Here's a cool song by Kate Bush from the 80s!
Trivia: When the song's video was released in the UK in 1986,
Top of the Pops initially refused to play it because it was deemed "too violent". That's a laugh by 2025 standards! LOL!!!
First appearance of Dr. House
Another great song, which I believe is well composed, is
Big Log by Robert Plant, released in 1983. It features an iconic guitar riff in the intro, and the lyrics are creative and imaginative. The song is a somber reflection on the challenges of life.
Bassist Viktor Krauss released a slowed-down cover version of the song in 2004, featuring his famous sister, Alison Krauss, on lead vocals.
Viktor Krauss also performed the song live with Jill Walsh on lead vocals. Sadly, Jill passed away in 2012 at the age of 47.
This is an awesome uptempo pop-rock track from Belinda Carlisle titled
You're Nothing Without Me, released in 1991.
Harden My Heart was an awesome hit in 1982 by Quarterflash. I love the chord progressions.
Twist of Fate, released in 1983, was the final top 5 US hit from the late Olivia Newton-John. Awesome track!
From the same movie soundtrack, Olivia released a second less known song in 1984,
Livin' In Desperate Times, but I like it!!! ;D
This Gibb-penned song and universal number one track was covered by the talented Liz McClarnon of the Atomic Kittens in 2006. Her cover version reached number 5 on the UK pop charts that year.
The late Benjamin Orr was a bassist and co-lead singer of The Cars. He released
Stay The Night in 1986 as a solo track. It reached #24 on Billboard's Hot 100 in the US in early 1987. That was his only solo hit. I believe it's a well-crafted pop-rock song that is reflective of the mid-80s.
In 1969 Mason Proffit released Two Hangmen. It was an iconic statement at the time and has remained ever since an unmistakable warning to any audience to guard itself against designing men of ill repute seeking power over them. It still fits today. The song is the message. Its outro is the "audience's" reaction.
Among the most prolific and successful songwriters of all time, Barry Gibb wrote and produced this hidden gem for a young, talented vocalist from South Florida named Kelli Wolfe in 1991. The song was semi-released in 1993 as a promo CD single in some markets. It's a power ballad with great vocals, excellent arrangement, and solid guitars. It's among my favorite tracks from the 90s. I find compositions like this one very instructional in terms of writing and arranging an excellent song. Barry's son, Stephen Gibb, plays lead guitar on the track.
Born To Be Loved by You -- Kelli Wolfe Hartman
Eyes -- Kelli Wolfe Hartman
Gibb also wrote and produced a second song for Kelli Wolfe, which she recorded during the same sessions.
I always enjoy listening to Emily Linge perform brilliant cover versions of popular songs using simple arrangements. Here are four:
Heartbreaker (Bee Gees)
Ordinary World (Duran Duran)
Honesty (Billy Joel)
Against All Odds (Phil Colins)
Eva Under Fire posted the best cover version of a song I've heard in recent years. It's a great hard rock version of the classic hit
Separate Ways by Journey. There's tons of energy in this one!
Chiara Kilchling (aka Cara Vel) created a couple of cool covers of two Led Zeppelin songs. Awesome!
The Rain SongKashmir
Although Bananarama was best known for their 80s hits
Cruel Summer and
Venus (cover version), my favorite track from the group is
A Trick of the Night from 1987. It has a great arrangement and vocals, interesting chord changes, and plenty of energy for a mid-tempo power ballad.
Excellent 80s pop-rock sounds from The Motels, featuring Martha Davis on lead vocals:
Only The LonelySuddenly Last Summer
I've always enjoyed the Latin-pop sounds of Gloria Estefan's music. This is a song she released in 2003. The lyrics are very catchy and the track has interesting chord changes and great vocals. It's a great power ballad!
A Little PushA live performance of
Te Amaré is from the same era in her career. Lots of energy in this one! I believe
Te Amaré translates to
I will love you. ;D
The Australian band Men at Work had numerous hits in the US in the early to mid 80s. Among the best, in my opinion, were the two below. The latter one,
Overkill, has a haunting melody at the end of the chorus with interesting chord changes around the line "ghosts appear and fade away".
It's a Mistake
Overkill
This is a cool and enjoyable live cover version of
You're No Good (Linda Ronstadt) by The Hindley Street Country Club.
This talented young lady, Beatrice Florea, has an amazing voice and tons of great videos of cover songs, including this oldie:
I like her style of singing the song in three part harmonies and presenting the track as triplets of herself in the video.
Alyona Yarushina recorded an excellent cover of the song
Burning Heart, originally released by Survivor and portrayed in
Rocky IV in 1985. Aloyna has an amazing voice!
