The 1980s will always remain one of the best genres in music. Among the many, many hits in the 1980s are these three songs. All released in 1984, they are so good that I want to travel back in time to listen to them again and again.
“Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry
Steve Perry might be best known as part of Journey, but he also had a successful solo career. Perry released several singles on his own, including “Oh Sherrie”. On Street Talk, Perry’s solo debut record, Perry wrote “Oh Sherrie” with Randy Goodrum, Craig Krampf, and Bill Cuomo.
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A song about being tenacious in a relationship, “Oh Sherrie” says, “You should’ve been gone / Knowing how I made you feel / And I should’ve been gone / After all your words of steel / Oh, I must’ve been a dreamer / And I must’ve been someone else / And we should’ve been over / Oh, Sherrie, our love / Holds on, holds on.“
“Oh Sherrie” is at least partially autobiographical. Sherrie was Perry’s girlfriend when he wrote the song. She also appears in the video.
“The Heart Of Rock & Roll” by Huey Lewis and the News
On Sports, the third studio album by Huey Lewis and the News is “The Heart Of Rock & Roll”. Lewis wrote the song with band member Johnny Colla.
An anthem to rock music, “The Heart Of Rock & Roll” says, “They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating / And from what I’ve seen I believe ’em / Now the old boy may be barely breathing / But the heart of rock and roll, heart of rock and roll is still beating.”
“Round And Round” by Ratt
Ratt is best known for their heavy metal music, but they did have a few songs that crossed over, including “Round And Round”. Their first Top 5 single, “Round And Round” was written by Ratt’s own Robbin Crosby, Stephen Pearcy, and Warren DeMartini.
The song says, “I knew right from the beginning / That you would end up winning / I knew right from the start / You’d put an arrow through my heart / Round and round / With love we’ll find a way just give it time / Round and round / What comes around goes around / I’ll tell you why.”
“Round And Round” is in the Top 20 on Rolling Stone‘s 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time list. It remains the biggest hit of Ratt’s career.
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