In a way, the 1980s were an experiment in juxtaposition. In one sense, everything was buttoned-up. Everyone wore suits and Wall Street was the pinnacle of success. In another sense, culture was messy. Neon hair met boundary-shattering creative beacons.
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In short, it was an emotional time. As a result, the 1980s offered fans a number of tracks that could summon big swells of feeling. And that’s just what we wanted to highlight here below. Indeed, these are three classic rock songs from the 1980s that give all the feels.
“Never Tear Us Apart” by INXS from ‘Kick’ (1988)
Oh, the drama. Oh, the buildup. And the emotion that just spills over into this song, from this song, for this song. INXS knocked the ball out of the park with this rock offering that can’t help but get your heart to palpitate. Every ounce of emotion in your heart, soul, and gut comes to the surface and explodes out like hot magma. Yes, let this song be the portal to catharsis that it was always meant to be.
“Purple Rain” by Prince from ‘Purple Rain’ (1984)
Prince was a rock star—full stop. And what that meant for the Minneapolis-born artist was that he was controlled emotion. Those who saw his 1984 film Purple Rain, saw a character bubbling over with passion, talent, and rawness. But by the end of the film, all of that was focused into his guitar and into the weeping, lovely titular song. Indeed, Prince’s track, “Purple Rain”, is iconic for its display of emotion. It’s the artist’s anthem.
“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper from ‘She’s So Unusual’ (1984)
This track from 1980s pop icon Cyndi Lauper might just be the most emotive tune from the entire decade. If someone asked you to write a song about nostalgia—there would almost be no point. You could just hand in this song and the proverbial nail would be struck on the head. In other words, there is no song more nostalgic than this one. Even in the moment, it exemplified that wistful feeling all people have, hoping for more.
Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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