Recommended Western music for men in their 50s: world classics and popular songs

Time after timeCyndi Lauper

Cyndi Lauper – Time After Time (Official HD Video)

A single cut from Cyndi’s second album, True Colors, which rivaled Madonna in popularity in the ’80s.

This era marked the transition from analog records to CDs, and the album’s high-quality digital recording was praised by audio critics.

I’m In the Mood for DancingThe Nolans

The Nolans – I’m In the Mood for Dancing (Official Video)

A five-sister group from the UK.

With their friendly pop sound and adorable looks, they gained idol-like popularity.

Notably, they enjoyed greater success in Japan than in their home country: while “I’m in the Mood for Dancing” peaked at No.

3 in the UK, it reached No.

1 in Japan.

We Are The WorldUSA For Africa

U.S.A. For Africa – We Are the World

A charity song in which early-80s superstars gathered for a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration to help relieve famine and poverty in Africa, timed with the Grammy Awards.

Co-written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, it became a hit selling about 10 million copies worldwide.

Dancing QueenABBA

ABBA – Dancing Queen (Official Music Video)

The ABBA craze that swept the world in the mid-1970s also reached Japan, and Dancing Queen became a rare Western hit at the time that was sung by everyone from children to adults.

In 1980, they performed 11 shows, including at the Budokan—the first and last concerts they ever gave in Japan.

Have Never Been MellowOlivia Newton-John

Have You Never Been Mellow (The Temptation of a Gentle Breeze) / Olivia Newton-John

In the 1970s, Olivia was the very image of a pure idol—like a singing fairy—captivating men across Japan as she sang with her blonde hair fluttering in the wind.

While her beautiful features made her looks a topic of admiration, her work from the 1980s onward shows clearly that she also possessed solid talent as a singer.

9 To 5 (Morning Train)Sheena Easton

9 to 5 Morning Train — Sheena Easton

She made her debut after being featured in a documentary about a woman aspiring to be a singer in the UK, and in Japan she became a major sensation in 1980 at the moment of her debut for her outstanding beauty and beautiful voice.

Following her debut single, “Modern Girl,” this song also became a big hit in both Japan and the United States.

Karma ChameleonCulture Club

Culture Club – Karma Chameleon (Official Music Video)

As a leading act of the British Invasion that saw UK bands dominate the U.

S.

music charts in the early 1980s alongside Duran Duran, Culture Club’s signature songs also drew attention for lead singer Boy George’s cross-dressing fashion.