4 Glittery Pop Songs From 1986 That You Probably Forgot You Loved

If there was any year that had a string of glittery hit pop songs, it was definitely 1986. Here are a few songs from the year that you probably forgot you were obsessed with.

“True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper

Even though “True Colors” would go on to become an LGBTQ+ anthem for multiple generations, when songwriter Billy Steinberg wrote the song, he was thinking of his mother. Upon working on the song with Tom Kelly, it seemed that “True Colors” could be applicable to just about anyone.

“We wrote that verse and chorus, Tom and I,” Steinberg told Songfacts. “And Tom said to me, ‘Gee, that chorus has tremendous universal appeal; it could be sung by anyone to anyone. It could be a parent to a child, a friend to a friend, could be for or about anyone…’”

“Higher Love” by Steve Winwood

“Higher Love” was Steve Winwood’s first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The song also earned Grammys for Record of the Year and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. Whitney Houston of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” stardom even did her own version of this song in 1990. There’s something kind of electric about this Winwood hit, which appears to sing about a greater force or power giving life purpose and meaning.

“Dancing On The Ceiling” by Lionel Richie

Some people know Richie from his time with the Commodores; others might know him from his duet with Diana Ross, “Endless Love”. I know the singer-songwriter from this hit. Appearing on Richie’s album of the same name, “Dancing On The Ceiling” became a worldwide hit, and even peaked at No. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

“Take My Breath Away” by Berlin

You probably know this song from Top Gun. To me, this song is about being so infatuated with someone that, I guess, you can’t breathe. It’s a crush so intense that it feels all-encompassing. Giorgio Moroder, who also composed “Call Me” by Blondie and “Flashdance… What A Feeling”, composed this track as well. He is often referred to as the Father of Disco, which makes sense.

Photo by: Ebet Roberts/Redferns