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From iconic synth-pop to powerful ballads, these 80s classics found new life decades after their release! Join us as we count down the biggest musical comebacks from the Me Decade that captured the hearts of new generations through movies, TV shows, commercials, and viral moments. These timeless tunes prove that great music never truly fades away!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for 80s tunes that experienced
00:10a resurgence or rediscovery, rekindling nostalgia for old fans and winning over new listeners.
00:15Number 50. I Just Died In Your Arms, Cutting Crew
00:27Commercials and TV shows can bring a once-popular song back into the public zeitgeist.
00:32I Just Died In Your Arms by Cutting Crew is one of those songs, having appeared not only in shows
00:36like Stranger Things, but also in widely seen ads such as a Planters commercial during the 2020 Super Bowl.
00:45And we appreciate its return, too, because I Just Died In Your Arms is a moving and dramatic song
00:54with driving drums, powerful melodies, and atmospheric synths.
01:06The song knows just when to brood and when to go for broke,
01:09so it's no wonder that Cutting Crew's finest 80s hour has been revisited.
01:15Number 49. Blue Monday, New Order
01:22Some songs feel very indicative of the era in which they were produced.
01:27Newer artists can then be inspired by those old songs, channeling a bit of that magic.
01:32For example, a remix of Kylie Minogue's hit Can't Get You Out Of My Head aimed for an 80s vibe,
01:37and achieved it by drawing from New Order's Blue Monday.
01:40New Order, formed from the ashes of post-punk icon's Joy Division,
01:51featured a more synthesized, dance-friendly sound for a new decade.
01:54Tell me how do I feel? Tell me now, how should I feel?
02:01Blue Monday was even seamlessly inserted into the time capsule throwback trailer for Wonder Woman 1984.
02:06Number 48. Mickey, Tony Basil
02:23Never underestimate the power of a good rah-rah.
02:26Mickey by Tony Basil featured what has to be one of the most defining music videos of the 1980s.
02:32It also included a catchy, easy-to-copy structure,
02:41one that incorporates Basil's own cheerleading history into a chant that's impossible to resist.
02:46Maybe that explains why it was later interpolated by Run-DMC for their hip-hop hit It's Tricky back in 1986.
02:52Meanwhile, a more contemporary example of Mickey's resurgence can be seen in Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne,
03:06where the comparisons are blatantly obvious.
03:14Number 47. In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins
03:17The old adage attributed to Mark Twain certainly seems to fit here.
03:21Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.
03:24Maybe that's why an urban legend continues to follow Phil Collins and his smash solo hit In the Air Tonight,
03:29even though that wasn't his intention.
03:31I've seen your face before, my friend
03:35But I don't know if you know who I am
03:39The tale involves a drowning man, a witness who refused to help,
03:43and Collins singing the song to a member of his audience.
03:45Eminem brought the legend back into pop culture in 2000 by referencing it in one of his verses.
04:04Number 46. Just a Friend, Biz Marquis
04:07It's perhaps a bit morbid, but when an artist passes,
04:10it often brings fans back to the music they loved.
04:13Just a Friend by Biz Marquis has appeared in television shows such as
04:16It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Black-ish.
04:18But you say he's just a friend
04:21You say he's just a friend
04:23Oh baby, you
04:24True to the title of his album, The Biz Never Sleeps,
04:28Marquis' public profile never truly went away,
04:31since his personality and flow were so quirky and larger than life.
04:34Oh baby, you
04:36This has allowed Just a Friend to live on beyond cult fandom circles
04:44and cement its status as a true 80s karaoke jam.
04:47So please listen to the message that I send
04:50Don't ever choke through a girl who says she just has a friend
04:53Has a friend
04:53Has a friend
04:54Has a friend
04:55Number 45. Goo Goo Muck, The Cramps
04:57It was a case of musical kismet,
05:00an instance where a programmed song choice during a scene felt note-perfect.
05:04Goo Goo Muck was covered by The Cramps for their second LP, Psychedelic Jungle.
05:08It showcased the band's darkly gothic take on hard-edged, punk-influenced rockabilly.
05:12Fast forward to 2022, and Goo Goo Muck gets included in the Netflix series Wednesday.
05:25And voila, a whole new bunch of fans join the party.
05:34The scene where Wednesday Addams dances to Goo Goo Muck was shared and re-shared on social media sites,
05:38with the music of The Cramps being discovered by a whole new, younger audience.
05:47Number 44. Life in a Northern Town, The Dream Academy
05:51The debut album from England's The Dream Academy was well-received by critics at the time,
05:56earning the group a hit single with Life in a Northern Town.
05:59And the morning lasted all day, all day
06:05Meanwhile, production assistance from none other than David Gilmour from Pink Floyd
06:10allowed The Dream Academy to live on as something of a cult band through the years.
06:21This piggybacking upon a Floyd connection wasn't all that kept The Dream Academy afloat, either.
06:25Their cover of Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want by The Smiths
06:29appeared on the soundtrack of Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
06:31It's not out of the ordinary for artists to try to update their biggest hits for a new decade.
06:48More than a decade after the original,
06:50Cyndi Lauper released a remixed reggae version of her smash hit Girls Just Want to Have Fun.
06:54Miley Cyrus, no stranger to cover songs herself,
07:04also recorded her own take on Girls Just Want to Have Fun
07:07while she was still performing for Disney as Hannah Montana.
07:09And girls, they want to have fun
07:12Oh, girls just want to have fun
07:16The lasting popularity of Lauper's version shows how she transformed
07:20the original Robert Hazard composition into a fun, empowering anthem
07:23that has stood the test of time.
07:32The world of professional wrestling often incorporates outside composers
07:39to write intro music for their athletes.
07:42However, companies like AEW and the WWE
07:45also occasionally license established tunes,
07:48as evidenced by Baltimore's Italo disco hit Tarzan Boy.
07:59This idiosyncratic 80s hit was given a new lease on life
08:02when it was utilized as the theme music for Jungle Boy Jack Perry.
