These underrated 80s tracks slap! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for those 1980s bangers that may have flown under your collective radar.
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00:00Welcome to Miss Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for those 1980s bangers that
00:15may have flown under your collective radar.
00:2620.
00:27Only Lonely – Bon Jovi Bon Jovi may be a multi-platinum selling rock
00:33act, but that doesn't mean they don't possess some serious deep cuts in their back
00:38catalog.
00:47Only Lonely is taken from the band's sophomore effort 7800 Degrees Fahrenheit, which was
00:53a more experimental and artistic take on Bon Jovi's melodic rock.
00:58Here, the anthemic hooks of Bon Jovi's self-titled debut are tempered with sleek and synthesized
01:04sound.
01:05While the accompanying music video feels like a mini-movie, the chorus is to die for, as
01:11well as a desperate-sounding and emotionally charged performance from Bon Jovi that ranks
01:16among his very best.
01:21We're saying it right here and now, don't sleep on Only Lonely.
01:3019.
01:31Self Control – Laura Branigan The original version of Self Control was an
01:35Italo disco song released by singer Raff in 1984.
01:40But it's Laura Branigan's cover of the tune from that same year that's arguably
01:44endured to the modern day.
01:54The song is steeped in a massive-sounding 1980s production, yet Branigan's vocals
02:00never get lost in the mix.
02:02Instead, her powerful delivery shines through, as booming synths and hot guitar licks compliment
02:07the song's danceable beat.
02:18Self-control is hooky as hell, from that infectious chorus to each groovy verse.
02:23Oh, and that music video?
02:25Pure 80s excellence, y'all.
02:2718.
02:28Dead Man's Party – Oingo Boingo Danny Elfman may be best known today for his
02:33wonderful film scores, but old-school 80s kids know full well how dope Oingo Boingo
02:38was back in the day.
02:44Dead Man's Party is perhaps one of the group's catchiest tunes, and appeared on the soundtrack
02:54for the Rodney Dangerfield film, Back to School, back in 1986.
02:59The song possesses a vibe all its own, with throbbing bass, cool lyrics, and Elfman's
03:04soaring, enchanting vocals.
03:12Dead Man's Party may be finally getting its due these days on some Halloween mixes
03:17from the cooler kids you know, but we'll always cop to being fans of this one-of-a-kind
03:22group.
03:2317.
03:24Message of Love – The Pretenders Is there any pop act more representative of
03:30the 1980s than The Pretenders?
03:32Maybe, but we highly doubt they have a front person as terminally cool as Chrissy freaking
03:38Hyne.
03:46Message of Love possesses a vibe that's simultaneously current and retro.
03:51A 50s throwback visually, but a new wave classic back in its day, Hyne's vocals are intentionally
03:57minimalistic and disinterested, almost a precursor to some of the things Sheryl Crow would do
04:02on her debut album in the 90s.
04:05Message of Love is melodic and deceptively well-written, incorporating multiple moods
04:10that feel ahead of their time in terms of structure and efficiency.
04:2016.
04:22Run With Us – Lisa Lohe If you were a kid living in Canada during the
04:261980s, then it's highly likely that you loved watching The Raccoons on TV.
04:32It's also likely that you loved its theme song, Run With Us, by Lisa Lohe, and we're
04:38right there with you.
04:45There's something emotionally resonant about the song that we can't quite explain.
04:50Lohe's vocals are powerful, but also possess a palpable energy that just drives home that
04:55million-dollar chorus.
04:57Run With Us boasts a compelling synth beat, some high-energy guitar licks, and some gothic
05:02backing atmosphere that are unlike anything else from the time.
05:15It takes us back to youthful innocence every time we hear it.
05:1915.
05:20A Mission In Life – Stan Ridgway You may not know the name Stan Ridgway, but
05:25fans with their ears to the ground back in the 1980s can probably recall his old band,
05:31Wall of Voodoo.
05:32That group possessed its own quirky 80s history with their hit Mexican Radio, but this solo
05:38cut from Ridgway is comparatively more confessional and down to earth.
05:49The vibe feels more Billy Joel than New Wave weirdness, but that isn't a bad thing.
05:54The backing instrumentation is particularly evocative and showcases Ridgway's unique
05:59vocals in a wonderful way.
06:01The production is also thick and layered, in that way only 80s records could be.
06:09It's a deep cut that we highly recommend.
06:1614.
06:17Wings Of The Storm – Whitesnake You'd be forgiven for ignoring Wings Of
06:21The Storm by Whitesnake, since it was conveniently tucked away at the end of their 1989 album
06:27Slip Of The Tongue.
