being outstandingly cheery people."
"You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead or Alive
May 3, 1985
This song from English pop band Dead or Alive was featured on their second album, Youthquake. It was the first UK number-one hit by the band and peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100. In 2003, it ranked number 981 on the "1001 Best Songs Ever" by Q Magazine and listed by Blender as number 289 in their "Greatest Songs Since You Were Born" list in 2005.
"Broken Wings" by Mr. Mister
June 6, 1985
Released in June as the lead single from their second album, "Welcome to the Real World," this song debuted just as the band was about to begin touring as the opening act for Tina Turner. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in December and remained there for two weeks.
"St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr
June 13, 1985
Written by British singer John Parr, this song was made for the film "St. Elmo's Fire," starring Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Andie MacDowell, and Mare Winningham. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. The song was created, performed, and edited all within 24 hours. Members from the bands Toto, REO Speedwagon, and Mr. Mister have a hand in the recording.
"The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News
June 17, 1985
This single by Huey Lewis and the News was written for the soundtrack of the blockbuster film "Back to the Future." The song became the band's first number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and their second top song on the Mainstream Rock chart. Released as a double A-side with "Do You Believe in Love," "Power of Love" and "Back in Time" were also included on the film's soundtrack. Huey Lewis was approached to write the theme song for the film but declined for fear of being typecast as only a writer of film songs. Producers assured him he could write any song he wanted, and he agreed to provide them with the next song he wrote, which ended up being "Power of Love." The lyrics do not mention the film or the storyline since it was never intended to be used in the movie.
"Summer of '69" by Bryan Adams
June 17, 1985
From Canadian singer Bryan Adams' fourth album, "Reckless," this up-tempo rock song was about a dilemma between settling down and "growing up" or trying to live out his dreams of being a rock star. It reached a high spot of number five in the United States, but according to Wikipedia, it is still the most streamed and digitally purchased song in Canada since 2005. It is also listed as the most-played song on Canadian radio among songs by Canadian artists.
"Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by Kate Bush
August 5, 1985
British singer Kate Bush wrote and produced the song using a Fairlight CMI synthesizer and a LinnDrum drum machine. The lyrics imagine a man and a woman who make "a deal with God" to exchange places. Bush wanted to make a serious video, feeling dance and choreography had been trivialized in other music videos, so the video for this song features her doing an "interpretive dance." It reached number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1985 but saw a revival in 2022 after being featured on Netflix's "Stranger Things." It then reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100, and in 2023, it reached one billion streams on Spotify and is still the background music of many memes on TikTok or Instagram.
"We Built This City" by Starship
August 26, 1985
The debut single for the band (formed after Jefferson Airplane turned into Jefferson Starship and broke up) peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States. Written by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, the song is a lament against the closure of many of Los Angeles' live music clubs in the early 80s. It has since been the subject of much scorn and was number one on Rolling Stone's "Worst Songs of the 1980s" in 2011, as well as being included in "The Worst Songs of all Time" lists by Blender and GQ magazines.
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