If you’re an 80s kid, you might remember some of the songs you listened to on the radio on the way to school each weekday morning. For a lot of people, that’s how their music tastes formed: by being a kid stuck in the car on the way to school, exposed to whatever Top 40 jams were currently on the radio. Luckily, the 80s were a killer time for music, as evidenced by the following four top-notch nostalgic 80s tunes. Let’s dive in, shall we?
“Africa” by Toto from ‘Toto IV’ (1982)
Even if you weren’t alive in the 80s, I bet you’ve drunkenly sung this song at karaoke at least once. “Africa” by Toto is easily the group’s most enduring synth-pop jam, and it’s one that was all over the radio back in 1982. This hit song, written by David Paich and Jeff Porcaro, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
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“I Want To Break Free” by Queen from ‘The Works’ (1984)
Queen had a ton of hits in the 1980s. But there’s something about “I Want To Break Free” from 1984 that sticks out among radio hits from that era. This John Deacon-penned synth-pop smash was an impossible-to-ignore tune on the radio. And today, it remains popular on classic rock radio. “I Want To Break Free” peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles chart, but didn’t quite reach the Top 40 in the US.
“I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” by Whitney Houston from ‘Whitney’ (1987)
Whitney Houston’s electrifying voice on “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” proved that she could take on dance hits as well as soft ballads. This song is still so much fun after all these years. Naturally, many 80s kids jammed out to it on the way to school. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” peaked at No. 1 across the board. It topped charts in the US, UK, Canada, and just about everywhere else.
“Take On Me” by a-ha (1984)
Whether you heard this song in the car on the way to school or while your face was glued to MTV back in the day, if you’re an 80s kid, this is probably one of the most memorable songs on this list. “Take On Me” by a-ha took synth-pop to a whole new level in 1984. And it was a smash hit across the globe. “Take On Me” peaked at No. 1 in the US.
(Photo by Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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