08:05Baltimore's Tarzan Boy was embraced by the AEW faithful as well.
08:17Back when Perry still came out to the tune,
08:19it was a common sight for audience members to enthusiastically sing along.
08:23Here are the world tag team champions.
08:25I'm Christian Cage and the AEW world tag team champions, Jungle Boy.
08:33Number 41, Master of Puppets, Metallica.
08:37The time capsule setting of Stranger Things
08:39has effectively made it a hit machine
08:41for reinvigorating classic 80s tunes
08:43and giving them a reappraised spitshine.
08:45Master!
08:47Just come on me and you stay
08:50Master!
08:53Eddie Munson was a fan-favorite character
08:55from the series' fourth season,
08:57and he received a fittingly epic send-off
09:00during a finale that saw him go full Metallica
09:02with a spectacular performance of Master of Puppets,
09:05the title track to Metallica's third LP.
09:14Old-school metalheads obviously didn't need any prodding
09:17to remember Master of Puppets,
09:18but this scene was a nice reminder and nod
09:20to the thrash metal god's enduring legacy.
09:23Number 40, Give It Up, KC and the Sunshine Band.
09:34We don't know about you,
09:35but we're honestly glad that the vehement anti-disco backlash
09:38of the 1980s has softened
09:40thanks to plenty of retro reappraisal.
09:42This genre of music was notably inclusive
09:53of many races, genders, and sexual orientations
09:56during a time when that wasn't necessarily
09:58a foregone conclusion.
09:59We're also glad that the Danish band Cut and Move
10:02proved that disco wasn't dead
10:03with their 1993 cover of Give It Up
10:05by KC and the Sunshine Band.
10:14The original tune received little American support
10:17during its 1982 release,
10:19although the song did better in Europe.
10:21Disco never really died in Europe,
10:23or at least didn't face the same backlash.
10:25Letting songs like Give It Up live on.
10:27Number 39, Gloria, Laura Brannigan.
10:38Sports stadiums and arenas can be great places
10:40to hear older songs become new again.
10:42Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria, Gloria.
10:50One example of that is when the NHL's St. Louis Blues
10:52went on a notable winning streak
10:54during their 2018-2019 season,
10:56and the song Gloria by Laura Brannigan
10:58was a part of the ride.
10:59Gloria, I think they got the alias.
11:03Gloria, that you've been living under.
11:07Gloria.
11:08Some members of the Blues were allegedly at a bar
11:10where Brannigan's hit was being played,
11:12and they kept requesting it from the local DJ.
11:14Pretty soon, Gloria was being played routinely
11:17at Blues games, and even reappeared
11:19on the iTunes singles charts
11:20after the team won the Stanley Cup.
11:22And the St. Louis Blues
11:24are the Stanley Cup champions.
11:26For the first time in franchise history.
11:30You're always on the run now.
11:33Number 38, The NeverEnding Story, Limal.
11:36Hey, what do you know?
11:37We're back on the Stranger Things train once again,
11:39this time with the show's third season.
11:41Dustin and Susie's duet on Limal's theme
11:43to The NeverEnding Story
11:44reminded both 80s kids and wannabe 80s kids alike
11:47of their love of this whimsical dramatic adventure film.
11:50Turn around, look at what you see.
11:57The NeverEnding Story was a successful solo hit for Limal
12:01after he departed the new wave pop group Kajagoogoo,
12:04while the film captured the imaginations
12:06of legions of youngsters who grew up during the decade.
12:08Meanwhile, this scene from Stranger Things
12:18underlined just how important this tune was,
12:20bringing it to modern times in style.
12:22Written on the pages is
12:26Number 37, Push It, Salt-N-Pepa.
12:38Isn't it funny how older artists
12:40occasionally circle back around
12:41to performing their classic hits
12:42in bite-sized format for commercials?
12:44Push It by Salt-N-Pepa was unequivocally
12:46one of the late 80s most popular hip-hop tracks.
12:49Salt-N-Pepa's here and we're in a fit
12:52Want you to push it back?
12:53The genre was enjoying a rapidly ascending public profile,
12:57with more eyes and ears than ever
12:58gravitating towards this new and exciting musical movement.
13:08Fast forward to the 2010s,
13:10and those kids who rocked Push It in the 80s
13:12are likely now parents to their own children,
13:14and they're looking for insurance.
13:16Who else to sell them that insurance
13:18than Salt-N-Pepa and Geico?
13:20You want to save 15% or more on car insurance,
13:22you switch to Geico.
13:24It's what you do.
13:25I'm pushing!
13:26I'm pushing it real good!
13:27Number 36.
13:29Every Rose Has Its Thorn
13:30Poison
13:31There's something intimate and special
13:33about sharing your favorite songs
13:34with somebody you love.
13:36We admire that Miley Cyrus
13:37has essentially promoted her favorite tunes
13:39the old-fashioned way
13:40by covering them
13:41and sharing them with us,
13:42her audience.
13:43Every rose has its thorn
13:46This has resulted in songs
13:50from every conceivable genre
13:51being exposed to younger fans,
13:53from communication by the Cardigans
13:54to Poison's hair metal smash
13:56Every Rose Has Its Thorn.
13:58Just like every night
14:01The latter might be considered,
14:06by some at least,
14:07as an outside-of-the-box cover choice
14:09for Cyrus,
14:09but we think she killed it
14:11with her version.
14:11Just like every cowboy
14:15Take a sad, sad song
14:18Number 35.
14:19I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles
14:21The Proclaimers
14:22Some songs take a little while
14:23to resonate and find a proper audience.
14:26I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles
14:27was originally released
14:28by The Proclaimers back in 1988.
14:30But it wasn't a hit
14:38for the Scottish duo at first,
14:40perhaps due to its quirky
14:41and idiosyncratic nature.
14:43Enter the 1993 film
14:45Benny and June,
14:46which features its own quirky characters
14:48in search of a theme song.
14:56I'm Gonna Be 500 Miles
14:58came to the rescue
14:59and audiences finally found their way
15:01to The Proclaimers.
