3 Timeless Songs From the 1980s That Will Make You Fall in Love With Whistling Again

Sometimes, it’s simplicity that counts most. When it comes to music, there are plenty of people who know how to write elaborate, lush, or even dense compositions. But sometimes all that you crave as a listener is something sweet and simple.

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That’s just what we wanted to explore below. We wanted to highlight three songs that veered away from the elaborate and went for something more common, yet refined. Indeed, these are three timeless songs from the 1980s that make you fall in love with whistling again.

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin from ‘Simple Pleasures’ (1988)

There is no song on Earth that will put you in a better mood faster than Bobby McFerrin’s 1988 classic, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. The tune, which tells you to forget your troubles and enjoy life to the fullest, opens with whistling. Indeed, McFerrin chooses that performance style to introduce his track. Why? Because most people love whistling and can whistle. It’s familiar, simple, and lovely.

“Patience” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘G N’ R Lies’ (1989)

When you consider the rock group Guns N’ Roses, images of a paradise city or a rocking jungle or some other festive place might leap to mind. But one of the band’s biggest and most beloved songs is also somehow one that often goes under the radar. That’s because “Patience” is a softer acoustic number, and it opens with whistling. It’s not necessarily a party starter. But it is one that proves whistling has a place in just about every walk of song. If Guns N’ Roses can do it, so can you!

“Walk Like An Egyptian” by The Bangles from ‘Different Light’ (1986)

At around the two-minute mark, The Bangles show what a hit rock song from the late 1980s can sound like if you add a little whistling. Lead guitars, big hair, attitude—they weren’t enough. The Bangles decided they needed some of that familiar high-pitched lip pursing. And you know what? It works. The whistling brings the energy up. The song crescendos with it, like a whistling wave onto a rollicking beach.

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