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The Groovy Disco Era of the 80s

5 Singles of the 80s That Got the World Grooving

After Eric Clapton, The Beatles, and Queen were done raising the bar of music in the 70s, came a decade of the 80s that had to live up to its predecessors. They had to outperform the kings of the 70s while creating a definitive style for themselves. Riding on a claim of ‘New Wave’ music, the bands that emerged introduced the world to letting one’s hair down and busting a move. Up-tempo beats, electronic freestyle tunes and carefree lyrics characterized this generation of disco musicians. Check out five songs from the 80s that we think stood out not only in the Western market but even trickled into the Indian landscape.

Bryan Adams: Summer of 69

“… and nothing can last forever, forever, yeah” except “Summer of 69”, which was created by Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, whose peak hit an unparalleled high in the 80s and has since lasted in the minds of millions.  The song that belonged to his fourth album Reckless (1984) is till date one of the favourite cover songs for bands and crowds at live gigs.

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Michael Jackson: Billie Jean

When Michael Jackson died in June 2009 the world was thrown into a frenzy. From flash mobs to endless tributes, to a public memorial service, grief was pouring out of hearts from across the globe. The scene was somewhat similar when the funk number “Billie Jean” from the 1983 album Thriller came out. The song stayed as number one on the Billboards Top 100 chart for seven weeks straight; it was the third bestselling single of 1983 in the US, and won a lot of other awards until it made its way to a few elevators in five star hotels, proving its ubiquitous recognition.

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UB40: Red Red Wine

A song that became a chart topper in 1983 apparently bores members of the British pop-reggae band UB40 today. Regardless of them liking it, the song “Red Red Wine” ironically applies the concept of wine to itself – it gets better with the passage of time. Something to note would be the fact that the song was initially written by songwriter Neil Diamond, which when covered by UB 40 in their own style, caught on like wildfire.

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Madonna: Like a Virgin

A song that hovers over the realm of dance-pop, and allegedly promotes sex without marriage, “Like a Virgin”, was part of Madonna’s second studio album with the same name that released in 1984. The song, has been used in stylish movies like Reservoir Dogs, Moulin Rouge!, and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, besides ensconcing her position as a successful pop musician.

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George Michael: Careless Whisper

If you haven’t heard this song you’re probably not alive, living on a non-existent planet Pluto or are part of a genome that doesn’t have ears. “Careless Whisper”, a George Michael classic, was one of the heartbreak favourites that were born in the 80s. Belonging to the smooth jazz variety, the song wears the sale of nearly six million copies on its sleeve.

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To know about independent music that held the reigns in India during the 80s, read here. To see our list of popular songs of the 60s and 70s as a collective era, see here.

PS: This is an attempt to encapsulate ten years into 5 songs. Over ambitious you say. But we like reminiscing the past through songs we grew up to.

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