RAG MusicHit Song
Lovely hit song
search

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!

Playlist

Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
show_chartTitlePlaylistOne point
1eastSummer Of ‘69Bryan AdamsA major star born in Canada, and in 2020...
2eastEvery Breath You TakeThe PoliceA beautiful s... that everyone has heard at least once
3eastThe Boys of SummerDon HenleyThe legendary band that will go down in rock history, the Eagles’ dra…
4eastGirls Just Want To Have FunCyndi LauperAnnounced retirement from tours in 2024, 20…
5eastPanamaVan HalenA powerful guitar riff that leaps into your ears...
6eastCongaMiami Sound MachineSpeaking of Latin disco from the ’80s, Glo...
7eastHungry like the WolfDuran DuranA dynamic portrayal of a hunter’s mood, ravenous like a wolf...
8eastCum on Feel the NoizeQuiet RiotThe ... of 1980s American hard rock
9eastNeed You TonightINXSIn the dance-rock scene of the 1980s, abs...
10eastVacationThe Go-Go’sA pioneering all-female band...
11eastYouth Gone WildSkid RowA skit from the U.S. state of New Jersey…
12eastLa Isla BonitaMadonnaThey were enormously active from the 1980s through the 1990s…
13eastLet’s DanceDavid BowieIn 1983, when the disco boom was in full swing, Lily...
14eastSummertimeFun Boy ThreeBritain’s representative pop band, Funbo…
15eastInto The GrooveMadonnaThis song, which sings of a passion for the dance floor and a budding romance, is a mas…
16eastAin’t NobodyRufus and Chaka KhanIt's impossible to talk about the funk scene of the '80s without mentioning...
17eastJumpVan HalenA representative of hard rock and heavy metal...
18eastI Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)Whitney HoustonThe flashy synth sound in the opening...
19eastEndless Summer NightsRichard MarxA assertive snare resonance and a romantic sa...
20eastPrivate EyesDaryl Hall & John OatesThe 1980s saw booms across a variety of genres…
21eastHot Summer NightsMiami Sound MachineIn the Western music scene of the 1980s, the most “...
22eastShoutTears for FearsRoland Orzabal and Curt Smith...
23eastKarma ChameleonCulture ClubThe British band that gained worldwide popularity in the 1980s…
24eastRosannaTOTOReleased in 1982 by Toto...
25north_eastLong Hot SummerThe Style CouncilThe British rock band, The Style Coun...
26south_eastIt’s Still Rock & Roll to MeBilly JoelSpeaking of 1980, a new wave emerged in the music world...
27south_eastStraight UpPaula AbdulA revolution in the late-80s dance-pop scene…
28eastOur Last SummerABBAEveryone must have some memories related to summer. Tho…
29eastDirty DianaMichael JacksonA song about a woman at a concert or club...
30eastPermanent VacationAerosmithIn 1987, Geffen Records…
31eastCold HeartedPaula AbdulAn American singer who colored the 80s, P…
32eastKissPrince & The RevolutionBeautifully blurring the line between funk and pop...
33eastGoin’ CrazyDavid Lee RothA hard rock sound that explodes right from the intro...
34eastSea Of LoveRobert PlantFormer Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robe…
35eastEyes Without A FaceBilly IdolB… is a British rock musician...
36eastSummertime RollsJane’s AddictionR.E.M and Red Hot Chili Pepp...
37eastSummer NightsVan HalenVan Halen’s seventh album, released in ’86…
38eastClub TropicanaWham!George, a pop star representing the United Kingdom...
39south_eastCold HeartedPaula AbdulPaula Ab..., an American singer
40eastForever YoungAlphavilleA song about the virtues of youth and the fear of aging and death...
41eastJessie’s GirlRIck SpringfieldHandsome singer from Australia, Ri…
42eastKokomoThe Beach BoysWhen it comes to summer, this band—the legendary Beach Bo...
43eastWalking On SunshineKatrina and The WavesHe was originally the guitarist for The Soft Boys...
