These classic singles from the 1980s range from post-punk to new wave to rock, and each of them manages to still sound insanely fresh decades later. Let’s take a look and get a little nostalgic, shall we?
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division (1980)
If you’ve ever been so sad that you had to lie face-down on the floor and blast some very particular music, I bet this song has made it to your “why me” playlist. I know it’s a go-to for mine! “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division is a post-punk classic, with minimalist elements that made simplicity sound much grander than one would expect. It’s no wonder Joy Division inspired so many indie and alt musicians that would come after them.
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“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division remains the band’s signature song. It reached No. 1 on the UK Indie chart and No. 13 on the UK Singles chart.
“Once In A Lifetime” by Talking Heads from ‘Remain In Light’ (1981)
Talking Heads were years ahead of mainstream music in the early 1980s, and this enormous hit from Remain In Light is a fine example of that. This oddball, hypnotizing new wave classic was ahead of the game and particularly deep in terms of poetic lyricisms and symbolism. And it still sounds so good after all these years.
“Once In A Lifetime” by Talking Heads was a No. 14 hit in the UK. Sadly, it was just shy of making it to the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
“The Killing Moon” by Echo & The Bunnymen from ‘Ocean Rain’ (1984)
This song was incredibly cool back in 1984, it was cool when it was used in the soundtrack for Donnie Darko in 2001, and it’s still cool today. That’s thanks to the talented collective minds of post-punk outfit Echo & The Bunnymen. Though, this particular hit was written by Ian McCulloch after having a vision-like dream. Later, he would say that he still credits some of the lyrics of “The Killing Moon” to a higher power.
This entry on our list of classic singles from the 1980s made it to No. 9 on the UK Singles chart. It would gain more popularity in the US after the release of Donnie Darko.
(Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
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