4 Songs From the 1980s That Feel Like Lounging in the Sunshine

Golden-brown skin and French-cut bikinis are as synonymous with the 1980s as, say, good pop music and Aquanet. When all four elements combine? Well, you can practically smell the coconut tanning oil—with single-digit SPF, of course. Get your lounge chairs and cigarettes ready, because these four songs from the 1980s will instantly transport you to a lazy afternoon spent lounging in the sunshine.

“Walking On Sunshine” by Katrina And The Waves

An obvious choice, maybe, but there’s a reason why Katrina And The Waves have the first spot on this sunshine-filled list of 1980s songs. “Walking On Sunshine” came out in April 1985, which gave it plenty of time to evolve into a summertime anthem. Despite the band not being huge fans of the song at first, it became a global hit, breaking into the Top 10 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

“I’m walking on sunshine, woah, and don’t it feel good!”  

“Summer Of ‘69” by Bryan Adams

Lounging in the sunshine can often conjure nostalgia for a time when you had enough free time to lie in the backyard for hours on end, regardless of whether you were doing most of your sun worshiping in the 1980s. Bryan Adams’ “Summer Of ‘69” is the perfect “way back when” song, which makes it especially great for lazing on a lounge chair, letting your mind wander to younger, more carefree years.

“Oh, when I look back now / that summer seemed to last forever / And if I had the choice, yeah I’d always wanna be there.”

“La Isla Bonita” by Madonna

Translated in English as “The Beautiful Island”, Madonna’s 1987 hit song “La Isla Bonita” is the kind of late 1980s pop tune that instantly transports you somewhere sunny and warm, whether that’s a beach, the deck of a boat, or on a towel on the roof of your apartment building. Featuring Latin percussion and flamenco guitar, Madonna’s summery hit practically oozes white-hot sunshine.

“Tropical the island breeze / all of nature wild and free / This is where I long to be / La isla bonita.”

“Summer Nights” by Van Halen 

We’ll wrap this list of 1980s songs that feel like lounging in the sunshine distilled into a three-minute song with an entry that technically requires an asterisk. No, the sun wouldn’t actually be out at the time that Van Halen is singing about in “Summer Nights”. But the “Van Hagar” era song lets you fantasize about what your summer night might end up looking like once you’re done working on your tan.

“Summer nights and my radio / That’s all we need, baby, don’t cha know? / We celebrate when the gang’s all here / On a hot summer night, that’s my time of year.”

Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images