4 Songs From 1982 That Could Single-Handedly Keep Clubs Open Today

I think we all know that the 80s were full of club-worthy music. From Phil Collins to Michael Jackson to Madonna, there’s too much pop goodness to go around. Here are a few songs from the year 1982 that I think would definitely keep the party going if they were played today.

“Africa” by Toto

Okay, but hear me out on this one. I think a remixed version of “Africa” would be absolutely insane in the club. Even though this song is definitely one of the 80s’ most epic hits, David Paich of Toto wrote it almost spontaneously. He pretty much described this moment as divine to Robyn Flans. All it really took was a CS-80 keyboard, God, I guess, and “Africa” was born.

“I sang the chorus out as you hear it,” he explained. “It was like God channeling it. I thought, ‘I’m talented, but I’m not that talented. Something just happened here!’”

“Thriller” by Michael Jackson

I mean, this one feels obvious. Thriller was released at the tail end of 1982 and made Michael Jackson one of the biggest stars on the planet (as if he wasn’t already). In addition to a killer video, this one already has choreography and an obvious theme. Honestly, you don’t need much more than that to shut down the club.

“Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners

You might need to see the vision for this one… kind of. Personally, though, I think if “Come On Eileen” was spun by the right DJ, it could be a one-of-a-kind EDM experience. This song sets itself apart from other hits of the era, mainly because it wasn’t a synth pop phenomenon. However, it still has a pretty good rhythm, and with that hooky “Too ra loo ra” you really can’t go wrong.

“Everybody” by Madonna

“Everybody” was Madonna’s first successful song and was released before the future pop icon was even signed to a record label. Madonna would actually go to DJs at clubs herself and get them to play the song, whose popularity on the dance floor led to her signing a deal with Sire Records. Under them, she released her debut album, Madonna, and four more albums after that.

Photo by: Rob Verhorst/Redferns