The ’80s stand out as a time when music came alive, as a smorgasbord of genres vied for everyone’s attention. The best part? It all felt innovative, so that’s why people could make compilations including everyone from Cyndi Lauper to A-ha and Journey, even though each act is radically different from the other. Good music was just good music, and few people cared what it was labeled at the time.
Naturally, there was an abundance of hits that every boomer remembers from this era. They are the songs that remind them of their mullets, perms, psychedelic colors, and afternoons of when MTV still played music videos. Yeah, everyone has their own favorites and personal attachments to specific tracks because of unique memories, but there are a couple of bangers that activate the brain’s amygdala and unleash all the feels every time they’re played now.
Here are five songs that formed part of the soundtrack of that special decade (and if you’re a bit younger than a boomer, you probably remember what was it really like to be a teenager in the ’80s).