...and she has some really great tips for creating the best vocals. :D
Jefferson Starship had some good hits in the 70s. These are a couple that come to mind:
Miracles -- soft rock
Jane -- hard rock
This is a cool #1 80s track from Yes:
Owner of a Lonely Heart
Anni-Frid Lyngstad (Frida) of ABBA recorded a cool euro-pop-rock solo album in 1982. Phil Collins produced a track from the album titled
I Know There's Something Going On. He also played drums on the track and added backing vocals to it. The song reached #13 in the US on Billboard's Hot 100, but it reached #1 and the top 5 in quite a few countries around the world.
For mellowing out and relaxing, new age or tranquil classical music works well. Here's an excellent new age piano instrumental from David Lanz, titled
Reverie, from 1993. It's a very cerebral track.
This is an excellent Rick Springfield rock track from 1983. It reached #9 on Billboard's Hot 100. Great guitar work!
Affair of the Heart
The 1987 Christmas episode of
Top of the Pops featured the Brothers Gibb performing
You Win Again, which was number 1 that week. It was also the number 1 song of the year in the UK.
Pat Benatar had a number of strong hits in the 80s. Two that come immediately to mind are
Fire and Ice and
Love is a Battlefield.
Toto had a number of solid hits in the late 70s and 80s. Here are a few that come to mind:
99Africa...and my favorite from Toto,
Lea
This is an excellent power rock ballad from Metallica, released in 1992.
Nothing Else Matters
Aimee Mann and her band 'Til Tuesday released a cool Euro-synth pop-rock track in 1985 titled
Voices Carry. It reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.
Karla Bonoff had a couple of hits in the 80s. My favorite was
Somebody's Eyes.
The Police had a number of hits from the late 70s to mid 80s. Among my favorites was
Wrapped Around Your Finger from 1983. The song reached number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.
Shirley Manson and her group, Garbage, had some Alt Rock hits in the late 90s and early 00s. One that comes to mind is
Stupid Girl, which reached #2 on the US Alt Rock charts, and #4 in the UK.
In 1985, the late Olivia Newton-John released
Soul Kiss, which was a hit for her. She looks and sounds amazing as usual in her song's music video. ;D 8)
I'm not particularly a fan of Chris De Burgh—he's probably best known for
Lady In Red, which was a decent song—but like many, I've sometimes wondered if the cloaked ferryman at the end of the
Don't Pay the Ferryman music video is Tom Baker (Dr. Who). Purportedly, Tom Baker denied it, but the rumor persists today. So, who knows? LOL! Of all the things to wonder about, right? LOL! Who cares? 😂🤣
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEgmkKr-GyVzG_qiJVIwQts-DdFqedjAz
Brushing up on Lightnin'.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho2qHmYqffI&list=PLEgmkKr-GyVzG_qiJVIwQts-DdFqedjAz&index=3
Pop singer Lulu from the UK released this Gibb-penned song in the UK in 1993. It barely charted there, peaking at #51.
Let Me Wake up in Your Arms
Having listened to Linda Ronstadt's music through the 70s and early 80s, I always enjoyed her pop and pop-rock songs and style. Later, when I heard her sing classic standards with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, beginning in 1983 and continuing for three albums, I was completely blown away by her voice. I never realized she could sing in that way or how good her voice really was. Of course, I knew she could sing, but there is a big difference between singing pop or pop-rock songs and singing with elegance, class, and a rich, beautiful voice as she did on her three albums backed by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra.
What's NewI've Got a Crush on You
The Romantics released
Talking in Your Sleep in 1983. It reached #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in The U.S. The track is high energy and the drums are mixed perfectly.
I previously posted a hit by Quarterflash, titled
Harden My Heart. Here is another hit by the group, which reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1983. It's titled
Take Me to Heart; a quintessential 80s pop-rock sound.
Chiara Kilchling has amazing talent and covers quite a few oldies, but this is an original song she composed and performed with David Mazibrada, titled
Humans. It's a little long at 7 minutes, but very enjoyable. Great vocals, lyrics, guitars, and mix!
This is a solid rock track released by Eric Clapton in 1989, titled
Bad Love. Great guitar work from him as usual.
In 1987, the Gibb Brothers wrote a mid-tempo pop-rock song for their niece, Bernice Gibb. Though it wasn't released as a single, it later appeared on a tribute CD in 1994. Sadly, she passed away in 2021. I like how the track builds in sections as it progresses—it has all the hallmarks of a Gibb-penned song. The first 55 seconds of the video provide background on her life and the song; the song itself begins around the 0:55 mark.
I'm Not Wearing Makeup
Hall & Oates had a number of big hits in the 70s and 80s.
Maneater reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and #6 in the UK in 1982. Classic 80s sound.