15:02The song has since been reused
15:04for other movies
15:04and it's now considered,
15:06rightfully so,
15:07one of the 80s' most unique hits.
15:18Number 34.
15:19I Ran So Far Away
15:20A Flock of Seagulls
15:22Video games are big business,
15:24so it just stands to reason
15:26that the inclusion of certain older tunes
15:27might have the added side effect
15:29to finding a new and appreciative audience.
15:31The release of Grand Theft Auto Vice City
15:33in 2002 necessitated
15:35a banging 80s soundtrack
15:36to coincide with its in-game setting.
15:38I wasn't on the avenue
15:40The GTA series has prided itself
15:47on providing players
15:48with an immersive experience,
15:50right down to its radio stations.
15:51I Ran So Far Away
16:00was featured prominently
16:01within both the advertising
16:02and actual gameplay for Vice City,
16:04which meant that Britain's
16:06A Flock of Seagulls
16:07was now finding more new ears
16:08than ever before.
16:15Number 33.
16:16You Spin Me Round Like a Record
16:18Dead or Alive
16:19As recently as April 2025,
16:22You Spin Me Round Like a Record
16:23by Dead or Alive
16:24received the vinyl reissue treatment
16:26as part of that month's
16:27Record Store Day celebration.
16:29Elsewhere,
16:29this high-energy club hit
16:30was also featured prominently
16:32within the Adam Sandler comedy hit
16:33The Wedding Singer.
16:34It's sung by Sandler himself
16:36during the iconic opening sequence.
16:37You Spin Me Round Like a Record
16:43Jessica Simpson also covered the tune,
16:47while Flo Rida and Kesha's
16:48Right Round,
16:49well, you get the idea.
16:50You Spin Me Round Like a Record
16:56You Spin Me Round Like a Record
16:58is just one of those
16:59prototypical 80 songs
17:01that's ever-present
17:02on any self-respecting mix
17:03from the decade.
17:04You Spin Me Round
17:06Baby,
17:07Right Round
17:08Like a Flock of Baby
17:09Right Round
17:10Round Round
17:10Round Round
17:11Number 32.
17:12Take Me Home Tonight
17:13Eddie Money
17:14It's honestly kind of strange
17:16how the 2011 film
17:17Take Me Home Tonight
17:18doesn't actually utilize
17:19the Eddie Money song
17:20of the same name
17:21within its actual runtime.
17:23Sure,
17:23the movie's trailer
17:24did feature
17:24Take Me Home Tonight prominently,
17:26and we don't doubt
17:27that Mr. Money's radio profile
17:28was raised a bit
17:29in the aftermath
17:29of that film's release.
17:38Perhaps more notable,
17:40however,
17:40is how the original
17:41Take Me Home Tonight
17:42celebrated Ronnie Spector's
17:43contribution to the
17:44classic pop hit
17:44Be My Baby.
17:53Spector's collaboration
17:54with Money on that
17:55million-dollar chorus
17:55essentially ensured
17:56that Take Me Home Tonight
17:57would remain
17:58on radio airwaves forever.
18:08Number 31.
18:09The Final Countdown
18:10Europe
18:10These Swedish rock legends
18:12used to both open
18:13and close their shows
18:14with the final countdown.
18:16Granted,
18:16their finale
18:17was more of a reprise
18:18than a replay,
18:19but this just speaks
18:19to how huge the song
18:21was for the band
18:21back in 86.
18:30Heck,
18:31the song is still played
18:32today at sporting events
18:33across the United States
18:34and remains a staple
18:36for classic rock radio.
18:37Europe's career
18:43has continued undiminished
18:44at home and abroad
18:45in the aftermath
18:46of their worldwide smash hit.
18:48But yeah,
18:48we're honestly kind of glad
18:49more recent set lists
18:51have seen the band open
18:52with Unbroken Wings instead.
18:53We have a feeling
19:03this folk rock song
19:04will live on forever.
19:05You get a fast car
19:07I want a ticket to anywhere
19:09Maybe we make a deal
19:11Tracy Chapman's fast car
19:13first gained widespread acclaim
19:14after her performance
19:15at Nelson Mandela's
19:1670th Birthday Tribute
19:18concert in 1988.
19:19The song hit number 6
19:21on the Hot 100
19:21and earned Chapman
19:23a Grammy Award.
19:24Over two decades later
19:31it re-entered the spotlight
19:33when Michael Collings
19:34performed it
19:34on Britain's Got Talent
19:35in 2011
19:36sending it to new heights
19:38on the UK charts.
19:39Fast car enjoyed
19:40yet another resurgence
19:41after country star
19:42Luke Combs covered it
19:43on his 2023 album
19:45Gettin' Old.
19:50This version became
19:52a massive summer hit
19:53reaching number 2
19:54on the charts
19:55and making Chapman
19:56the first black person
19:57to win the CMA Award
19:58for Song of the Year.
20:06Number 29
20:07Never Let Me Down Again
20:09Depeche Mode
20:09When it was first released
20:11Depeche Mode's
20:12Never Let Me Down Again
20:13was an instant hit
20:14across Europe
20:14cracking the top 10
20:16in several countries.
20:17While the song has
20:23indeed
20:23never let fans down
20:25with its up-tempo beats
20:26and infectious synths
20:27it also helped
20:28prop the band up
20:29keeping their legacy
20:30alive through decades.
20:36The track had faded
20:37from public memory
20:38until 2023
20:39when it was featured
20:41on HBO's
20:42The Last of Us.
20:43Following its use
20:44in the series premiere
20:45it saw a staggering
20:46200% increase
20:47in streaming overnight
20:49and gained popularity
20:50on TikTok.
20:56Its appearance
20:57in the episode
20:58may have spelled
20:58doom for the show's
21:00characters
21:00but in real life
21:01it helped introduce
21:02Depeche Mode
21:03to a new generation
21:04of listeners.
21:05Number 28
21:12Where Is My Mind
21:13Pixies
21:14A truly great song
21:15always finds its way
21:17back into the spotlight
21:18no matter how long ago
21:19it was released.