44eastLonely Summer NightsStray catsStray Cats, the ’81 “goin’ D…
45eastLike A PrayerMadonnaLily by Madonna in 1989…
46eastHigh ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)Def LeppardA hard rock band from Sheffield, England...
47eastRioDuran DuranCombining outstanding looks with advanced musicality, ...
48eastBette Davis EyesKim CarnesDonna Weiss and Jackie D…
49eastIf You Don’t Know Me By NowSimply RedOriginally, Kenny Gamble and Leo…
50eastLittle JeannieElton JohnIn 1980 by Elton John...
51eastSummer’s HereJames TaylorAs a song that makes you feel the arrival of summer, “Summe…”
52eastManiacMichael SembelloAmerican singer-songwriter Mi...
53eastJessie’s GirlRIck SpringfieldAustralian singer Rick …
54eastPapa Don’t PreachMadonnaThe album “To…” released in 1986
55eastGhostbustersRay Parker Jr.Ghost, a film that has been loved for many years...
56eastThe One That You LoveAir SupplyA soft rock group from Australia…
57eastJust Like ParadiseDavid Lee RothThe 80s, draped in the glittering atmosphere of summer…
58eastWild Summer NightsEddie&The Cruisers『Wild Summer Nights』…
59eastIf This Is ItHuey Lewis & The NewsAn American band that represents the ’80s, and...
60eastDon’t You Want MeThe Human LeagueThe heyday of British synth-pop was, with this song, a...
61eastDanger ZoneKenny LogginsIn the Western music scene of the 1980s, the most “...
62eastCherishKool and The GangWith seagull cries and the sound of waves playing as sound effects, a sorrowf...
63eastCaribbean QueenBilly OceanHe broke through with the 1984 album Suddenly...
64eastThere Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)EurythmicsSung about happiness through love and pure joy...
65eastThe Power of LoveHuey Lewis & The NewsThe band H…, based in San Francisco
66eastOn The BeachChris RaeFrom their home country of the UK, as an AOR artist…
67eastMagicOlivia Newton-JohnThe movie Xanadu, released in 1980…
68eastComing UpPaul McCartneyBy Paul McCartney in 19…
69eastHurts So GoodJohn MellencampAn American singer-songwriter...
70south_eastHurts So GoodJohn MellencampJohn Mellencamp's Hurt…
71eastTake On Mea-haThe genre that gained the most popularity in the 1980s and…
72eastCruel SummerBananaramaThis woman with the distinctive name Bananarama...
73eastYou Give Love A Bad NameBon JoviNot just in America, but the world’s hard roc…
74eastWhen Doves CryPrinceThe 1984 album “Purpl…
75eastDon’t Answer MeThe Alan Parsons ProjectThe Alan Parsons Project is Bee...
76eastSummer GirlsY&TA hard rock band from California…
77eastSummer FunThe BarracudasThe Barracudas, in 1979...
78eastDon’t Worry Be HappyBobby McFerrinSuddenly, but what kind of image do you have of summer…
79eastThe FlameCheap TrickOriginally a British singer, Elki…
80eastNever Gonna Give You UpRick AstleyRick Astley, who achieved a global smash hit...
81eastSelf ControlLaura BraniganThe Brooklyn-born singer, Laura Branigan…
82eastRhythm Of The NightDeBargeA dance classic that evokes the summers of the ’80s…
83eastYour LoveThe OutfieldBased in London, England, and highly regarded around the world...
84south_eastComing UpPaul McCartneyThe legendary rock band, The Beatles…
85eastEye Of The TigerSurvivorEveryone’s familiar with Survivor’s “Eye …”
86eastSacrificeElton JohnThe painful lyrics depicting a breakup between a man and a woman are striking…
87eastYou Belong to the CityGlenn FreyDon Henley, a fellow member of the Eagles…
88eastWake Me Up Before You Go-GoWham!Wham, the duo that’s hugely popular in Japan as well. Speaking of Wham...
