These 4 Classic Rock Songs From 1986 Don’t Make Much Sense, but I Still Keep Listening to Them

The year 1986 was an interesting year in rock music. Harder, heavy metal sounds were on the charts, along with love songs, feel-good songs, and more. These four songs all came out in 1986, and while they don’t make much sense, they’re so good we keep listening to them anyway.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Dancing On The Ceiling” by Lionel Richie

As party anthems go, Lionel Richie’s “Dancing On The Ceiling” is a good one. Written by Richie, along with Carlos Rios and Michael Frenchik, the song is the title track of Richie’s third studio album as a solo artist.

“Dancing On The Ceiling” begins with, “What is happening here? / Something going on that’s not quite clear / Somebody turn on the lights / We’re gonna have a party, it’s starting tonight / Oh, what a feeling when we’re dancing on the ceiling / Oh, what a feeling when we’re dancing on the ceiling.“

The video reportedly cost about $400,000 to make, a hefty price tag in 1986.

“Hip To Be Square” by Huey Lewis and the News

On Fore!, the fourth studio album by Huey Lewis and the News, is “Hip To Be Square”. Written by Lewis, Bill Gibson, and Sean Hopper, the self-deprecating tune seems to be touting the benefits of wholesome living, even though Lewis meant it as a joke.

“Hip To Be Square” says, “Now I’m playing it real straight / And yes, I cut my hair / You might think I’m crazy / But I don’t even care / ‘Cause I can tell what’s going on / It’s hip to be square / It’s hip to be square.”

“Venus” by Bananarama

Before Bananarama released “Venus”, the song was first an international hit by the band Shocking Blue in 1969. 17 years later, England’s Bananarama put their own spin on “Venus”. A massive hit for them as well, the song is Bananarama’s only No. 1 single in the United States.

Written by Robbie van Leeuwen, “Venus” says, “Her weapons were her crystal eyes / Making every man mad / Black as the dark night she was / Got what no one else had, whoa / She’s got it / Yeah, baby, she’s got it / I’m your Venus, I’m your fire / At your desire / Well, I’m your Venus, I’m your fire / At your desire.”

“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” by Wang Chung

There may not be a song that is more of a head-scratcher from the 1980s than “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”. Out by the English band Wang Chung, the song is on their Mosaic album.

“Everybody Have Fun Tonight” says, “Rip it up, move down / Rip it up, move it down to the ground / Rip it up, cool down / Rip it up, don’t hang me on the borderline / Everybody have fun tonight Everybody have fun tonight / Everybody Wang Chung tonight.”

One of Wang Chung’s biggest hits, the song, written by band members Jack Hues, Nick Feldman, and producer Peter Wolf, was originally intended as a ballad.

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