The 80s stood out as a decade in music history where fresh new styles tended to dominate the proceedings. But that didn’t stop artists from occasionally reaching back into the past for inspiration.
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You can even find a few instances where baroque pop, the 60s genre that melded rock melodic structures with lush, typically non-rock instrumentation, showed its face. Check out these five 80s hits if you don’t believe us.
“They Don’t Know” by Tracey Ullman (1983)
While she hadn’t yet made much of an impact in the US, by 1983, Tracey Ullman was well-known in her native United Kingdom for her comedy and acting. She decided to try to add “pop star” to her list of accomplishments. To make it happen, she looked to a song that had been written and first recorded by Kirsty MacColl. “They Don’t Know” oozes pure charm from start to finish. Since Ullman couldn’t hit the climactic note on the word “baby” in the song, she had MacColl sub in for that specific line. Ullman sealed the deal for this one by getting no less than Paul McCartney to cameo in the video.
“Life In A Northern Town” by The Dream Academy (1985)
Nick Laird-Clowes was considering giving up on The Dream Academy, as their prospects hadn’t been all that promising in the early days of the group. That’s when he and bandmate Gilbert Gabriel decided that a song with an African-style chant at its foundation might change things up. They’d also recently brought in Kate St. John. She added some lovely woodwind touches to give the song a bit of a classical music vibe. To drive home the 60s lean of the song, Laird-Clowes writes nostalgic lyrics that mention The Beatles and JFK. Quite a bold mix of elements, but it all came together brilliantly.
“Raspberry Beret” by Prince (1985)
People expecting Prince to repeat himself just because he’d earned massive success with one particular style didn’t really understand him as an artist. Coming off the smash Purple Rain movie and album, he easily could have continued in that pop-funk vein and done bonkers business. Instead, he surprised everyone with the retro vibe of Around The World In A Day and its effervescent first single “Raspberry Beret”. The song showed off Prince’s melodic abilities. Even though there’s an innocence to the throwback music, he still manages to throw out a few sultry lines to represent the brand.
“Eternal Flame” by The Bangles (1989)
The Bangles proudly showed off their willingness to look to the past for inspiration. On their breakthrough album Different Light, songs like “Manic Monday” and “If She Knew What She Wants” sounded like they easily could have made AM radio playlists in the 60s. But they didn’t have a hand in writing those. “Eternal Flame”, however, came partially from the pen of lead singer Susanna Hoffs. Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly, ace writers-for-hire, assisted. Together they crafted a dreamy ballad that easily glides from a quiet music box intro to sweeping strings, all carried along by Hoffs’ emotional vocal effort.
“Sowing The Seeds Of Love” by Tears For Fears (1989)
Tears For Fears took some time away from the studio following their chart-dominating 1985 album Songs From The Big Chair. The process for their follow-up was anything but smooth, as former collaborators departed and new ones joined up. As you might expect, the band was able to record with a huge budget following their success. You can hear some of that money in “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”. It’s replete with ear-grabbing sounds and bold production touches. But you can also discern the care and goodwill that Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith ladle onto this pitch-perfect Beatles’ homage.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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