06:36If you did do that, however, then you'd be missing out on what's perhaps the glam
06:41metal band's fastest and most aggressive moment.
06:44Whitesnake's bluesy history from the 1970s is all but forgotten, as Wings Of The Storm
06:50rips out of the gate with a startling amount of speed.
06:53It never lets up on the gas either, as Steve Vai's fretboard is practically set alight,
06:59as the guitarist lets it rip with fiery licks.
07:09David Coverdale, for his part, stretches his vocal cords to the heavens, proving Whitesnake's
07:14metallic might without a shadow of doubt.
07:1713.
07:1880s – Killing Joke We realize that having a song simply titled
07:2380s on this list may seem lazy, but this English group was anything but complacent.
07:29Killing Joke was a remarkably prescient and forward-thinking band for their time, serving
07:34as influences for many other groups in their wake.
07:44Nirvana was absolutely one of those bands, to the point where the latter's Come As
07:49You Are has been accused of stealing the main riff from 80s.
07:57Do you hear it?
07:58We admit that it's close, but we also admire Killing Joke's cutting, almost industrial
08:03guitar tone and martial approach to delivering the rhythms.
08:17Is it post-punk?
08:18Alternative?
08:19New wave?
08:20We're not sure, but what we do know is that 80s is killer.
08:2512.
08:26But Not Tonight – Depeche Mode The discography of Depeche Mode is chock-full
08:31of bangers, but 1986's Black Celebration just has to count among the band's best.
08:45But Not Tonight is perhaps a lesser-known track from that album, however, because it
08:49possesses a more upbeat feeling to its melodies.
08:52Black Celebration is fairly dark on the whole, and But Not Tonight breaks things up nicely
08:57with a sound that harkens back to Depeche Mode's more minimalistic work.
09:11The electronic framework is cold, but Dave Gahan's vocals are red-hot, and But Not
09:16Tonight is made all the better for that fact.
09:1911.
09:20Don't Pay The Ferryman – Chris De Burg What's the first song you think of when
09:25the name Chris De Burg comes up in conversation?
09:28Most of us would probably list his hit 1986 ballad, Lady In Red, for obvious reasons.
09:44Don't Pay The Ferryman from 1982 couldn't sound any more removed from that hit, however.
09:49An energetic art-rock song for the ages, the production is polished to a silvery sheen
09:56and Don't Pay The Ferryman is written with electricity to spare.
10:05De Burg's vocals are evocative and in-control, detailing the song's mythological and Shakespearean
10:11origins with a palpable power.
10:13As a result, Don't Pay The Ferryman practically begs for repeated spins.
10:2310.
10:28When I'm Gone – Albert Hammond A double-edged sword about professional songwriting
10:32is how one can remain almost completely anonymous while also having a profound effect upon millions
10:39of music fans.
10:46Albert Hammond was one of those people.
10:49A prolific composer who wrote hits for others but seemed to eschew personal fame when it
10:54came down to his own career, When I'm Gone practically begs for the listener to do some
10:59deep digging into Hammond's career, however, thanks to this song's confessional nature
11:04and emotional viability.
11:10The song feels tailor-made to connect with its audience, a beautifully melancholic song
11:15that boasts a fantastic production, one that perfectly highlights Hammond's voice.
11:20When I'm Gone is a hidden gem that deserves all the flowers.
11:259.
11:26No Easy Way Out – Robert Tepper You just know it when you hear it.
11:31Call it montage music or training music, it's those songs that show up in movies
11:36when times are tough and demand that the heroes step up their game.
11:47For Celeste Stallone in Rocky IV, that song was No Easy Way Out by Robert Tepper and it's
11:53an absolute masterclass.
12:10Tepper is without a shred of irony as his vocal performance goes for broke with a sincere
12:15amount of power and passion.
12:17It's such a barn burner that the accompanying instrumentation almost feels like an afterthought.
12:23Pay attention, there are some amazing melodic choices here.
12:33No Easy Way Out makes us feel like world champions.
12:36Every day.
12:378.
12:38Age of Consent – New Order New Order rose from the ashes of Joy Division,
12:44a trailblazing boys in the burgeoning post-punk and early alternative rock movement.
12:49That band's purposefully minimalistic style was opened up and brightened up a bit with
12:54New Order, however, influencing an entire generation of goth rock fans in the process.
13:05Age of Consent is taken from New Order's sophomore effort, Power, Corruption and Lies,
13:10and immediately strikes as something special.
13:13The reverberating guitar chords and echoed production are evocative as hell, while Bernard
13:18Sumner's vocals float atop it all with personality and style.
13:29Trust us, if you dig The Cure, The Smiths or Depeche Mode, then check this one out.
