MTV. The Moonwalk. Madonna.
Videos by American Songwriter
The ’80s were nothing short of magical (at least when viewing with rose-colored glasses). Music in this decade wasn’t bad either. Thanks to numerous new technologies, a unique sound was curated that included synthesizer sounds and drum reverb. It was a sound all its own.
So, let’s moonwalk through some of the best love songs from the ’80s to show the era some TLC.
1. “Just the Two of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. & Bill Withers (1980)
Kicking off a decade of new love songs are Grover Washington’s croonings: Just the two of us/ We can make it if we try. The song clearly struck a chord, too, because at the 24th Grammy Awards it won the award for Best R&B Song.
2. “I Want to Know What Love Is” by Foreigner (1984)
Don’t we all?
3. “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin (1986)
“Take My Breath Away” was written by Giorgio Moroder and Tom Whitlock for the original Top Gun movie soundtrack. It’s a slower tune than many of the others on the soundtrack, and it sets the scene for a romantic moment between two of the main characters played by Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis.
4. “The Power of Love” by Huey Lewis and the News (1985)
Another staple ’80s love song that came to us from the big screen. “The Power of Love” was written for the film Back to the Future. Both song and movie were hits; the song was a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 song and its cinematic counterpart was the highest-grossing film of 1985. Now, that’s the power of love.
5. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper (1983)
The Cyndi Lauper hit was written for her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual, and became her first number-one hit. And ever since its release, this tune has been picked—time after time— as one of the greatest love songs.
6. “Stuck on You” by Lionel Richie (1983)
Lionel Richie officially embarked on his solo career in 1982 after serving as the co-lead singer and songwriter of The Commodores. In this new adventure, Richie became one of the most successful balladeers of the decade, and songs like “Stuck on You” are proof of that.
7. “Heaven” by Bryan Adams (1984)
Adams was an opening act on Journey’s Frontiers Tour, and he was particularly inspired by a song that they played, titled “Faithfully.” That inspiration eventually became his hit, “Heaven.”
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart.
8. “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship (1987)
Written by Albert Hammond and Diane Warren for Starship, the song was inspired by Hammond’s personal love life. Hammond explained in a 1992 radio interview that the song was inspired by the finalization of his divorce after he had been living with his new girlfriend for several years. “What I said to Diane was, ‘It’s almost like they’ve stopped me from marrying this woman for seven years, and they haven’t succeeded. They’re not gonna stop me doing it.'”
Lionel Richie (Photo: ASCAP)
