4 Guilty Pleasure Songs From the 1980s That I Don’t Feel That Guilty Listening To

By modern standards, 1980s music is a bit silly. We often listen to hits from that era with a grain of salt. There is a level of schmaltz we’ve come to expect. Because of that, there are many guilty pleasure songs from the ’80s that we still listen to today—or at least I do. Check out four of them, below.

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“Africa” (Toto)

The opening melodic riff to Toto‘s guilty pleasure song, “Africa”, is instantly recognizable. In terms of songs that made it out of the 1980s, this is one of the most pervasive. Even listeners who aren’t well-versed in that era will know this song from beginning to end. It’s impossible not to sing along to this chorus and, truthfully, we will do so happily every time it comes on.

He turned to me as if to say
“Hurry, boy, it’s waiting there for you”

It’s gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There’s nothin’ that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

“Mr. Roboto” (Styx)

Though this guilty pleasure song is somewhat deserving of the snide remarks it gets, there is something charmingly dramatic about “Mr. Roboto.” If we can say anything for 1980s musicians, they weren’t afraid to have a little fun in the studio. At least, that’s the impression one gets after listening to this Styx hit. Moreover, the lyrical content sends a powerful message about the age of the machine–something all of us in the modern age can surely relate to.

I’ve got a secret, I’ve been hiding under my skin
My heart is human, my blood is boiling, my brain IBM
So if you see me acting strangely, don’t be surprised
I’m just a man who needed someone and somewhere to hide to keep me alive
Just keep me alive, somewhere to hide, to keep me alive

“Physical” (Olivia Newton-John)

Dua Lipa’s “Physical” is a testament to the staying power of Olivia Newton-John’s song of the same name. The songstress capitalized on the Jazzercise trend in the 1980s by writing a song with a tempo tailor-made for working up a sweat. Tack on an innuendo about intimacy and John got herself a hit. We find ourselves singing this guilty pleasure song from time to time, and we doubt we’re alone in that…

Let’s get physical, physical
I wanna get physical
Let’s get into physical
Let me hear your body talk, your body talk
Let me hear your body talk
Let’s get physical, physical

“Kokomo” (Beach Boys)

“Kokomo” isn’t the Beach Boys’ most lyrically impressive song, however, it is one of their most memorable. This guilty pleasure song is evocative of the beachy manifesto the band pushed in their early years. It might be a little over-the-top, but it’s proportionality fun and we think that counts for a lot.

(Off the Florida Keys
There’s a place called Kokomo
That’s where you wanna go
To get away from it all
Bodies in the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
We’ll be falling in love
To the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo

(Photo by Jay West/WireImage)