3 Underrated Classic Rock Songs From the 1980s That Rock My World After All These Years

The 1980s birthed some of the best bands, musicians, albums, and songs of all time, especially when it comes to rock music. The influence of new wave and heavy metal seemed to do wonders for classic rock at the time. And the following underrated classic rock songs from the 1980s still rock my world, decades after they first dropped. Maybe you’ll feel the same way after giving them a spin.

“Under The Milky Way” by The Church from ‘Starfish’ (1988)

Remember this alternative rock band from Australia? The Church had a pretty big moment in the 1980s when several of their albums became successful internationally. Starfish was one of them, and the hit single “Under The Milky Way” remains way too underrated decades later.

This band took 1960s psychedelia, 1970s rock sensibilities, and 1980s new wave goodness and sort of mashed it all together into a song that’s still pure magic after all these years. It’s not surprising to me that back in the day, “Under The Milky Way” made it all the way to No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And yet, so few remember it today. What gives?!

“Love Removal Machine” by The Cult from ‘Electric’ (1987)

Those big guitars and absolutely roaring groove are still a treat for my ears, literal decades after “Love Removal Machine” dropped in 1987. If you were around to hear this song from The Cult on the radio, you definitely still remember it. This heavy metal, hard rock jam was a No. 15 hit on the Mainstream Rock chart in the US, and it did similarly well on the UK Singles chart.

“Tuff Enuff” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds from ‘Tuff Enuff’ (1986)

“Tuff Enuff” by The Fabulous Thunderbirds brought blues rock back to the mainstream in an era when it felt like bluesy rock classics were left in the dust. This entry on our list of classic rock songs from the 1980s just can’t be beat in terms of sounding both ahead of its time and firmly behind its time. And, surprisingly, The Fabulous Thunderbirds never quite scored as big a hit again. “Tuff Enuff” peaked at No. 10 in the US, but none of the band’s follow-up singles cracked the Top 40. What a shame!

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