1980s: Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Classic and Hit Songs
When it comes to the 1980s, it’s often called the “golden era” of Western rock music.
From the perspective of rock bands, it was a time when many veteran groups—still active today—made their debuts, and countless worldwide hits that went down in history were born.
This time, we’re spotlighting hit songs and classics by Western rock bands from that very 1980s!
Alongside energetic, quintessentially ’80s rock numbers and stadium-ready ballads, we’ve assembled a varied lineup that also reflects the era’s birth of the so-called New Wave—unbound by traditional rock—and the alternative rock that would lead into the 1990s.
- Legendary Western rock masterpieces and hit songs of the 80s
- Top Western Music Artists of the 1980s: Ranking [2025]
- [1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80's Best Hit Songs
- Nothing but classics! A nostalgic collection of ’80s Western ballads
- [Definitive Edition] Masterpieces and Hit Songs of 80s Disco
- Love songs in Western music that were hits in the 1980s. World-famous classics and popular tracks.
- Golden age of Western music! Recommended summer songs that were hits in the 80s
- Great Western rock classics and hit songs of the ’90s
- [Grabs Your Heart] A Compilation of Western Songs with Cool Intros [2025]
- Hidden gems of Western music. Lesser-known songs.
- 90s Rock Revolution! A Collection of Masterpieces by Western Bands That Colored the 90s
- [Western Music] Cool Three-Piece Bands: Recommended Trios Roundup [2025]
- [A Collection of Classics] Nostalgic 70s Western Hit Songs
[1980s] Legendary Western Rock Bands’ Masterpieces and Hit Songs (91–100)
Come on eileenDexys Midnight Runners
It’s the smash hit by the British band Dexys Midnight Runners, led by Kevin Rowland, which reached No.
1 in the U.
S.
in 1983.
The melody line, carried by violin and banjo with a Celtic feel, is very striking, and the female vocals are distinctive yet wonderfully pleasant.
Is This LoveWhitesnake
A song by Whitesnake, the legendary rock band led by David Coverdale, famed as the vocalist of Deep Purple.
It’s included on their seventh album—released as “Serpens Albus” (The Badge of the White Snake) in Japan, “Whitesnake” in the United States, and “1987” in Europe.
The intro is especially memorable, where a spacious string sound intertwines with a wistful guitar tone.
Even if you don’t understand English, the ensemble underpinning the emotional vocals resonates deeply.
A timeless rock ballad that evokes its era without ever fading.
[1980s] Masterpieces and hit songs by legendary Western rock bands (101–110)
Primitive PaintersFelt
Neo-acoustic, a music movement said to have evolved from post-punk, was indispensable in the ’80s.
The band that became a leading figure of this neo-acoustic boom was Felt.
With dreamy melodies and performances, and a clean, non-distorted guitar sound, they are a rock band that stands as a quintessential representative of this boom, which also reached Japan.
The Killing MoonEcho & the Bunnymen
Known as a masterpiece of 80s neo-psychedelia, this song remains one of Echo & The Bunnymen’s signature tracks, beloved by many fans to this day.
Released in January 1984, it reached No.
9 on the UK Singles Chart, earned a Gold certification, and sold over 400,000 copies.
It’s marked by its dreamy atmosphere, wistful melody, and profound lyrics symbolizing fate and the cosmos.
Featured in the 2001 film Donnie Darko, it stunned a new generation as well.
It’s a perfect track to listen to in the stillness of the night.
Love Will Tear Us ApartJoy Division
A song that thrived in the 1970s, “Love Will Tear Us Apart” was released in 1980, the year vocalist Ian Curtis died by suicide.
In the late phase of the 1970s punk boom, Joy Division were a band labeled post-punk, and 1980 was the year when a rock star who helped lead the ’70s passed away.
It’s a track that signals the dawn of the 1980s.
Don’t You (Forget About Me)Simple Minds
If we had to pick one anthemic song that defines the ’80s, it would be this one.
Catapulted to fame by its use in the film The Breakfast Club, it remains Simple Minds’ signature track, radiating a timeless appeal.
The lyrics, which speak to changing relationships and the fear of being forgotten, are sure to resonate deeply with listeners.
Hitting No.
1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in May 1985 and topping the charts in Canada as well, the song became the band’s breakthrough in America.
Jim Kerr’s striking vocals and the memorable “la-la-la-la” ending make it a track you’ll want to revisit alongside memories of your youth.
My Ever Changing MoodsThe Style Council
The Style Council was a unit formed by Paul Weller, the former vocalist of the punk band The Jam, after the group disbanded.
His partner was the world-renowned keyboardist Mick Talbot.
Released in 1984, My Ever Changing Moods, with its stylish sound, inspired many followers.