3 Forgotten and Lost Songs From 1982 I Bet You Don’t Remember

Anyone who grew up in the 1980s likely still returns to the classics from that era, even today. A lot of great songs came out in the early 1980s, particularly in 1982, and far too many of them have been forgotten by modern-day listeners. Let’s revisit a few gems that don’t get much airplay nowadays, shall we?

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“The Other Woman” by Ray Parker Jr.

Pop rock was all the rage in the early 1980s. And one pop rock gem that did particularly well on the global charts was “The Other Woman” by Ray Parker Jr.

Released in March of that year, this song was a pretty hefty hit for the singer/songwriter. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and No. 2 on the Hot Black Singles chart. 

Fun fact: Two music videos were made for “The Other Woman”. One (embedded above) was a delightfully campy horror-themed MV with a very sensual take on Dracula.

“Man On Your Mind” by Little River Band

This rock classic from Little River Band remains pretty underrated, in my opinion. Even though this song from the Australian rock band was featured in the popular crime drama Bad Boys from 1983, it didn’t reach quite as broad an audience as it should have. “Man On Your Mind” by Little River Band peaked at No. 14 on the Hot 100 chart. It also did decently in Canada. It’s a little crazy to me that I don’t hear this one on classic rock radio that often nowadays.

“Keep The Fire Burnin’” by REO Speedwagon

Sometimes, a little bit of REO Speedwagon just slaps. “Keep The Fire Burnin’”, a standout single from Good Trouble, dropped in mid-198. It was quite a successful song on the mainstream charts. This rock jam on our list of forgotten songs from 1982 peaked at No. 7 on the Hot 100, and did even better in Canada.

Fun fact: After touring to promote Good Trouble, “Keep The Fire Burnin’” was the only song from that album to make it to setlists in its entirety on subsequent tours. Though, it remained a rare live gem from that band up until their disbandment in 2025. Considering how unsure REO Speedwagon’s members are of any future reunions, we might never get to hear this jam live again.

Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images