More often than not, a song will become a huge hit on the charts, only to fade away from public consciousness within a couple of decades. The internet has certainly made it possible for older songs to be “reborn” in popularity to a degree. But it’s only natural for listeners who weren’t around in 1980 to miss out on hits from that year, and listeners who were around to have forgotten about them. Let’s look at a few songs that you should definitely remember from the very start of the 1980s!
“I Pledge My Love” by Peaches & Herb
Remember this adult contemporary hit from early 1980? “I Pledge My Love” by Peaches & Herb was a big Top 40 hit on the R&B charts and also made it all the way to No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s certainly a memorable song that will transport you back to that era with the intro alone, but few younger listeners nowadays have even heard of it. In fact, few young listeners have even heard of the duo Peaches & Herb. However, I bet if they heard the chorus of the 1979 song “Reunited”, they’d remember them right away.
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“Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt
Country rock was all the rage in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and “Drivin’ My Life Away” by Eddie Rabbitt was just one of many popular hits of that ilk in the 1980s. This rockabilly-leaning tune was co-written by Rabbitt and explores the life of truckers on the road. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 in 1980, and it did similarly well globally. “Drivin’ My Life Away” became popular with country singers who followed, with artists like Rhett Akins covering it.
“Breakdown Dead Ahead” by Boz Scaggs
How about some good ol’ Boz Scaggs? “Breakdown Dead Ahead” from 1980 makes it to our list of forgotten songs because, personally, I can’t remember the last time I heard this song on the radio. A standout composition between Scaggs and David Foster, “Breakdown Dead Ahead” peaked at No. 15 on the Hot 100 and did even better on the Canadian charts. It’s a shame that rock fans who weren’t around in 1980 might have never heard this tune, because it’s quite good.
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns
More The List
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CIRCA 1966: Singer Mick Jagger of the rock and roll band "The Rolling Stones" performs onstage in circa 1966. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Aerosmith Aerosmith, Steven Tyler, Vorst-Nationaal, Brussels, Belgium, 31st October 1993. (Photo by Goedefroit Music/Getty Images) -
UNSPECIFIED – JANUARY 01: John LENNON between 1970 and 1973. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) -
1972: (L-R) Jim Hodder, David Palmer, Denny Dias, Donald Fagen, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Walter Becker of the rock band "Steely Dan" pose for a portrait in 1972. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images -
Kyu Sakamoto. (1941-1985) Japanese singer, best known outside Japan for his international hit song "Ue o Muite Aruko" (known as "Sukiyaki" in English-speaking markets), which was sung in Japanese and sold over 13 million copies. It reached number one in the United States Billboard Hot 100 in June 1963, making Sakamoto the first Asian recording artist to have a number one song on the chart. (Photo by Sjöberg Bildbyrå/ullstein bild via Getty Images) -
Picture taken in 1974 in Stockholm shows the Swedish pop group Abba with its members (L-R) Benny Andersson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Agnetha Faltskog and Bjorn Ulvaeus posing after winning the Swedish branch of the Eurovision Song Contest with their song "Waterloo". – Sweden's legendary disco group ABBA announced on April 27, 2018 that they have reunited to record two new songs, 35 years after their last single. The quartet split up in 1982 after dominating the disco scene for more than a decade with hits like "Waterloo", "Dancing Queen", "Mamma Mia" and "Super Trouper". (Photo by Olle LINDEBORG / TT News Agency / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read OLLE LINDEBORG/AFP via Getty Images)
