1980s Music You Won't Ever Forget

The 1980s was a fabulous decade of unforgettable pop culture trends, from the delightfully bizarre 1980s fashions to the angst filled 1980s teen films. But perhaps most memorable of all was the pop music of the 1980s. Who can forget the synthesizers, the pretty boy bands, the mindless lyrics, and the unforgettable characters like Prince, Boy George, Michael Jackson, and Cyndi Lauper?

The 1980s were a fascinating and somewhat troubling time in U.S. history. Two cultural values reigned: conservatism and consumerism. Ronald Reagan and the newly powerful Religious Right brought back 1950s conservatism. As malls, yuppies, and Nancy Reagan's designer wardrobe became cultural icons, unapologetic materialism became the norm. The political change movements of the 1960s had been long overshadowed by the Me Generation of the 1970s, and kids found themselves growing up in a culture with little emphasis on politics and a good deal of emphasis on consumer frivolity, image, and spectacle.

Pop music acts like a pulse on the culture, and the music of the 1980s portrayed the frivolous excess of the 1980s with joy. Here are the Top 10 iconic pop songs of the 1980s.

1. Material Girl by Madonna. This song is both a theme song and a satire of the 1980s. The image of Madonna decked out in diamonds in the video to this song says quite a bit about the era.
2. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper. Who can forget the strange neo-punk girl with the orange hair who had such great hits as She-Bop and Time After Time? Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is one of the most memorable songs of the decade, and the frivolous message is so 1980s. Girls don't want to be protesting in the streets or fighting for women's rights. They want to have fun.
3. Thriller by Michael Jackson. Remember back in the day when everyone still loved Michael Jackson? Alone, this song isn't memorable, but the video makes it an icon. This fourteen minute video was an $800,000 spectacle of choreography and music. MTV played it constantly.
4. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! This may be the ultimate frivolous, cheesy, and downright annoying 1980s song about dancing and having a good time.
5. Purple Rain by Prince and the Revolution. This was the theme song to Prince's movie, which was all about how Prince was sexy and cool and misunderstood. 1980s narcissism at its best, complete with delightfully bad acting.
6. Greatest Love of All by Whitney Houston. Ah, Whitney, we miss you and those great pipes and wish you hadn't gotten all mixed up with Bobby. This 1980s classic is all about self-esteem. What's the greatest love of all? Learning to love yourself.
7. Karma Chameleon by Culture Club. Boy George was one of the most fabulous characters in the 1980s-- part drag queen, part pretty boy, 100% frivolous pop spectacle fun. This upbeat song didn't say much and was great dance music.
8. Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield. A great shallow 1980s dance song about wanting your best friend's girl. Pretty boy Rick Springfield's icon status was enhanced by his appearance on General Hospital back in the old Luke and Laura days.
9. Money for Nothing by Dire Straits. This song pokes fun of talentless MTV era musicians. It includes a guest appearance by Sting singing "I want my MTV." Dire Straits performed this memorably at Live Aid, the massive 1985 "fight hunger" concert that also became a 1980s icon.
10. Straight Up by Paula Abdul. Yeah, she really did used to sing before her American Idoldays There were lots of mindless dance songs in the 1980s, but this one was one of the most fun.