3 Pop Songs Between the Years 1979 and 1986 That Perfected the Synth Hook

In the late 1970s and 1980, the synthesizer had become the instrument of choice for many a pop, rock, and new wave act. That was the case for the following three musicians, each of whom scored a big pop hit with a song that used the synth to craft the perfect hook. Let’s take a look at a few memorable gems, shall we? If you were around in the early 1980s, you likely already know these songs very well.

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“Cars” by Gary Numan (1979)

This song is on the minimalist side, but that driving synth riff is totally unmistakable. In fact, I’d say that Gary Numan’s synth hook in “Cars” helped make synth-driven music in pop so much more popular.

“Cars” was far from Gary Numan’s only major hit. But it was, more or less, his only major hit in the US. “Cars” peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and topped the Canadian and UK charts.

“Take On Me” by a-ha (1984)

Even without the driving synths that make up this classic new wave song’s opening melody, “Take On Me” is a fantastic piece of work. Morten Harket’s vocals, that crazy addictive chorus, that legendary music video… Everything about this song is stellar. And it’s definitely worthy of a place on our list of pop songs with legendary synth hooks. 

“Take On Me” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 and reached the Top 10 across the board globally. It would be a-ha’s only major hit in the US, though, leading many outside of Europe to consider the band a one-hit wonder.

“The Final Countdown” by Europe (1986)

There was no avoiding this one. Not only is this synth-rock classic from Europe one of the most memorable songs from the mid-1980s, but it is still used as a go-to song for sports games around the globe. “The Final Countdown” was quite the hit among synth-driven pop songs in 1986. It peaked at No. 8 on the Hot 100. It also peaked at No. 1 in West Germany, the UK, the European Hot 100, and elsewhere. And when that anthemic synth melody kicks in after Joey Tempest sings “It’s the final countdown!”, it’s really difficult to sit still. At a football game or elsewhere.

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns