Being a high schooler in the 80s meant colorful clothes, trips to the arcade, and lots and lots of hairspray. The decade also saw the rise of stars like Michael Jackson and Madonna, and the release of many iconic tunes. Here are some I think every high schooler would’ve known the words to.
“You Make My Dreams (Come True)” by Daryl Hall & John Oates
“You Make My Dreams” is one of many Hall & Oates songs that have grown more beloved over time.
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As John Oates told the BBC, he believes the film 500 Days Of Summer is the thing that has helped sustain the popularity of “You Make My Dreams”. He even went to the theater to see the film for himself and check out the action.
“It was the middle of the afternoon, so I remember it was just us and a few teenage girls in the theater,” he explained. “And as soon as the dance scene began the girls started clapping and cheering. It was a totally spontaneous, emotional response, and I thought: ‘Wow, this is unusual.’ So that was an indication to me that something was happening.”
“Love Shack” by The B-52’s
“Love Shack” not only gave the B-52s one of the best comeback songs ever, but also one of the best dance songs from the 80s. And who would expect any less? After all, the song really is about having fun.
“The idea of the ‘Love Shack’ was just kind of a club out in the, just like a shack out in the country, where anyone could go, inclusive, you know, be sexy, be free, dance, sweat, have fun together,” band member Kate Pierson revealed in a Top 2000 a gogo documentary.
“Beat It” by Michael Jackson
“Beat It” was just one of several Thriller classics put together by Michael Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, but it stands out because, in a way, Jackson actually wrote this one for the kids. He told Robert E. Johnson: “(When writing ‘Beat It’), I wanted to write a song, the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song… And I wanted the children to really enjoy it — the school children as well as the college students.”
Photo by: Robin Platzer/Images/Getty Images
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