Anyone who was alive in 1984 knows that it was quite a time for rock songs across numerous subgenres, from pop-rock to synth-rock to even new wave and disco. If you were an 80s kid, I bet you still remember the words to these three iconic rock songs from 1984. Let’s take a look!
“Self Control” by Laura Branigan from ‘Self Control’
If you like your rock with a little disco mixed in, you probably remember all the words to “Self Control” by Laura Branigan. You might not have known that this hit song is actually a cover of a Raf disco tune from early that same year. Branigan’s rock-tinged version was a notably bigger hit, though, and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 5 on the UK Singles chart. It was huge across Europe, peaking at No. 1 on the European Top 100 Singles chart.
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“Oh Sherrie” by Steve Perry from ‘Street Talk’
Steve Perry wasn’t playing games when he kicked off his solo career outside of Journey, best exemplified by his pop-rock hit “Oh Sherrie”. This arena-style pop-rock jam was a big deal, considering it came from Perry’s very first solo album Street Talk. It definitely sounds similar to a Journey song, and the band even performed it regularly. Some have called it an “honorary” Journey track. Perry’s solo version was the one to become a hit, reaching No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock chart back in 1984.
“Love Somebody” by Rick Springfield from ‘Hard To Hold’
This wouldn’t be a list of rock songs from 1984 without including a song that really exemplified what that year was like for rock. “Love Somebody” by Rick Springfield is your classic hard rock 80s tune with power pop elements, and fans at the time absolutely loved it. “Love Somebody” was a No. 5 hit on the Hot 100 and did similarly well on the Mainstream Rock chart.
Fun fact: Bruce Springsteen fans might have clocked that the outro of this Springfield tune is almost identical to the outro of the Boss’ famed 1975 tune, “Born To Run”.
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