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.

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.

We Are The WorldUSA For Africa

USA For Africa – We Are The World (HQ official Video)

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.

Take On Mea-ha

a-ha – Take On Me (Official Video) [4K]

Released in 1985, a-ha’s synth-pop masterpiece is known as one of the defining mega-hits of the ’80s.

The fresh sound crafted by the Norwegian trio blends seamlessly with Morten Harket’s striking high-register vocals.

Centered on the courage to take a chance on love, the lyrics underscore the importance of embracing risks and striving forward.

Its innovative animated music video became a sensation as well, winning six MTV Video Music Awards.

Capturing the radiant spirit of the 1980s, this work overflows with a universal appeal that anyone can hum along to.

PrivateEyesDaryl Hall & John Oates

Daryl Hall & John Oates – Private Eyes (Official HD Video)

They were a male duo known for their blue-eyed soul who had been popular since the 1970s, and they really broke big in Japan once the ’80s began.

Especially from the late ’70s to the early ’80s, every song they released seemed to soar into the upper ranks of the charts, and their music videos were played on Best Hit USA almost every week.

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.