4 Forgotten Pop Songs From 1986 That Still Sound Radio-Worthy

The year 1986 saw the release of Madonna’s True Blue album, the rise of pop artists like Whitney Houston, and the end of popular groups like Queen and The Smiths. Here are some songs from this year that still sound like hits today, even though they came out decades ago.

“Human” by The Human League

This song is honest and vulnerable. In the chorus, vocalist Philip Oakey sings about being “born to make mistakes.” In a way, this song is also kind of romantic, singing about forgiveness in what could be perceived as the context of a relationship. It also sounds like the person singing is asking for forgiveness, possibly for infidelity, even though he is human.

So many nights I longed to hold you
So many times I looked and saw your face
Nothing could change the way I feel
No one else could ever take your place.

“Wild Wild Life” by Talking Heads

“Wild Wild Life” was the Talking Heads’ last song to chart on the Hot 100. This is a quirky song, but its quirk is also part of its charm. I mean, just get a load of these lyrics:

I’m wearing fur pajamas
I ride a hot potato
It’s tickling my fancy
Speak up, I can’t hear you.

“Who’s Johnny” by El DeBarge

Released as El DeBarge’s first solo single, “Who’s Johnny” did well, earning him a No. 3 placement on the Billboard chart. It was written by Peter Wolfe, who also worked on “We Built This City” by Starship, with his then-wife, Ina.

“Live To Tell” by Madonna

“Live To Tell” is a reflective song, written for the movie At Close Range, which stars Madonna’s then-husband, Sean Penn.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, per Songfacts, Madonna described this song as “true, but not necessarily autobiographical.”

“Sometimes when I’m writing songs, I’m just channeling,” she explained. “I could say that ‘Live To Tell’ was about my childhood, my relationship with my parents, my father and my stepmother. But maybe not. It could be about something in an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel or a story that I heard once. It’s true, but it’s not necessarily autobiographical.”

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