4 Smash Hits From the 1980s That Have a Socially Conscious Streak

We think of the 80s as an era of excess. But that didn’t stop artists from occasionally stepping back from the pursuit of No. 1 hits. Many took a wider, often critical look at the world around them in the songs that they wrote.

Occasionally, these socially conscious songs were able to thread the needle and turn into hits themselves. Here are four examples of that phenomenon.

“Born In The U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen cannily placed one of his most critical sets of lyrics within one of his most patriotic musical foundations. That combination rendered “Born In The U.S.A.” a powder keg of a song. And it never loses its relevance or its power to rile. Youngsters listening to the radio back in the day likely didn’t pay too much attention to the verses. Instead, they got caught up in The Boss’ fist-pumping chorus. But when they finally did heed the verses, they found out that Springsteen was painting a damning portrait of how US soldiers were neglected by their country after returning from the Vietnam War. To this day, the song will get played behind fireworks displays. Then its subversive streak hides in plain sight.

(Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns)

“The Way It Is” by Bruce Hornsby & The Range

Most acts that come away with a debut No. 1 single do it with something flashy. But Bruce Hornsby & The Range immediately made it clear that substance was going to take priority over style for them. “The Way It Is”, written by Hornsby, takes aim at societal ills like poverty and racism that refuse to relent. The song also makes the point that the people who just accept that these problems are permanent without doing their own bit to fight against them are part of the problem. Hornsby’s song also stood out for the way it bucked the rock trends of in-your-face production, instead relying on his tinkling piano to do much of the musical heavy lifting.

“Sign O’ The Times” by Prince

As if he hadn’t already shown the world infinite amounts of talent to that point, Prince managed to raise the bar with his 1987 album Sign O’ The Times. Pieced together out of multiple concepts that he’s started to formulate and then scrapped, the record is perhaps the finest distillation of his wide-ranging abilities. The title track showed his socially conscious side, and it’s a chill-inducing thriller of a song. Over a rhythm that also somehow acts as a melodic hook as well, Prince gives us his unvarnished views on the state of the world. With destruction encircling him, he stands fearlessly and funkily at the center of the maelstrom to deliver the truth.

“Another Day In Paradise” by Phil Collins

Phil Collins started to understand that there was a segment of the music fan population that was tiring of him as the 80s drew to a close. That’s part of the reason that he tried something more downcast and outward-focused on his final album of the decade. …But Seriously, his 1989 LP, announced itself to the world with “Another Day In Paradise”. Instead of singing about homelessness on a grand scale, Collins tells a single story to get his point across. None other than David Crosby, a guy who knew a little about speaking truth to power in his songs, sings backing vocals. Even as he went somber on us, Collins still thrived, as “Another Day In Paradise” landed at No. 1.

Photo by Ian Dickson/Redferns