Let’s set the stage. The year is 1983. The 1970s are now completely in the rear-view mirror. It’s a new era. A new world. And the music is reflecting it. Everywhere you go—grocery stores, pharmacies, malls—you hear and see some of the same faces. The pop stars of the day are ubiquitous. Why? They’re just that good.
That’s what we wanted to dive into here today. We wanted to examine three pop songs from the early 80s that we can’t give up. Three tracks from 1983, specifically, that we put on playlist after playlist even today. Why? They’re just that good.
Videos by American Songwriter
“She Works Hard For The Money” by Donna Summer from ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ (1983)
What a 1980s song! That drum beat, that swelling vocal. That feeling of simmering panic permeates everything. The sense that something big is happening, but we don’t quite know what it is. And all throughout, people are living their lives as best they can. They are working hard for what they can make. Donna Summer sums that up perfectly in this dire, exhausted pop hit from 1983.
“Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper from ‘She’s So Unusual’ (1983)
Speaking of work…what do you do when the working day is finally over? Well, Cyndi Lauper took Donna Summer’s track to the next logical step. When work is done, it’s time to blow off some steam. It’s time to have some fun! Lauper, the most relatable pop star ever, was as hot a name as any in the decade. Why? Thanks to pop hits like this one on her breakout 1983 LP, She’s So Unusual.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler from ‘Faster Than The Speed Of Night’ (1983)
Another just quintessential 1980s song. Super serious and somehow cheesy all at the same time. But that’s the draw. Listening back to some songs from the era, it’s like walking through a strip mall from the past. The items for sale, the aesthetic of the advertising. It’s all very similar to today, but something is different, something small but very noticeable. We are reminded of this difference on this track, too. As lovely as it is, it also somehow seems from a time far, far away.
Photo by Gene Ambo/Shutterstock
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