13:357.
13:36Cambodia – Kim Wild If you only know the career of Kim Wild from
13:40her early hit Kids in America, then might we suggest the singer's more experimental
13:45sophomore effort, Select.
13:47This 1982 album was marked by a pronounced atmosphere of experimentation and even slight
13:53menace, as evidenced by this single, Cambodia.
14:05The song is dark and mysterious, a layered synth-pop song that feels delivered from outer
14:10space yet anchored by Wild's gorgeous, otherworldly voice.
14:14View from a Bridge is another great song from Select, but there's only one Cambodia,
14:20and once you hear it, we doubt you'll forget it.
14:266.
14:28It's a Sin – Pet Shop Boys Isn't it funny how songs tend to take on
14:40lives of their own?
14:42The Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant told the Daily Dish in 2019 how he originally wrote
14:47It's a Sin without much thought as to how seriously it would be taken by the group's
14:52fans.
14:53The song was initially conceived during Tennant's reflection about his Catholic school upbringing,
15:04but many fans today have internalized the song's themes of oppression and shame and
15:09frequently interpret them as cathartic.
15:16Tennant also interestingly compared It's a Sin and the Pet Shop Boys' high-energy
15:21music to heavy metal, and you know what?
15:23We totally hear it.
15:25It's a Sin rocks, plain and simple.
15:285.
15:29Dancing With Tears In My Eyes – Ultravox That title may sound extravagant, because
15:35it is.
15:36But that's just part and parcel for Ultravox's deeply romantic, new wave sound.
15:41The British group formed in the 70s, but saw their greatest success in the 80s, thanks
15:46to gems like him and The Voice.
15:53Dancing With Tears In My Eyes highlights how Midge Yerr's lead vocals truly take Ultravox
15:58to another level, as he soars above the song's synthesized 80s beat with a stately grandeur.
16:05This is 80s pop at its most melodramatic, but also some of its most melodically satisfying.
16:18The songwriting is impeccable, the chorus wonderful, and the execution note-perfect.
16:24Check out Ultravox, you won't be disappointed.
16:274.
16:28Ride Like The Wind – Christopher Cross Christopher Cross's debut album may have
16:32dropped for Christmas of 1979, but this first single thankfully fits our criteria, having
16:38been released in February of the following year.
16:42If we're being honest though, any time is a great time to rock Ride Like The Wind.
16:52This isn't only due to the spectacular songwriting displayed by Cross, but also those amazing
16:58backing vocals from Michael McDonald.
17:00The former Doobie Brother assists Cross in a way only he can, smoothing over Ride Like
17:05The Wind with his velvety voice and creating pure musical heaven in the process.
17:153.
17:20Wild Wild West – The Escape Club The story of The Escape Club is a funny one,
17:25since this British export actually didn't do too well on their homeland.
17:30Wild Wild West was a hit in the US, however, and we totally see why, because the song feels
17:35like a movie montage scene come to life.
17:45This isn't a slight whatsoever, mind you, because we admire The Escape Club's dedication
17:49to unabashed, sugar-coated pop.
17:52Wild Wild West is an earworm that sounds indebted to Duran Duran, with an approach that's
17:58weird and nearly impossible to categorize.
18:00It's funky, with a little rock for good measure, and catchy as hell.
18:102.
18:11Cayley – Marillion It may seem improbable that a 1980s prog
18:16rock band could go on to influence the proliferation of an actual forename in their native UK,
18:23but truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
18:35The early career of Marillion was largely indebted to the sound of 70s Genesis, but
18:39Cayley was an unadulterated pop hit from a group known for crafting 10-minute-plus epics.
18:47Lead singer Phish emotes with abandon, while the chorus and delay-drenched guitar of Steve
18:52Rothery creates that insanely catchy opening lick.
18:59It's beautiful and bittersweet, a true gem deserving of discovery by anyone who assumed
19:081.
19:28The Sun Always Shines On TV – A-ha Norway's A-ha will probably always be best
19:35known for their smash international single, Take On Me, however there's also a lot of
19:45other musical gold to be mined for fans seeking out more great music.
19:50The band's theme to the James Bond film The Living Daylights was a franchise highlight,
19:55but The Sun Always Shines On TV may just be A-ha's secret weapon.
20:08Morten Harket delivers a vocal performance that rivals even his watershed moments on
20:13Take On Me, while also proving that A-ha was no one-hit wonder.
20:18The Sun Always Shines On TV is expertly composed and magnificently executed.
20:24A slice of absolute pop-rock perfection.
20:34Feel like shouting out a deep cut from your favorite band?
20:37Let us know in the comments!
20:43Do you agree with our picks?
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