The 1980s had some of the best rock songs ever released. The decade saw plenty of heartbreak songs, love songs, and uptempo songs, including these four, all out in 1984, which still make us want to dance.
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“Footloose” by Kenny Loggins
The title track of the hit movie starring Kevin Bacon, Kenny Loggins wrote “Footloose” with Dean Pitchford. A three-week No. 1 hit, the song earned Loggins two Grammy Award nominations.
“Footloose” says, “So now I gotta cut loose / Footloose / Kick off the Sunday shoes / Please, Louise / Pull me off of my knees / Jack, get back / Come on before we crack / Lose your blues / Everybody cut footloose.”
In 2011, Blake Shelton recorded a new version for a remake of the film.
“The Heart Of Rock & Roll” by Huey Lewis and The News
Huey Lewis and Johnny Colla are the two writers of “The Heart Of Rock & Roll”. A No. 1 hit for Huey Lewis and The News, the song is on the group’s third album, Sports.
The feel-good song says, “But it’s still that same old back beat rhythm / That really, really drives ’em wild / They say the heart of rock and roll is still beating / And from what I’ve seen I believe ’em / Now the old boy may be barely breathing / But the heart of rock and roll / Heart of rock and roll is still beating.”
“Jump (For My Love) by The Pointer Sisters
There likely isn’t a more dance-worthy song than “Jump (For My Love)” by The Pointer Sisters. On their Break Out record, the uptempo track is written by Marti Sharron, Gary Skardina, and Stephen Mitchell.
“Jump (For My Love)” says, “And if you want more / If you want more, more, more / Then jump / For my love / Jump in / And feel my touch / Jump, if you want to taste my kisses in the night then / Jump (jump) for my love.”
“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince
A two-week No.1 hit for Prince, recorded as Prince and The Revolution, Prince wrote “Let’s Go Crazy” by himself. The first single from his Purple Rain record, “Let’s Go Crazy” remains one of Prince’s most memorable hits.
“Let’s Go Crazy” says, “Are we gonna let the elevator bring us down? / Oh no, let’s go / Let’s go crazy / Let’s get nuts / Let’s look for the purple banana / ‘Til they put us in the truck / Let’s go.”
After Prince tragically passed away in 2016, “Let’s Go Crazy” became a Top 40 hit again, 32 years after it was first released.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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