3 Rock Songs From the 1980s That Still Sound Fresh, Despite Being 40+ Years Old

Some rock songs just manage to sound fresh after decades have passed, including more than a few iconic 1980s jams. Let’s look at a few examples, shall we?

“Heat Of The Moment” by Asia from ‘Asia’ (1982)

This progressive rock classic from the band Asia has that clean and polished 80s pop sound, but it still manages to balance progressive rock and arena rock so authentically. Live acts could only dream of dishing out something like this nowadays.

“Heat Of The Moment” by Asia is considered one of the band’s signature tracks to this very day. And plenty of listeners were down with this pop rock tune back in the day. It made it all the way to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart in the US.

“Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones from ‘Tattoo You’ (1981)

The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up” was a shoo-in for this list. This song is perfectly stripped down to the basics that make The Stones so lovable, all without sticking to the production tropes and cliches of their era.

“Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones was a fast hit for the iconic rock band in 1981. It peaked at No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topped the Mainstream Rock chart. It also did well in the band’s native UK, peaking at No. 7 on the UK Singles chart.

“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police from ‘Ghost In The Machine’ (1981)

This entry on our list of rock songs from the 1980s definitely sounds like the era it came from, but the fact that it still gets people up and dancing today earns it a firm “still fresh” label. This reggae rock new wave song from The Police is still a delight after all these years.

“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by The Police was a pretty big hit for the group when it dropped in late 1981. The song rose to No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart and topped the UK Singles chart that year.

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