The List

4 Nostalgic Songs From the 1980s That Will Bring You Back to Your First Love

Looking to enjoy a few nostalgic love songs from the 1980s? If you were young and possibly in love back in that decade, these four songs will be instantly recognizable. Even if you werenโ€™t around back then, these songs will definitely ring a bell either way. Letโ€™s take a look!

โ€œCareless Whisperโ€ by George Michael

This might be the most nostalgic of all nostalgic love songs from the 1980s out there. How could I possibly leave off this sultry, saxophone-led tune from one of the greatest talents of that decade?

Videos by American Songwriter

โ€œCareless Whisperโ€ by George Michael was released in 1984 and quickly became a massive hit for the former Wham! member. In fact, itโ€™s one of the best-selling songs of all time, selling over 11 million copies since its initial release. And itโ€™s been dished out in meme after meme online, most recently on platforms like TikTok.

โ€œSexual Healingโ€ by Marvin Gaye

Hereโ€™s another very classy (and very sexy) love song from the 1980s. Itโ€™s one of Marvin Gayeโ€™s final hits of his career, and this song, along with Gayeโ€™s legacy, will live on for decades to come.

This soothing R&B post-disco soul hit marked Gayeโ€™s transition from Motown and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

โ€œJust Like Heavenโ€ by The Cure

Personally, this is one of my favorite love songs from the 1980s and one of my favorite songs by the gothic rock band The Cure. Not only is this a memorable love song, but itโ€™s also insanely catchy.

โ€œJust Like Heavenโ€ by The Cure was first released in 1987 and marked the bandโ€™s first major breakthrough in the US. This post-punk love song hit No. 40 on the Hot 100 chart and did even better in the UK.

โ€œHow Am I Supposed To Live Without Youโ€ by Michael Bolton

If you were a kid in the 90s like me, you probably remember waking up in a haze to this song playing on the TV during a commercial. For those who were young adults in the 80s, though, this song was a go-to on the tape deck for crying over a breakup. Iโ€™d argue this song beats out all the nostalgic love songs from the 1980s on this list.

The classic pop ballad โ€œHow Am I Supposed To Live Without Youโ€ by Michael Bolton peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 chart in 1983.

Photo by Steve Rapport/Getty Images