21:25On their debut album
21:26Surfer Rosa
21:27American alt-rock band
21:28Pixies included a song
21:30that initially flew
21:31under the radar.
21:32It wasn't even released
21:33as a single.
21:34However
21:34over a decade later
21:36the song gained
21:37new life
21:37when it was played
21:38during the closing scene
21:39of 1999's Fight Club.
21:47By then
21:48the Pixies
21:49had disbanded
21:50but the movie's success
21:51propelled the song
21:52to such popularity
21:53that it ultimately
21:54contributed to the band's
21:55reunion in 2004.
22:02Today
22:03Where Is My Mind
22:04has become a staple
22:05in film and TV
22:06often used
22:07to depict characters
22:08struggling to distinguish
22:09reality from illusion.
22:16Number 27
22:18Material Girl
22:19Madonna
22:19A material girl
22:21never goes out of style
22:22and this Madonna classic
22:24certainly proves that.
22:25Released as a single
22:32from her sophomore album
22:33Material Girl
22:34rose to number two
22:35on the Hot 100
22:36and produced one of her
22:37most iconic music videos.
22:45It's been covered
22:46by stars like
22:47Britney Spears
22:48and Hilary Duff
22:49but perhaps
22:49its biggest
22:50generational revival
22:51came in 2019
22:52when rapper
22:53Saucy Santana
22:54dropped his own track
22:55with the same title.
23:00While not a cover
23:02Santana's version
23:03was inspired
23:04by Madonna's concept
23:05and even earned
23:06her approval.
23:07The song's popularity
23:08on TikTok
23:08revived interest
23:09in Madonna's original
23:10and led to a collaboration
23:12between the two artists.
23:14In 2022
23:15they released
23:16Material Girl
23:16blending the old
23:18and new
23:18into a fresh anthem.
23:25Number 26
23:26Take My Breath Away
23:27Berlin
23:27It's rare for a song
23:29created specifically
23:30for a film
23:31to take on
23:31a life of its own
23:32but that is exactly
23:34what happened
23:34with Berlin's
23:35Take My Breath Away.
23:35The new wave band
23:42wrote the tune
23:43for the 1986
23:44action film
23:45Top Gun
23:45and it became
23:46a massive hit.
23:47It topped the charts
23:48in both the US
23:49and UK
23:50and won the Oscar
23:51for best original song.
23:58Just as the
23:59Top Gun franchise
24:00has soared
24:01to greater heights
24:01since then
24:02the song
24:03has endured as well.
24:04In 1990
24:05it saw a resurgence
24:07in the UK
24:07after Top Gun
24:08premiered on television
24:09and Peugeot
24:10featured the track
24:11in a series of commercials.
24:12This time
24:13it reached number 3
24:14on the charts.
24:20Number 25
24:2199 Luftballons
24:23Nina
24:23At the height
24:30of Cold War tensions
24:31German new wave band
24:33Nina
24:33delivered the ultimate
24:34anti-war anthem.
24:35The song
24:36which follows
24:37the chaos
24:38that ensues
24:38after 99
24:39red balloons
24:40are mistaken
24:40for enemy aircraft
24:41became a massive success
24:43topping charts
24:44around the world.
24:50But even as
24:51the Cold War
24:52came to an end
24:5299 Luftballons
24:54never completely
24:55faded into obscurity.
24:56The song
24:57saw a brief resurgence
24:58in 2006
24:59during a Hurricane Katrina
25:00fundraiser
25:00when one die-hard fan
25:02donated $35,000
25:04to have it played
25:05non-stop
25:05on VH1 Classic
25:06for one hour.
25:08The timing was fitting
25:14as the world
25:14faced a new wave
25:16of political tension
25:16and the devastation
25:18caused by the hurricane
25:19mirrored the aftermath
25:20of war.
25:20Paranoia has a way
25:34of creeping in
25:35no matter how hard
25:36you try to shake it off
25:37which explains
25:38why the song
25:38resurfaces
25:39every now and again.
25:40Dubbed the perennial
25:49paranoia rock anthem
25:50by Rolling Stone
25:51Somebody's Watching Me
25:52is pretty much
25:53the only memorable
25:54hit by Rockwell
25:55the son of
25:55Motown founder
25:56Barry Gordy.
26:04Featuring the
26:05unmistakable vocals
26:06of Michael Jackson
26:07in the chorus
26:08this tune hit
26:09number 2 in the US
26:10and was commercially
26:11successful around
26:12the globe.
26:17Thanks to its
26:18eerie themes
26:19it has become
26:20a Halloween staple.
26:22It was during
26:22that period
26:23in 2021
26:23that the song
26:24found new life
26:25on TikTok
26:25climbing back
26:27onto the charts
26:27and peaking
26:28at number 47
26:29in the UK.
26:37Number 23
26:37Another One Bites
26:39The impact of
26:41British rock band
26:42Queen
26:42on music
26:43will probably
26:44be felt
26:44until the end
26:45of time.
26:51That notion
26:52is perfectly
26:53encapsulated
26:54in their best
26:54selling single
26:55Another One Bites
26:56The Dust.
26:57It was the band's
26:57second and final
26:58number one hit
26:59in the US
26:59and while it
27:00initially dropped
27:01off the charts
27:02it later made
27:02a remarkable comeback.
27:04In 2018
27:10the song
27:11was featured
27:11in the trailer
27:12for Bohemian Rhapsody
27:13the biographical film
27:15about lead singer
27:16Freddie Mercury.
27:17This brought the track
27:18back into the mainstream
27:19propelling it
27:20into the top 20
27:21of Billboard's
27:21Hot Rock Songs chart.
27:23It became even
27:23more popular
27:24reaching the top 5
27:25following the
27:262019 Academy Awards
27:28where the film
27:29won 4 trophies.
27:30Number 22
27:38Heaven Is A Place
27:39On Earth
27:39Belinda Carlyle
27:40Some songs
27:48perfectly capture
27:49the zeitgeist
27:50of the era
27:51in which they
27:51were created.
