What is THE definitive 80s song?

[IntelligentInputDarling]

Might not be your favourite, but what song encapsulates the 80s for you?

We've been having a debate at work, and the consensus is it's got to be Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart'.
It is the 80s right?
There can be no argument, it's got everything - weird music video, Bonnie's hair, makeup and fashion.
And the pure power ballad vocals 👌

Agree?

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Duran Duran - Rio
Soft Cell - Tainted Love
Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
Adam & The Ants - Stand and Deliver

I know that’s more than one, but to me it has to be a big song that made an impression. All of the above did. For Duran Duran, you could also have Girls on Film, for example, and for Kate Bush maybe Cloudbusting or Hounds of Love.

Careless Whisper.

Every time I hear that saxophone, I'm whisked straight back to the 80s... warm nights at the beach club cafe, peach melbas, my little gang of friends hanging out. Happy simpler times.

Everything I do, I do it for you was actually released in 1991.

I'm actually just sorting through my 80s CDs right now. We also recorded every episode of TOTP throughout the 80s and my Dad still has the VHs tapes. We also recorded all of Live Aid.

Small-town Boy is a great one. Groundbreaking at the time.

Difficult to pick one song. Possibly Imagination by Belouis Some as it seemed to different and risqué

Also in the running would be Hey Mickey and Stand and Deliver.

Lots of these but I would like to throw in Dire Straits Money for Nothing. The intro, the mention of colour tvs and microwave ovens. And MTV!

Queen - Radio GaGa at Live Aid

The 80's was THE BEST ever decade for music. Every song mentioned here is a classic in its own right.

Total Eclipse of The Heart is not my favourite but every time I hear it, I am a young teen again, on the waltzers at the fair, being spun around wayyy too fast by the 'young men' who worked the fair & my best friend throwing up, bright pink cherry coke (wasn't a thing back then but some other cherry fizzy drink) all over me!

Happy times & I would go back in a heart beat 🥰

Quailty song by best band ever. Saw Billy McKenzie singing live at big day out in Glasgow 1990, whit a voice, wit a man.

Jo Whiley played a corker recently- Hey, you, the Rock Steady Crew, by The Rock Steady Crew. That and something like Let's Hear it For the Boy by Deniece Williams are perfect 80s tunes for me. Both 1984, when the 80s came into their own. Late 80s stuff starts to sound like the 90s and early 80s like the 70s.

The video is fantastic. I remember everyone trying to break and bodypop in the playground.

She Sells Sanctuary

True by Spandau Ballet.

My fairground music anthem is Searchin' by Hazel Dean. They still play it now at the funfair we have in our village every summer. There was another one that I can never remember the name of.

Oh and 'You can ring my bell' by Anita Ward which was released on 27th December 1979, but was played on the radio all summer in 1980.

I've just thought of another.

Will You by Hazel O'connor from the iconic album Breaking Glass.

He was a local hero when the band won Eurovision and I also used to work his cousin

My nominations would be:

I Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
Don't You Want Me by the Human League
Temptation by Heaven 17
The Reflex by Duran Duran
West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys
Take On Me by A-ha
Tainted Love by Soft Cell
Africa by Toto
Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi

One of my Desert Island Discs!

This, or maybe Livin on a Prayer

Wake me up before you go go.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now is very 80s and I love it.
Love the Bananarama mentions.
That cheesy Love In The First Degree video! 😁
And Venus 👌

Superman or agadoo

Another one - Brothers in Arms Dire Straits!

Also George Michael eg Wake Me Up before You Gogo.

Wham - Club Tropicana

Yes.

The desert island will need a socket for my crimpers though.

Two more favourites (Euro summer holiday tunes)

Call me by Spagna

Voyage Voyage by Desireless

I've just asked Alexa to play Voyage Voyage as I couldn't resist a bit of nostalgia.

Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys