The 80s were full of iconic firsts, from new sounds to huge breakout songs. Here are three synth pop hits from the decade that were also artists’ first No. 1 hits.
“Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears
This song was Tears For Fears‘ first No. 1 in the US.
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Even though this is still one of Tears For Fears’ biggest tracks to date, ironically, co-writer and producer Chris Hughes thinks “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” is “bland as hell.” At least, that’s what he told The LA Report. However, in the same quote, he also calls this one “simple” and “effortless.”
“Never Gonna Give You Up” by Rick Astley
“Never Gonna Give You Up” was Rick Astley’s first No. 1 and is still his biggest song today. In fact, in 1987, this song was actually the biggest single in the UK.
When it comes to the “rick-rolling” phenomenon that took the internet by storm decades later, Astley has a relatively positive mindset.
“It’s a bit strange to have videos of when you were a young guy out on the internet,” he admitted to The LA Times. “It makes me laugh—I’m sure it annoys a lot of other people. It’s a bit spooky. It’s just one of those odd things when something gets picked up and people run with it. That’s what’s brilliant about the internet.”
“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds
If you’ve ever seen The Breakfast Club, you definitely remember this one. “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” was written for the film, and Simple Minds was recruited to sing it. It went No. 1 in the US and Canada.
At first, Simple Minds wasn’t super excited about the idea of singing a song they hadn’t written themselves. However, as Jim Kerr told Songfacts, once they were playing it in the studio, that changed.
“Suddenly it was game-on and we weren’t thinking about ourselves, we were just thinking about what’s coming out of the speaker, and every time someone did something that was cool, that encouraged us more,” Kerr explained. “We were kinda looking at each other going, ‘It’s good this? isn’t it?’”
Photo by: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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