27:52Few do that
27:53as well
27:54as Belinda Carlyle's
27:55Heaven Is A Place
27:56On Earth.
27:56When the night
27:58falls down
28:00I'll wait for you
28:02This synth-heavy
28:03pop-rock tune
28:04catapulted Carlyle
28:05to stardom
28:06becoming her only
28:07chart-topper
28:07in the US
28:08and earning her
28:09a Grammy nomination.
28:11It also served
28:11as an inspiration
28:12for Black Mirror
28:13creator Charlie Brooker
28:14while he was writing
28:15the acclaimed episode
28:16San Junipero
28:17which is set
28:18in the 80s.
28:19As a result
28:20Brooker featured
28:21the song prominently
28:21at the beginning
28:22and end of the episode.
28:24As viewers watched
28:25many were either
28:26transported back
28:27to the good old days
28:27or discovered Carlyle
28:29for the first time.
28:30Significantly
28:31reigniting
28:31the song's
28:32popularity.
28:39Number 21
28:40Danger Zone
28:41Kenny Loggins
28:42The 1986
28:43action classic
28:44Top Gun
28:45delivered
28:45adrenaline-pumping
28:46aerial sequences
28:47that were amplified
28:48by its unforgettable
28:49soundtrack.
28:50One of the most
28:56iconic songs
28:57was Kenny Loggins
28:58high-octane
28:59anthem
28:59Danger Zone.
29:00Co-written by
29:01Giorgio Moroder
29:02and Tom Whitlock
29:03the track
29:03captured the spirit
29:04of the original movie
29:05and helped cement
29:06Loggins as the king
29:08of the movie soundtrack.
29:09For the long-awaited
29:162022 sequel
29:17Top Gun
29:18Maverick
29:18Loggins
29:19re-recorded
29:19the song
29:20with a modern
29:20twist
29:21but star
29:21and producer
29:22Tom Cruise
29:23chose to stick
29:23with the original
29:24version.
29:25Danger Zone
29:26experienced a
29:27massive resurgence
29:27following its
29:28inclusion in the
29:29film's opening
29:29moments.
29:30It returned to the charts
29:35in several countries
29:36proving that a
29:37well-placed classic
29:38can still electrify
29:40audiences decades later.
29:48Number 20
29:49Holding Out
29:50for a Hero
29:50Bonnie Tyler
29:51While the good men
29:52and gods may have
29:53gone, this song
29:54will never leave
29:55our collective
29:56consciousness.
30:02Initially recorded
30:03by Bonnie Tyler
30:04for the Footloose
30:04soundtrack,
30:05Holding Out
30:05for a Hero
30:06has received
30:06several boosts
30:07thanks to its
30:08inclusion in
30:09various films and
30:09shows.
30:10The fairy godmother's
30:11take on the track
30:12in Shrek 2
30:13plays over one of
30:14the franchise's
30:14most action-packed
30:15sequences.
30:18It's easily the
30:19highlight of
30:20Jennifer Saunders'
30:21iconic voice
30:21performance.
30:22Years later,
30:23the song received
30:24a much more
30:24adult treatment
30:25in season 2
30:26of Euphoria
30:26when theater kid
30:28Lexi used it
30:28to poke fun
30:29at toxic bad boy
30:30Nate Jacobs.
30:31Regardless of
30:32the context,
30:33Holding Out
30:33for a Hero
30:33remains larger
30:34than life.
30:39Number 19.
30:40Time After Time
30:41Cindy Lauper
30:42If we had a
30:44photo album of
30:4580s memories,
30:46this would be the
30:46picture that
30:47absolutely refuses
30:48to fade.
30:49Time After Time
30:57has taken on a
30:58life of its own
30:59as the essential
31:00slow dance scene
31:01soundtrack across
31:02media.
31:03It really got a
31:04boost after it
31:04appeared in
31:051997's
31:06Romy and Michelle's
31:07High School Reunion.
31:14From there,
31:15the song endured
31:16through the 2000s
31:17and 2010s
31:18with similarly
31:19heartwarming moments
31:20in Napoleon Dynamite
31:21and Stranger Things.
31:22Its tender lyrics
31:23focus on a drum
31:24beating out of time.
31:26The imagery of the
31:26song helped it
31:27become an anthem
31:28for outcasts looking
31:29to find support
31:30and community
31:31among each other.
31:32As the second hand
31:33unwinds,
31:34Time After Time
31:35continues to unite
31:36the wallflowers
31:37and misfits.
31:38Thanks to its
31:50association with
31:51The Breakfast Club,
31:52Simple Mind's
31:52Don't You Forget
31:53About Me will
31:53forever be remembered
31:54as one of the
31:55most beloved hits
31:56of the 80s.
32:01That said,
32:02it also had a
32:03moment in the
32:03early 2010s
32:05thanks to being
32:05embraced by Easy A.
32:06But the song's
32:07dominance didn't
32:08stop there.
32:09Nickelodeon's
32:10Victorious,
32:11Pitch Perfect
32:11and even Glee
32:12all had their
32:13own renditions
32:14of the Feel Good
32:15song.
32:20This anthem
32:21was a way
32:22for younger kids
32:22to urge their
32:23peers to cherish
32:24the fun times
32:25before going
32:25their separate ways.
32:27Previously,
32:27the theme song
32:28of Gen X nostalgia,
32:29Millennials and
32:30Gen Zs can also
32:31relate to the song's
32:32coming-of-age message.
32:36They've bought a
32:43ticket to the
32:43world, but now
32:44they've come back
32:45again.
32:50Spandau Ballet's
32:51moody ballad
32:52True has seen a
32:53new wave in more
32:54ways than one.
32:55Besides belonging
32:56to the genre,
32:57it made a comeback
32:58nearly a decade
32:58later after being
32:59sampled in hip-hop
33:00group PM Dawn's
33:01Set Adrift on
33:02Memory Bliss.
