Back in the 1980s, if you went on a first date with someone, chances are you’d try to put together the perfect mix tape to play in your car on the drive from that special someone’s house to wherever that first date would take place. It was an art form, one that hasn’t entirely died out in the 21st century. Let’s take a look at a few 1980s songs that made it to many a romantic playlist during first dates.
“Take My Breath Away” by Berlin (1986)
This classic synth-pop jam was made famous by its inclusion in the soundtrack of the film Top Gun. It still lives on as one of the most romantic songs of the era. “Take My Breath Away” was written by soundtrack master Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock. It became a fast hit on the charts in 1986. The tune peaked at No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the UK Singles chart. “Take My Breath Away” also made it to the Top 10 almost globally.
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“I Would Die 4 U” by Prince and The Revolution (1984)
This Prince song is on the intense side lyrically. But it was funky and catchy enough to be perfect for a date playlist. “I Would Die 4 U” is just one of many particularly romantical songs on Purple Rain. It was also a hit off that very album. This synth-rock jam was a No. 8 hit on the Hot 100 and did similarly well in Canada and the Netherlands. Pop this song on with “Baby I’m A Star”, and you’re in for a romance-filled night.
“Saving All My Love For You” by Whitney Houston (1985)
Whitney Houston had a voice unlike any other. She could probably have sung the ingredients on a box of cereal in the 80s and made it sound incredibly passionate. She makes it to our list of 1980s songs that soundtracked many first dates with the song “Saving All My Love For You”, off her self-titled album. A gorgeous R&B classic and a global success, “Saving All My Love For You” became Houston’s very first No. 1 hit on the Hot 100 chart.
(Photo by Richard Corkery/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
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