[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs
The 1980s brought changes to music history and had a huge influence on later musicians.
Cyndi Lauper, Culture Club, Madonna, Earth, Wind & Fire.
.
.
Even those who didn’t live through the era can sink into a sense of nostalgia that feels familiar somehow.
Compared to modern songs, the classics of the ’80s often boast purer song quality and stronger musical structure—or, seen another way, the larger market meant bigger budgets, letting you enjoy luxuriously produced sounds.
Find a favorite track and really dive into it!
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- Top Western Music Artists of the 1980s: Ranking [2025]
- [80s Western Music] A roundup of debut songs by girl bands
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- Still Shining! Recommended Female Singers of 1980s Western Music
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- [Nostalgic] A roundup of anime songs and theme songs that were hits in the 1980s
[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (51–60)
AllentownBilly Joel
Peaked at No.
17 in the U.
S.
in 1983.
Billy Joel’s 1982 album The Nylon Curtain is now regarded as a classic, but at the time of its release it was harshly criticized as “dark” and “uncharacteristic.” It was probably a turning point for him, coinciding with his motorcycle accident.
This song was the second single, following “Pressure.” The lyric “I’ve got the diploma on the wall but it never helped me at all” really resonates.
Billy soon released An Innocent Man, reeling off a string of hit singles and blowing away the negative reception of this album, though in hindsight An Innocent Man itself feels a bit curious.
When Doves CryPrince
Purple Rain, the masterpiece by Prince, who passed away in 2016.
Released in 1984, the album became a massive hit, and its track When Doves Cry was also released as a single in Japan under the title “Beat ni Dakarete.” Its distinctive guitar intro and danceable rhythm still have a timeless appeal even today.
I Want to Know What Love IsForeigner
Foreigner is an American band that churned out many hits from the 1970s through the 1980s.
Their hallmark is grand, keyboard-forward ballads.
Among them, the biggest favorite was the song known in Japan as “I Wanna Know,” which became a massive hit not only in the United States but around the world.
The Screams Of PassionThe Family
One of the many bands produced by Prince—known collectively as the so-called Prince Family—was aptly named The Family.
The female vocalist was Susannah Melvoin, sister of Prince’s favorite guitarist, Wendy.
Their music video, in which she sings wearing a nightgown, became a hot topic.
[1980s Western Music] Nostalgic 80’s Best Hit Songs (61–70)
I’m In the Mood for DancingThe Nolans
This song by The Nolans, a vocal group of sisters from Ireland, was released in 1979 and became a hit in Japan under the Japanese title “Dancing Sister.” Since then, it’s been used in commercials and TV dramas in Japan, so you’ve probably heard it at least once.
In fact, there’s also a Japanese-language version of the song, and it was performed on shows overseas as well.
Waiting For A Girl Like YouForeigner
It peaked at No.
2 on the U.
S.
charts in 1981—an astonishing 10 consecutive weeks—earning it the nickname “the tragic Number Two.” For nine of those ten weeks, Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” held the top spot.
That’s understandable.
However, even when “Physical” dropped to No.
3, it still couldn’t reach No.
1; at that time, Hall & Oates’ “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” was No.
1.
Incidentally, the band later soothed their frustrations by finally scoring their first U.
S.
No.
1 in 1985 with “I Want to Know What Love Is.”
New FrontierDonald Fagen
It reached No.
70 on the U.
S.
charts in 1983.
Included on the legendary masterpiece The Nightfly.
Written at a time when awareness of nuclear war was rising—from the Cuban Missile Crisis through the U.
S.
–Soviet Cold War—it’s a song about a dance party held in an underground nuclear shelter.
The music video is excellent and totally mesmerizing.
With animation mixed with live action, it makes you wonder, “What does this mean?” and sets your imagination running.
Rather than criticizing nuclear war or the Cold War head-on, Donald Fagen serves it up with stylish irony—that’s his way.