33:06Maintaining the
33:10song's riff and
33:11expanding even
33:11further on the
33:12unique atmosphere,
33:13it's the rare
33:14remake that's just
33:15as good as the
33:15original.
33:16True is most
33:17often tied to
33:18the 80s movie
33:19Sixteen Candles.
33:25However,
33:26it also made
33:27for a good gag
33:27on Modern Family
33:28when Edward Norton
33:30appeared as a
33:30fictitious member
33:31of Spandau Ballet.
33:33Number 16.
33:34I want to dance
33:35with somebody
33:35who loves me,
33:36Whitney Houston.
33:38When the night
33:38falls, our
33:39nostalgia calls.
33:41Whitney Houston's
33:41I want to dance
33:42with somebody is
33:43the go-to 80s
33:44song for happy
33:45on-screen and
33:46real-life occasions.
33:54Still a floor
33:55filler decades
33:56later, it's a
33:57staple at weddings
33:58and dances as
33:59well in rom-coms.
34:00Jenna's getting
34:01ready scene in
34:0213 going on 30
34:03is easily one of
34:04the film's most
34:05beloved moments
34:06because of this
34:07banger of a song
34:08choice.
34:16And of course,
34:17The Voices'
34:182022 biopic
34:19named after the
34:20song once again
34:21renewed its
34:22popularity.
34:23One scene shows
34:24Houston enthusiastically
34:25listening to a demo
34:26before deciding she
34:27has to have it
34:28for herself.
34:29And as they say,
34:30the rest was
34:31history.
34:36Number 15.
34:37Sweet Child of Mine
34:38Guns N' Roses
34:39For all we know,
34:40the child in the
34:41title might have
34:42kids of their own
34:42by now.
34:50Guns N' Roses'
34:51biggest smash
34:52first saw resurgence
34:53when Sheryl Crowe
34:54covered Sweet Child
34:55of Mine in 1999.
35:04In the years since,
35:05the original has been
35:06featured in movies
35:07like 2008 Stepbrothers,
35:09where Adam Scott's
35:10character showed us
35:11the fun and dangers
35:12of carpool karaoke.
35:13The song also
35:14featured prominently
35:15in 2022's Thor Love
35:17and Thunder.
35:18Thanks to its
35:18inclusion in the film,
35:19we had proof that
35:20the Guardians don't
35:21have an MCU
35:22monopoly on rock
35:23throwbacks.
35:24With lyrics of
35:25rose-colored
35:25childhood memories,
35:27it's no wonder
35:27Sweet Child of Mine
35:28continues to resonate.
35:35Number 14.
35:36Shout.
35:37Tears for Fears
35:38Originally written
35:39as a protest song
35:40encouraging listeners
35:41to use their voices,
35:43Shout was repurposed
35:44for Shout for England
35:45for the 2010
35:46FIFA World Cup.
35:47Dizzy Rascal
35:52and a pre-late show
35:53James Corden
35:53combined their talents
35:54for some team spirit.
35:56While England
35:56sadly underperformed,
35:58the pair's efforts
35:59did not.
36:00The remade Shout
36:01debuted at number one
36:02on the UK singles chart,
36:04introducing the song
36:04to a new generation
36:05with a new meaning.
36:07These are the things
36:09I could do without.
36:12Come on.
36:13Meanwhile,
36:14the original
36:15has been used
36:15for dramatic
36:16and comedic effect alike.
36:18From Netflix's
36:18Dark to
36:19Everybody Hates Chris.
36:20Did you really expect
36:22it to go out
36:22with a whimper?
36:29Number 13.
36:30Eye of the Tiger
36:31Survivor
36:31Since its introduction
36:33in the 1980s
36:34as the Rocky 3
36:35theme song,
36:36Survivor's
36:37Eye of the Tiger
36:37has gotten the crowd
36:38hyped at many
36:39a sporting event,
36:40boxing or otherwise.
36:45The song's
36:50competitive spirit
36:51has appeared
36:51in live-action movies
36:52and animated fare alike.
36:54However,
36:55not every use
36:56has been welcomed
36:57by the band.
36:58It's the
36:58Eye of the Tiger
37:00It's the
37:01thrill of the fight
37:02Political figures
37:03like Mitt Romney
37:04and Newt Gingrich
37:04infamously faced
37:05legal action
37:06for using the song
37:07during their campaigns.
37:08Fortunately,
37:09incidents like that
37:10didn't stop
37:11Eye of the Tiger
37:11from getting in movies
37:12and shows.
37:17Case in point,
37:18Peter Griffin
37:18gives a surprisingly
37:19strong rendition
37:20of the song
37:21as he encourages
37:22Lois in the ring.
37:23Number 12.
37:24Livin' on a Prayer
37:25Bon Jovi
37:26Everyone loves
37:27some 80s cheese
37:28and Livin' on a Prayer
37:29is a giant wheel of it.
37:31Says we gotta hold on
37:34to what we've got
37:36It doesn't make a difference
37:38if we make it or not
37:39Bon Jovi's 1986
37:41signature anthem
37:42about a struggling
37:43working class couple
37:44continues to be referenced
37:46in pop culture today
37:47with even their own songs
37:48calling back to it.
37:50The arena rockers
37:50mention Tommy and Gina
37:51in their 2000 hit
37:53It's My Life
37:53dedicating the song
37:54to them for
37:55never backing down.
37:56It's my life
37:59It's now or never
38:01In 2013
38:02Livin' on a Prayer
38:04made a comeback
38:04to the charts
38:05after a 2009 video
38:06of a Boston Celtics fan
38:08dancing his heart
38:09out in the bleachers
38:10went viral.
38:10The song also appears
38:12in season 3
38:13of Supergirl
38:13when villainous Rain
38:15breaks into prison.
38:16I've only come
38:17to cleanse the sin
38:18of this world
38:19Didn't feel like
38:19starting with yourself then?
38:21I'm not of this world
38:22Number 11
38:23Sweet dreams are made of this
38:25Eurythmics
38:26Who are we to disagree?
