Classic hits from the 80s

The s may have been the decade of questionable fashion choices, but we'll probably say the same about the s in a few years

By Rob Sheffield. Lighters up for the late, great Biz Markie, one of the most beloved music heroes of the Eighties or any other decade. The Diabolical One. The Human Beatbox. The class clown of old-school hip-hop.

Classic hits from the 80s

Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. That's the big question. This was the golden era of some of our most beloved stars, even in , from Madonna to Prince, characterised by big hair, scrunchies, and weirdly big shoulder pads. And the music? Well, it's utterly timeless. This was a golden time era for music, and let's never forget it. In , Houston was still very much a fresh-faced siren with the crystal-clear voice and a world of possibilities at her feet.

The Fall cranked out a slew of post-punk gems in the s, with Mark E.

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Thanks for subscribing! Look out for your first newsletter in your inbox soon! By entering your email address you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and consent to receive emails from Time Out about news, events, offers and partner promotions. Our newsletter hand-delivers the best bits to your inbox. Sign up to unlock our digital magazines and also receive the latest news, events, offers and partner promotions. In , Houston was still very much a fresh-faced siren with the crystal-clear voice and a world of possibilities at her feet. Her approach to this song — which, when you break it down, is more about loneliness than love — says a lot about her ability to radiate warmth and positivity through her singular sound. It's miles away from the struggles the singer would face later in her career. Always a party starter and roof-igniting karaoke jam, the song become a bittersweet rallying cry in the years since her death, still urging every last wallflower on to the dance floor. Is it the angelic backing choir, the tingly opening bells, or the impossibly smooth layers, that make it so addictive?

Classic hits from the 80s

By Rob Sheffield. Lighters up for the late, great Biz Markie, one of the most beloved music heroes of the Eighties or any other decade. The Diabolical One.

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It's a perfectly fantastic finale moment, and is always a karaoke favourite. It was a huge hit worldwide, reaching number two in the UK and number one in the US. Featuring whispers from Harvey Fuqua, the sexually-charged became one of his biggest and best-known songs. Gwen Stefani always said she got into ska because she wanted to be the Go Feet girl. It soon became something of a standard, and one of the best love songs of all time. I sing whatever comes into my head and nine times out of 10 that will be the title of the song. They loved it and it was recorded for the soundtrack. But we have it in the setting of a girl because it's more relatable. Others make people run and scream in terror. The Raincoats were redefining punk rock in the early Eighties, with art-school feminist aggro and a very London sense of deadpan humor. This was a golden time era for music, and let's never forget it. One of the greatest '80s movie moments is surely Judd Nelson's John Bender fist pumping the sky to the tune of this '80s banger. It's miles away from the struggles the singer would face later in her career. This funky song was written, arranged and produced by George Michael himself. Perhaps the ultimate power ballad, Celine Dion later scored a massive hit of her own in the following decade.

Synthesizers, catchy lyrics, and unique melodies were the foundation of the best 80s songs of the era.

The pair then worked together on this track and the album of the same name, giving Bowie one of the biggest hits of his career. The California mod women come on tough, with snide wit filtered through their Rubber Soul harmonies and vintage Rickenbackers. Try another? Ray Parker Jr. Harket can hold that killer high note for 18 seconds at a time, which is unreal. This catchy s anthem was the first single to be released from Paul Simon 's iconic album Graceland. Written for Dirty Dancing , this is the ultimate '80s movie song. Written after Sting separated from his first wife, the song's creation was fraught with in-fighting within the band who were actually physically punching each other in the studio with Sting saying that the time of its release that "it's a nasty little song, really rather evil. Who amongst us, right? Lady Gaga has credited her stage name to this song, saying that she "adored" Queen. Probably Billy Ocean 's biggest and most famous hit, this track reached number one in the UK and number two in the US. New sounds and beats explode everywhere. For years, the band claimed that the song's lyrics were similar to an aural 'Rorschach test', and that people only heard in it what they wanted to hear. Culture Council. Sting - Englishman In New York.