Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
When it comes to the music scene of the ’80s, it’s often said that here in Japan, Western music was at its most dazzling, and the era produced countless hit songs that remain vivid in both memory and record.
With the disco boom, the spread of synthesizers that brought glittering, flashy sounds, and the visual strategies built around music videos following the birth of MTV, a succession of legendary superstars emerged.
In this article, we’ve focused on summer hits from the ’80s, while also weaving in tracks with a summery feel and timeless songs that seem perfect for listening to in the summer.
For those who lived through the era, it’s nostalgic; for younger listeners, it’s fresh.
Enjoy this selection of hits!
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Golden Age of Western Music! Recommended Summer Songs That Hit in the ’80s (21–30)
ShoutTears for Fears
A duo consisting of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith.
A single released in 1984, it became a massive hit, reaching No.
2 in the UK and No.
1 in the US.
With its exotic, sultry, reverb-drenched synthesizer sound and a catchy chorus introduction, it’s a track with a mesmerizing quality that sticks in your head after just one listen.
Karma ChameleonCulture Club
Culture Club is a British pop music band that achieved worldwide popularity in the 1980s.
Centered around genres like New Wave and New Romantic, they helped define the decade’s distinctive sound.
One of their signature works is Karma Chameleon.
Its lyrics are both unique and bittersweet, portraying a gay man who pines for another man that won’t return his affection, likening him to a chameleon.
The chorus is frequently used in Japanese media, so many people are likely familiar with it.
RosannaTOTO
A track released by Toto in 1982.
Keyboard player Steve Porcaro was inspired by actress Rosanna Arquette, whom he was dating at the time.
It became a hit around the world and won a Grammy Award.
The music video features actor Patrick Swayze.
Long Hot SummerThe Style Council
The Style Council is a British rock band.
One of their best-known songs is Long Hot Summer.
It blends elements of jazz and soul, creating a downcast mood.
The lyrics tell of someone devastated by a breakup, who realizes the long summer has ended while they were in despair.
Listening to it can make your chest ache.
Incidentally, 1983, the year the song was released, is also remembered in the UK for an unusually intense heatwave.
It’s Still Rock & Roll to MeBilly Joel
1980 was a landmark year that saw a new wave sweep through the music world, and this track—Billy Joel’s first-ever No.
1 on the U.
S.
charts—is a thrilling rock number packed with a scathing critique of the scene at the time.
Written from a sharp perspective that even so-called “new” movements like New Wave were ultimately just rehashes of past styles, and featuring a distinctive sax solo, the song became a signature single from the album Glass Houses, spending six consecutive weeks at No.
1.
Crank it up for a midsummer drive or any event and let the good times roll.
Straight UpPaula Abdul
Paula Abdul, an American artist who revolutionized the late-’80s dance-pop scene.
Having first found success as a choreographer, she released her debut album Forever Your Girl in 1988, and its third single became a landmark work that would define her musical career.
Its sound—an adroit blend of New Jack Swing and funk—stands out alongside lyrics that candidly express the complexities of romance.
The black-and-white music video, directed by David Fincher, featured Abdul’s own sophisticated choreography and became a sensation, winning four awards at the 1989 MTV Video Music Awards.
The song topped the Billboard chart for three consecutive weeks and became a global smash, reaching the top 10 in more than 16 countries.
A perfect pick for your midsummer playlist!
Our Last SummerABBA
Everyone must have memories related to summer.
And regardless of what they are, there are times when the arrival of summer brings them back to mind.
With that in mind, let me introduce “Our Last Summer,” a piece released by the Swedish music group ABBA.
It’s a passionate ballad that evokes a beautiful romance from a summer long past.
It’s also lovely that the song leaves out the details—what happened afterward, what emotions the protagonist feels upon remembering—and leaves them to the listener’s imagination.