What is the one song you think defies the 80's?

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cindi Lauper

1999-Prince

My all time favorite 80's song is "Point Of No Return" by Nu Shooz

Monkees "That was then this is now"

beat or billie jean or thiller

Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel

"Think It Over" - The Cars

Anything by Michael Jackson, Phil Collins or Huey Lewis And The News

"I'll See the Light Tonight" --by Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force.

Billie Jean, Beat It and Thriller by Michael Jackson
Most anything by Duran, Duran
Most anything by Culture Club
Vacation, Our Lips our Sealed, Walk Like an Egyptian, Manic Monday
Most anything by Heart (my favorite girl band of all time!)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun-Cyndi Lauper
Relax-Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World-Tears for Fears

Take On Me by A-Ha

A lot of songs posted here seem to reflect more of people's personal favorites rather than songs that completely indicate THE 80'S. What makes the 80's, the 80's? Well, I posted a song by neo-classical shredmeister Yngwie Malmsteen above as a classic example of everything 80's, to me, anyway: superfast, indulgent guitar playing, big hair, volume, a proper smattering of pop steeped in metal, showmanship and attitude. And Yngwie had tons of all of these in the 80's--including a ton of attitude, though many thought he had an attitude, and ego. Perfectly 80's.

I would even go a step further as a song that exemplifies the 80's:

Shy Boy --by David Lee Roth.


David Lee Roth, even after his acrimonious firing from Van Halen in the mid-80's, was a consummate showman. He not only formed the killer-est band with shred guitar king Steve Vai and gonzo bassist Billy Sheehan, but he created a complete circus with his act in 1986 when he toured. His shows practically made anything he did with Van Halen live pale in comparison. Riding an inflatable microphone, and other wild stunts. Vai and Sheehan were slated to
become the biggest guitar and bass legends due to their insane playing abilities. Didn't quite happen that way, but big things were still in store for the two. With Roth, wellllll.... not so much. Still, all had the look, the hair, the showmanship--and check out Vai's heart-shaped guitar!! Remember that?
A double-neck Ibanez with fretboards on either side. Having differently colored or designed guitars was a big plus in the 80's. And yes, Roth did have the attitude, or an attitude. Which is what got him in trouble with
VH and kept him from a stable lineup for years. But that was Dave. Why this song gets my vote is that it had the zany shredding ability courtesy of Vai, sounding similar to VH's "Hot For Teacher", very fast, upbeat. But the whole album is an ultimate 80's song series. Remember those wacky videos for "Yankee Rose", "Goin' Crazy From the Heat", and "That's Life"? Perfect for the MTV era, and very funny. David Lee Roth was about to become a big movie star with a movie called "Goin' Crazy From the Heat", but that never happened, unfortunately. The movie was put on the back burner, much to his disappointment. But the album did not disappoint, nor did the tour. It has been often considered that if Roth had gotten bigger with the Vai/Sheehan lineup, it would have changed music in much the way Van Halen did several years before. Vai was a guitar force to be reckoned with. It would have stalled the Seattle grunge onslaught, it was speculated, but of course, no one can be sure. What is certain is that Roth minus Van Halen was at the top of his game in 1985-86. Van Hagar had a lot to prove then and
pretty much did quite well at that time with Sammy and the guys. But it wasn't as over-the-top as Roth.

"Don't Stop Believin'" -Journey
or
"Small Town" by John Mellencamp

A lot of songs posted here seem to reflect more of people's personal favorites rather than songs that completely indicate THE 80'S. What makes the 80's, the 80's?

on the contrary - i listened to the same heavy metal that you did in the 80's, but I recognize that the 80's music was defined (or defied if you prefer) by the post-new wave synth-driven happy-go-lucky pop music.

at some point the music turned in that direction, and i feel it was 1983's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun that was at the forefront of that change and was the most copied/emulated of those early hits

there were tons of songs that you could argue embody that mid-eighties sound, but to pick just one that defines it is pretty difficult.

Any song[from the 80s] that features Michael Jackson, Heart, New Edition, Bonnie Tyler, Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Huey Lewis, Kim Wilde & etc respectively

"Elvira" and "Bobbie Sue" from the Oak Ridge Boys

God bless you always!!!

Holly