38:28Despite its title
38:29Sweet dreams
38:30sounds more like
38:31a nightmare
38:31Sweet dreams
38:33are made of this
38:35Who am I
38:37to disagree?
38:39The 1983 hit's
38:40ominous vibe
38:41has made it a favorite
38:42for modern movie trailers
38:43from A Wrinkle in Time
38:45to House of Gucci
38:46It's also been covered
38:48numerous times
38:48most notably by
38:50Marilyn Manson
38:50in 1995
38:51His industrial rock rendition
39:01ramped the creepy factor
39:03up to 11
39:03with billboard
39:04calling its music video
39:05one of the scariest
39:06of all time
39:07Actress Emily Browning
39:09also covered Sweet dreams
39:10for the 2011 film
39:11Sucker Punch
39:12and Britney Spears
39:13sampled it in
39:14Everybody from her
39:152007 album Blackout
39:16Sweet dreams
39:17was inducted into
39:18the Grammy Hall of Fame
39:19in 2020
39:20solidifying its status
39:22as a timeless
39:2380s gem
39:2410. The Safety Dance
39:33Men Without Hats
39:34How did a quirky
39:35new wave song
39:36about pogo dancing
39:37become so popular?
39:39Well, after the death
39:40of disco in the early 80s
39:41pogoing was the
39:42new style of dance
39:43Consistency
39:48of jumping up
39:49and down in place
39:50Men Without Hats
39:51lead singer
39:51Ivan Dorshuk
39:52was kicked out
39:53of a club
39:53for trying the trend
39:54and wrote the
39:55safety dance
39:56in protest
39:56The song later
40:01appeared on
40:02South Park
40:03in 2015
40:03and Alaska Airlines
40:05filmed a parody
40:06video in 2020
40:07to promote
40:08their COVID-19
40:09safety precautions
40:10With lyrics
40:15about hand washing
40:16and mask wearing
40:17the company chose
40:18the perfect song
40:19to get the message across
40:20Number 9
40:21Tainted Love
40:22Soft Cell
40:23With a beat
40:24this infectious
40:25it's easy to see
40:26why Tainted Love
40:27continues to bewitch
40:28well into the
40:2921st century
40:30Its opening synth
40:38instantly transports
40:39the listener
40:40to a seedy
40:40underground club
40:41from the future
40:42making its inclusion
40:43in Doctor Who
40:44a no-brainer
40:45In the second episode
40:46of the 2005
40:47revival series
40:48Christopher Eccleston's
40:50ninth doctor
40:50can be seen
40:51dancing to it
40:52at Lady Cassandra's
40:53end of the world party
40:54A year later
41:01Rihanna sampled
41:02the song
41:02in her hit
41:03S.O.S
41:04referencing other
41:0580s throwbacks
41:06by A-Ha
41:06Michael Jackson
41:07and Tears for Fears
41:09in her lyrics
41:09Contrary to popular belief
41:11Tainted Love
41:12precedes the 2000s
41:13and the 80s
41:14Before Soft Cell
41:15covered it
41:16it was actually
41:17a 60s soul song
41:18by Gloria Jones
41:19Nothing ever
41:29lasts forever
41:30except this song's
41:31legacy
41:32Possibly one of
41:41the deepest
41:41chart-toppers
41:42ever recorded
41:42Everybody Wants
41:43to Rule the World's
41:44existentialist lyrics
41:45grow more relevant
41:47with every passing year
41:48Having Lorde cover
41:49it can't hurt either
41:50While Tears for Fears
41:51original version
41:52contrasts its heavy lyrics
41:53with upbeat production
41:55Lorde's 2013 cover
41:57for the Hunger Games
41:57Catching Fire soundtrack
41:59goes full dystopian
42:00in true capital fashion
42:02With its profound lines
42:11about greed
42:12corruption
42:13and human nature
42:14in the Cold War era
42:15Everybody Wants to Rule the World
42:17continues to resonate
42:18with listeners
42:18around the world
42:19no matter the decade
42:21Number 7
42:28Don't Stop Believin'
42:29Journey
42:29Journey's Don't Stop Believin'
42:32just seems to get bigger
42:33with each passing year
42:34Just a small town girl
42:36Living in a lonely world
42:40It became particularly synonymous
42:43with 80s nostalgia
42:44in the late 2000s
42:45Back then
42:46it was used prominently
42:47in not one
42:48but two huge
42:49and wildly different
42:50TV series
42:51It first closed out
42:52the bittersweet series finale
42:54of The Sopranos
42:55in 2007
42:56It then got a wholesome
42:57rendition from New Directions
42:59in the pilot episode of Glee
43:00Seasons later
43:05it stands as one of the show's
43:07most beloved covers
43:08resonating with listeners
43:09from all walks of life
43:10whether they assign it
43:11to endings or beginnings
43:12millions are still holding on
43:15to that feeling
43:15Don't Stop Believin'
43:19Number 6
43:20Take On Me
43:20Ah Ha
43:21Synth pop is one of the
43:231980s most beloved genres
43:25and Take On Me
43:26is arguably
43:27its crowning achievement
43:28A sonic sugar rush
43:37from beginning to end
43:38it gave Norwegian trio
43:40Ah Ha
43:40their first and only
43:42number one hit
43:42on the Billboard Hot 100
43:43as well as
43:45one of the most iconic
43:46music videos
43:47of the MTV era
43:48Flash forward to 2013
43:56when it was sampled
43:57by the most unlikely
43:59artist possible
44:00Pitbull
44:00His duet with
44:01Christina Aguilera
44:02Feel This Moment
44:03transformed the iconic
44:05keyboard melody
44:06into a party song
44:07When the rapper-singer duo
44:15performed at the
44:162013 Billboard Music Awards
44:18They invited original
44:19Ah Ha singer
44:20Morton Harkett
44:21on stage
44:21to celebrate
44:22the song's
44:23renewed success
44:24Number 5
44:25Careless Whisper
44:26George Michael
44:27Whether or not
44:28you lived through
44:29the 80s
44:29you're almost
44:30certainly familiar
44:31with the steamy
44:32saxophone riff
44:33George Michael's
44:41Careless Whisper
44:41hits perfectly
