These overplayed 80s songs might get on your nerves occasionally. However, if you were a teenager in the 80s, I bet you played these tunes until your cassette tape or vinyl record ran thin. And maybe you still find yourself hitting “replay” today.
“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham! (1984)
I’ll admit, I wasn’t quite born in the 1980s. However, after I first heard this song in the 2001 comedy Zoolander (you know, the freak gasoline fight accident scene), I was addicted. This was actually the song that introduced me to Wham! and eventually George Michael’s solo stuff. It’s such an addicting pop tune. And teens in the 80s loved it as much as adults, if not more.
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“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” was a smash hit upon its release. The dance-pop classic peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, among others.
“Mickey” by Toni Basil (1982)
There was no avoiding this earworm new wave bubblegum pop tune from 1982, and teens definitely enjoyed playing it on repeat.
Technically a one-hit wonder, Toni Basil had quite the hit on her hands with “Mickey”. This super addicting song was actually originally released by the pop group Racey back in the late 1970s. However, Basil put a new wave spin on it that made it a massive hit. “Mickey” peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Singles chart. Sadly, Basil would never make it to the Top 40 of either chart again.
“Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club (1983)
New wave wasn’t entirely “new” in 1983. It found its roots in the late 1970s. However, teenagers from the late 1970s and early 1980s played a big role in the hot new genre finding its footing. Who is more likely to embrace new sounds than teens who are sick of what the old heads have been listening to? I bet teens really loved “Karma Chameleon” by Culture Club, in particular.
This entry on our list of overplayed 80s songs can get grating after a while, but it was still a big hit back in the day. “Karma Chameleon” was a No. 1 hit across the board, including the Hot 100 and UK Singles chart.
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