4 Controversial Songs From the 1980s That I Refuse to Stop Listening To

To be controversial can mean many things, but when it comes to songs from the 1980s, one of the most common arguments against them is their cringe factor. The synths, the reverb on the snare, the outfits—this decade can catch a lot of flak for how over-the-top almost everything really was. Long gone were the Earth-child minimalist vibes of the 1970s. From the hair to the production value, everything was trying to be bigger and bolder in the 1980s.

Still, just like junk food can be delicious and mindless, reality shows can be entertaining; sometimes, a bit of extravagance for its own sake is fun. These four songs, which people seem to either love or hate, are prime examples. Signed, someone who really, really loves them.

“I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” by Daryl Hall and John Oates

Daryl Hall and John Oates are one of those groups from the 1980s that seem to evoke a love-hate reaction in the general public. Songs like “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do)” might be why. The duo’s blend of pop, blue-eyed soul, and rock can come across as a little too saccharine for some.

But I’d argue “I Can’t Go for That” is proof that Hall & Oates weren’t just churning out easy-listening hits. They also had funky, creative, and catchy hooks like that one. I don’t care how many people roll their eyes when they hear it. It’s staying on my playlist.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” by Wham!

Another group from the 1980s that has a devoted cult following matched in size by its pool of haters, Wham! had plenty of decade-defining hits. My personal favorite is “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”, even if the 1984 track elicits groans from some of its more critical listeners. It’s objectively catchy.

This song was a natural fit for the No. 1 spot in the U.S. and the U.K. during the peak of the decade. Fully evolved from the 1970s and not quite roughed up by the 1990s, this song is among the most ubiquitous of the controversial 1980s songs.

“Heaven Is a Place on Earth” by Belinda Carlisle

Is power pop always going to be at least a little bit cheesy? Probably. Is Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” still a great song? Definitely. The 1987 track made our list of controversial 1980s songs, namely for its hyper-romantic lyrics and its (admittedly) indulgent key change.

Still, who hasn’t heard this song on a passing 1980s radio station or in a commercial and not quietly sung, “Oooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth? / Ooh, heaven is a place on Earth” for at least five hours after? I’d go so far as to say that anyone who claims they haven’t is lying.

“Take My Breath Away” by Berlin

This lush, synth-laden track from 1986 by Berlin is a notable addition to this list of controversial 1980s songs in that the song’s legacy is also wrapped up in an equally controversial film from the same year, Top Gun. Both “Take My Breath Away” and the Tom Cruise vehicle in which the song is featured are quintessentially 1980s, for better or worse.

Regardless of how you feel about washy synthesizers or blue-lit romance scenes between Cruise’s Maverick and Kelly McGillis’ Charlie, “Take My Breath Away” is a hard song to write off completely. It did win the Academy Award for Best Original Song, after all, which is nothing to sneeze at.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images