The hook is the heart of a pop song and usually what makes a pop song a hit, no matter the era. Back in the 1980s, there was a formula for crafting the perfect pop hooks. They had to be punchy, bouncy, of-the-era (as in, synthy), and as memorable as humanly possible. The following three pop songs ended up being big radio hits, but their hooks weren’t what you’d expect at the time in the 1980s. Let’s take a look!
“Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco (1985)
This one was really a wild card. No one really expected what was basically spoken-word German-language rap music about classical composers to make such waves on English-language pop music radio. However, the Cold War was a weird time, and a lot of great music came from German musicians during that difficult time. “Rock Me Amadeus” was incredibly memorable, and it was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, the UK Singles chart and, of course, the West German and Austrian charts. Sadly, it would be Falco’s only Top 10 hit in the US.
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“Sledgehammer” by Peter Gabriel (1986)
Peter Gabriel had a great time in the 1980s, both in and out of Genesis. “Sledgehammer” is one of his solo works, and it’s basically his signature song at this point. “Sledgehammer” was a huge dance-rock hit in 1986, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100, among other pop charts. And it’s really not like anything else in pop from that year. Sure, the song draws from 1960s soul and funk, which wasn’t new at all by the time Gabriel dropped this song. But it used those structures, complete with groovy horns, to construct a pretty modern-sounding (for 1986) hook. He did it without relying on synths, too. Now that’s talent!
“Take On Me” by a-ha (1985)
Extremely high, falsetto vocal tricks aren’t anything unique by today’s standards. But back in the mid-1980s, nobody was really doing that in rock or pop music. Sure, the hair metal bands were wailing away, but nobody was hitting notes quite like Morten Harket was in “Take On Me”. That chorus is incredibly legendary, and even those who weren’t alive in the 1980s know this pop hook more than most pop hooks from the era. The hook in “Take On Me” by a-ha also relies on a sudden melodic shift rather than rhythmic changes. It’s quite unique and quite delightful to hear every time.
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