3 Guilty-Pleasure Songs From 1984 That I Keep Going Back To

Guilty-pleasure songs come with the baggage of profound embarrassment. Being outcast from one’s social group because a song you secretly enjoy isn’t considered cool.

Videos by American Songwriter

But unless you’re friends with a fussy record store bro, who cares?

So let’s travel back 40 years for three bangers you should feel free to love, crank, and sing at the top of your lungs.

“Hold Me Now” by Thompson Twins from Into the Gap

Hits in 1984 were buoyed by earnestness. Thompson Twins’ defining song embodies this dramatic spirit. Think of how you might lip-sync this one. You’ll raise a fist, close your eyes, and sing the hook like your life depends on it. Then there’s the falsetto background vocal. Against singer Tom Bailey’s low, brooding voice, the background vocals soar, bringing “Hold Me Now” to its emotional heights. And if you were to prompt AI to generate a pop video from 1984, this is what you’d get.

I have a picture
Pinned to my wall
An image of you and of me
And we’re laughing, we’re loving it all
But look at our life now
All tattered and torn
We fuss and we fight and delight in the tears
That we cry until dawn

“West End Girls” by Pet Shop Boys (Single)

Pet Shop Boys’ class-conscious anthem describes down-and-out East End lads hoping to climb the social ladder by hanging around West End girls. Or maybe it’s just a good night out. According to band co-founder Neil Tennant, the song is about escape. It first arrived two years before the group’s debut album Please. Then it topped the charts upon rerelease in 1986, and the London duo became an avatar for ’80s synth-pop.

Sometimes you’re better off dead
There’s a gun in your hand it’s pointing at your head
You think you’re mad, too unstable
Kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
In a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police; there’s a madman around
Running down underground
To a dive bar in a West End town

“The Warrior” by Scandal featuring Patty Smyth from Warrior

For clarity, Patty Smyth is not Patti Smith. Still, Smyth had a massive hit with “The Warrior” on her band Scandal’s only album. There’s also a scenario where Smyth becomes Van Halen’s new lead singer following the departure of David Lee Roth. Eddie Van Halen invited her to join his band, but Smyth said no. She was eight months pregnant and didn’t want to leave New York for Los Angeles, and Van Halen’s sibling quarrels and drinking didn’t help either. So instead of performing “I Can’t Drive 55,” Van Halen might have added “The Warrior” to its concerts. This song is built for fist-pumping karaoke.

Well, isn’t love primitive
A wild gift that you want to give
Break out of captivity
And follow me stereo jungle child
Love is the kill
Your heart’s still wild

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images