What decade had the best music? Chances are that the way you answer that has a lot to do with your personal history. People around today could answer any decade from about the 1950s until today. I’m a fan of a lot of different styles of music and even I can’t really give you a definitive answer.
The music of the 1980s
The end of the 1970s had seen popular music fragment into many different styles. That was a complicated decade, and as the 1980s truly dawned in about 1983, the feeling in the country was for a need for simplicity. For good and bad, for things that we could believe in. It’s easy to see how this was reflected in popular music. Rather than complex and personal stories, we saw a return to powerful songs that left the listener feeling good. These songs sometimes had deep lyrics, but all too often they were overshadowed by simple, poppy music that left the listener with a quickened heart and a smile.
The 1980s saw the early days of rap and hip hop, the rise of punk and metal, and the continued evolution of country, as well as many many other changes. It was the first time many people were exposed to reggae, for example. But the decade is remembered not for the rich tapestry of music that bubbled just beneath the surface of popular perception but for its pop anthems.
It was a time when it felt good to be in the mainstream. The music shows it.
Underappreciated 1980s songs
I was thinking of all of this when I came across this video from WatchMojo.
I would not necessarily agree with all these songs being “underappreciated” in their time. Some were so popular that they seemed overexposed back then. But, younger listeners who are only familiar with a few dozen 1980s songs might not know them.
These songs flesh out the emotional history of a decade that was largely known for its shallowness. Yes, these are all pop songs. I’m sure that I could easily come up with a list of top 10 alternative 1980s songs, but that’s a video for a different Friday, I suppose.
If you’re not familiar with these songs, listen to them on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you get your music today. Pull up the lyrics, too. That’s where these songs really shine. Some of them, like “The Touch,” are plain power ballads. But songs like “Eighties” and “Don’t Dream It’s Over” have deep poetry hidden behind their easily-digested chords.
You may never be a true connosseiur of 1980s music. If you didn’t grow up at that time, it may seem forever foreign to you. But, if the music did reach you at key moments, it’s fun to revisit now and again. And fun… that’s what this column is all about.
