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Featured a distinctive synthesizer riff and became one of the band's signature songs.

A rockabilly-revival hit that showcased the band's retro sound.

1999 opens Prince's 1982 album of the same name. The Prince Estate situates its party imagery against early-1980s anxiety about nuclear conflict. Synthesizers and drum machines anchor the album's sound, while...

A more rock-oriented sound for the duo, with socially conscious lyrics.

A rock ballad that showcased Springfield's more serious side.

Written by David Paich, who had never been to Africa at the time.

Inspired by Caribbean music, with made-up African-sounding lyrics in the bridge.

A more upbeat departure from Cross's usual soft rock style.

DeBarge was a sibling recording group with Michigan roots, distinct from the related band Switch. El, Bunny and their brothers developed songs together, with El arranging much of the music. Early Motown albums...

About the decline of the manufacturing industry in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

A synth-pop cover of the Burt Bacharach and Hal David classic.

A synth-heavy dance track that became one of the group's signature songs.

Gained popularity after being featured on the soap opera "General Hospital."

Written as a tribute to the band's original guitarist James Honeyman-Scott, who had recently died.

Featured a guitar solo by Eddie Van Halen and aimed to blend rock and R&B.

Jackson described Billie Jean as a composite of women whose claims he had encountered around his brothers while the Jackson 5 toured. The song dramatizes a disputed paternity claim. Other biographical accounts...

Breaking Us in Two appears on Joe Jackson's 1982 Night and Day album, alongside Steppin' Out. The album marked a move toward piano-centered pop and away from the guitar-driven setting of his early new wave records....

Inspired by a chant heard at a Parliament-Funkadelic concert.

A more polished sound for the band, reflecting the production styles of the early 1980s.

Co-written with Iggy Pop for his 1977 album "The Idiot," Bowie's version became a hit.

A funk track from the former drummer of Slave, launching his solo career.

The Kinks formed in Muswell Hill, north London, around brothers Ray and Dave Davies. Their early R&B and rock-and-roll approach produced the forceful guitar sound of You Really Got Me. Ray's writing developed into...

Inspired by a girl from the band members' youth named Eileen.

A rock anthem that showcased Mellencamp's evolving sound and socially conscious lyrics.

A cover of Slade's 1973 hit, which became Quiet Riot's breakthrough single.

A funk-influenced dance track that showcased the group's evolving sound.

The second single from Prince's "1999" album, continuing his rise to superstardom.

An English cover of Falco's German-language hit from 1981.

A critique of sensationalist media and tabloid journalism.

Written about Boy George's relationship with drummer Jon Moss.

From the supergroup's second album, continuing their blend of progressive rock and pop.

A power ballad from their "Kilroy Was Here" album.

Named after a market street in Brixton, London, and inspired by the 1981 Brixton riot.

Sting wrote the song while staying in Jamaica. He has described its apparent tenderness as deceptive: its narrator is possessive, concerned with watching and controlling another person. It should not be classified as...

One of Costello's most commercially successful singles, using a book as a metaphor for a relationship.

Written by Jonathan Cain about the challenges of being married while on tour.

Earth, Wind & Fire developed a sound that brings funk, soul and jazz into richly arranged popular songs. Maurice White's musical direction emphasized vocal harmonies, prominent horns and rhythms that could support...

A cover of a Mike Oldfield song, with Hall & Oates adding their own R&B flair.

From the soundtrack of the film "Staying Alive," starring Frank's brother Sylvester Stallone.

Written for the movie "Flashdance," this song won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Def Leppard emerged from Sheffield during the rise of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Their later records developed a melodic rock approach suited to large concert stages. Pyromania and Hysteria became central...

Robert Hazard initially wrote the song from a male perspective. Lauper changed parts of the lyric and reinterpreted it as a statement about women having the same freedom to enjoy life as men. Rick Chertoff brought...

An English adaptation of Umberto Tozzi's 1979 Italian song.

A satirical look at Ant's teetotal lifestyle and the media's perception of him.

The lead single from their breakthrough album "Sports."

Co-written with Michael McDonald, who also provided backing vocals.

Dionne Warwick brought a distinctive contralto and precise phrasing to the songs of Burt Bacharach and Hal David in the early 1960s. Anyone Who Had a Heart and Walk On By are landmarks of that partnership. Her later...

A rare ballad from the progressive rock band.

A straightforward rock song that became one of the band's biggest hits.

Written by Michael Bolton, who later had his own hit with the song.