44:42when you're seeking
44:43out a serious
44:44soulful breakup jam
44:45but its flair
44:46for the dramatic
44:47is undeniably funny
44:49out of context
44:50The song was used
44:57in memes galore
44:58throughout the 2010s
44:59and even received
45:00a major movie moment
45:01thanks to its
45:02inclusion in Deadpool
45:03In the film's final minute
45:05Wade pulls out his phone
45:06to play Careless Whisper
45:07during his big kiss scene
45:08with Vanessa
45:09leading into the end credits
45:11where an animated Deadpool
45:12plays the saxophone
45:13Till next time
45:14This is your friendly
45:15neighborhood pool guy
45:16singing
45:16I'm never gonna dance again
45:19the way I dance with you
45:22Number 4
45:24Africa
45:24Toto
45:25As previously mentioned
45:27The arrival of
45:28Stranger Things
45:29in 2016
45:29introduced Generation Z
45:31to dozens of 80s classics
45:32but none
45:33has received a boost
45:34quite like Toto's
45:35soft rock masterpiece
45:36In the show's
45:42series premiere
45:43Africa blasts over
45:45Nancy and Steve's
45:45makeout session
45:46The song proved
45:47extremely popular
45:48among young fans
45:49of the show
45:49and Weezer took note
45:51of its renewed popularity
45:52The band's 2018
45:54rendition
45:54became their first
45:55number one hit
45:56on Billboard's
45:57alternative chart
45:58in a decade
45:58And they weren't
46:04the only ones
46:05to jump on
46:05the Africa bandwagon
46:06Later that year
46:07Pitbull sampled it
46:09in Ocean to Ocean
46:10which played
46:10in the DC film
46:11Aquaman
46:12to unintentionally
46:13hilarious effect
46:14Number 3
46:22Total Eclipse of the Heart
46:24Bonnie Tyler
46:25The 1980s
46:26were full of
46:27bombastic power ballads
46:28but none are
46:29as beloved
46:30and ridiculed
46:31as Total Eclipse
46:32of the Heart
46:33Thanks to its
46:42massive chorus
46:43and melodramatic lyrics
46:44a 2013 survey
46:46saw it voted
46:46the most popular song
46:48to sing in the shower
46:49over more recent hits
46:50by Justin Bieber
46:51and One Direction
46:52Much like
46:53Mariah Carey
46:54Around the Holidays
46:55it also gets a bump
46:56whenever there's
46:57a real life
46:57solar or lunar eclipse
46:59During the solar eclipse
47:04of August 2017
47:06Bonnie Tyler
47:07performed the song
47:08on a Royal Caribbean
47:09cruise ship
47:09with Joe Jonas'
47:10band DNCE
47:11backing her
47:12Despite its story
47:20of falling apart
47:21new listeners
47:22are still falling
47:23in love
47:23with Total Eclipse
47:24of the Heart
47:25Number 2
47:26Running Up That Hill
47:28A Deal With God
47:29Kate Bush
47:29Forget roads
47:31hills and buildings
47:32this 80s anthem
47:33ran up the charts
47:34a whopping three times
47:36Kate Bush's
47:43Running Up That Hill
47:44A Deal With God
47:44made a minor comeback
47:46when a remix of the song
47:47was included
47:47in the 2012
47:48Summer Olympics
47:49closing ceremony
47:50but it wouldn't make waves
47:52across the pond
47:53until a decade later
47:54when it arrived
47:55in season 4
47:56of Stranger Things
47:57heavily tied
48:02into Max's storyline
48:03throughout the season
48:04Bush gave the show's
48:05producers her personal
48:06blessing to use
48:07the passionate track
48:08It certainly paid off
48:10The track became
48:11a worldwide hit
48:12that introduced
48:13her catalogue
48:14to Gen Z listeners
48:15via Netflix
48:15TikTok and elsewhere
48:17These days
48:18we're betting
48:18she wouldn't swap
48:19places with anyone
48:20Before we continue
48:27be sure to subscribe
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48:29and ring the bell
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48:39and switch on notifications
48:40Number 1
48:43Never Gonna Give You Up
48:44Rick Astley
48:45Just as its lyrics promised
48:47this 80s smash hit
48:49is never gonna say goodbye
48:50Three decades after its release
49:00Never Gonna Give You Up
49:01resurfaced in 2007
49:03when 4chan users
49:04posted disguised links
49:05to the music video
49:06at unexpected moments
49:07The now common practice
49:09known as Rick Rowling
49:10revived singer
49:11Rick Astley's career
49:12and became one of the biggest memes
49:14in internet history
49:16Never gonna give you up
49:18Never gonna let you down
49:20Never gonna run around
49:22and desert you
49:24Astley
49:25Astley
49:25who originally called the meme
49:26Weird
49:27eventually embraced the song
49:28Second Life
49:29and gave a surprise performance
49:31at the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
49:33Never gonna make you cry
49:35I'm gonna say goodbye
49:37Never gonna tell you why
49:40I like Rick Rowling
49:42As of 2025
49:43The Never Gonna Give You Up music video
49:45has over 1.5 billion views
49:48and the song has cemented its place
49:50in past and present pop culture
49:52What do you think was the best decade
49:54for pop music on the radio?
49:56Let us know in the comments
49:57Push it good
49:58Push it
49:59Push it real good
50:02Click
50:03Full ecstatic
50:04And we'll talk to it
50:04PullECow
50:05This is brav
50:06As of 2025
50:07The Van Gaak
50:07When the Van Gaak
50:09You guys have ever played
50:10for me
50:11I like this
50:12radio
50:13It's made
50:13I like this
50:14what´s made
50:15like this
50:16a loud car
50:16Wanna have
50:17Aye
50:18This is a
50:19time
50:20Turn
50:21Or
50:21You
50:22Took
50:22Turk
50:23I left
50:23to
50:24know
50:24You
50:25You
50:27Love
50:27____
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