89eastUpside DownDiana RossSinger Dia from Detroit, USA…
90eastSunset GrillDon HenleyNo explanation is needed at this point, but the Eagles’ dra...
91eastSealed With A KissJason DonovanOriginally from Australia. Active since childhood as a child actor, …
92eastDown UnderMen At WorkA leading representative of Australia in the 1980s, Ro...
93eastSteal AwayRobbie DupreeSinging, “Let’s sneak out together at night, just the two of us…”
94eastIt’s Still Rock and Roll to MeBilly JoelIn 1980 by Billy Joel…
95eastLove ShackThe B-52’sThe moment that singing voice hit my ears, I sudde...
96eastStone In LoveJourneyThat nostalgic summer night is calling me—what should I do…
97eastSledgehammerPeter GabrielHailing from the UK, the legendary rock band Gen…
98eastMagicThe CarsThe Cars’ fifth album, Heartbeat…
99eastSummer RainBelinda CarlisleAfter leaving the Go-Go’s, Be… has been active as a solo artist.
100eastUnder The BoardwalkBette MidlerA moving portrayal of a 30-year friendship between two women.
101eastNever SurrenderCorey HartCanadian singer Corey Har...
102eastLet’s Hear It for the BoyDeniece WilliamsAn urban dance classic overflowing with exhilaration...
103eastWalk Of LifeDire StraitsThe legendary rock band from the United Kingdom, Da...
104eastLambadaKaomaIn the late 1980s, buoyed by the booming bubble economy...
105eastSunshine ReggaeLaid BackThe so-called one-hit wonder…
106eastDressed For SuccessRoxetteRox…, a Swedish rock duo
107eastSuddenly Last SummerThe MotelsAn '80s film called 'One Last Summer of Memories'…
108eastSailingChristopher CrossSpeaking of the leading and quintessential figure in AOR, …
109eastRound and RoundRattCombining outstanding looks with advanced musicality, ...
110eastRoll With ItSteve WinwoodA perfect love song for summer—and even a cheer anthem...
111eastHot In The CityBilly IdolIn the 70s, positioned as the younger brother of the Sex Pistols, and...
112eastDancing In the DarkBruce SpringsteenPrimarily active in pop rock and heartland rock…
113eastPour Some Sugar On MeDef LeppardAn ear-catching guitar riff and an unforgettable chorus...
114eastSweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)EurythmicsA charismatic duo in the UK synth-pop scene…
115eastParadise CityGuns N’ RosesAn American who churned out hit songs in the 1980s...
116eastFlashdance… What A FeelingIrene CaraThe 1983 film “Flashdance…”
117eastCrazy Crazy NightsKISSSpeaking of a rousing song that colored the summers of the ’80s,…
118eastAll Night LongLionel RichieNot only in Black music but also in popular...
119eastFunkytownLipps IncThe disco hit that took the world by storm in 1980...
120eastLa BambaLos LobosOriginally popular at weddings and other celebratory occasions…
121eastPhysicalOlivia Newton-JohnOlivia Newton-Johnによ…
122eastNothin’ But A Good TimePoisonAn energetic ... that blows away the summer heat.
123eastLosing My ReligionR.E.M.A legendary rock band that had a global impact...
124eastWe Got The BeatThe Go-Go’sTh… who dominated the rock scene of the 1980s
125eastTurn Up the RadioAutographThis song, known as a hit from the 1980s...
126eastSchool’s OutKrokusA Swiss-born ha—who rose to popularity in the 1980s...
127eastToy SoldiersMartikaA track that sings about drug addiction. A…
128eastSummer of LoveThe B-52’sKnown for a pop sound that uses keyboards...
129eastI’m So ExcitedThe Pointer SistersThe P... is an American R&B group.
130eastWhat’s Love Got To Do With ItTina TurnerBlack music with a rock flavor…
131eastDon’t Stop BelievinJourneyGaining immense popularity in the rock scene of the 1980s...