Find songs

The simplicity of falling in love

A cover of The Mindbenders' 1965 hit

The Bangles emerged from Los Angeles's Paisley Underground scene, bringing together vocal harmonies, jangling guitars and garage-rock influences. Susanna Hoffs, sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, and Annette Zilinskas...

The Stranglers formed in 1974 and were embraced by Britain's punk movement, while developing a sound that reached beyond straightforward punk rock. Their early albums Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes and Black and...

Wordplay and sexual innuendo

Pet Shop Boys grew from the songwriting partnership of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who met in London in 1981 through a shared interest in dance music. Work with New York producer Bobby Orlando led to the first...

The saving grace of love

Wet Wet Wet developed from school friends in Clydebank, near Glasgow, and combined accessible pop melodies with a strong R&B and soul influence. Their early recording identity featured singer Marti Pellow. Wishing I...

The lengths one would go to for love

This catchy pop song deals with maintaining contact in a relationship.

Bon Jovi formed in New Jersey in 1983 around Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora, David Bryan, Tico Torres and Alec John Such. Their early albums paired hard-rock playing with prominent pop melodies, reaching a much wider...

Bomb the Bass is the recording project of British producer Tim Simenon. His background in DJing and studio engineering informed the sample-based approach of Beat Dis and the album Into the Dragon. The project...

Indigenous land rights in Australia

Iron Maiden was formed in East London by bassist Steve Harris in 1975. The band's early albums emerged during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, pairing forceful guitars with Harris's galloping bass patterns. Paul...

Gloria Estefan was born in Cuba and grew up in Miami, where her musical partnership with Emilio Estefan developed through Miami Sound Machine. Albums such as Primitive Love and Let It Loose placed Cuban musical...

Elton John's career combines piano playing, singing and composition with a long songwriting partnership with lyricist Bernie Taupin. The two were brought together in 1967, before the debut album Empty Sky and the...

The excitement and fear of falling in love

Youthful rebellion and energy

Joyce Sims was an R&B singer, songwriter, keyboard player and producer whose recordings also reached electro and freestyle audiences. All and All and Come into My Life established her in the late 1980s. Her work...

The regret of a missed romantic opportunity

The Primitives combined bright pop hooks with fuzzy guitars, moving from the independent music scene into wider recognition with Crash. Their RCA period included Galore, co-produced by Ian Broudie, which brought...

The power of charismatic leaders

The thrill of a risky romance

The all-consuming nature of desire

INXS began as the Farriss Brothers on Sydney's Northern Beaches, playing their first show in 1977. The early band combined Michael Hutchence's vocals with guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and Kirk Pengilly's...

The perils of fame and temptation

Doctorin' the House joined Coldcut with Yazz and the Plastic Population during the production duo's early chart run. Coldcut's Jonathan More and Matt Black were developing a collage-based approach to dance records...

The Timelords was a novelty recording identity used by Bill Drummond and Jimmy Cauty, also associated with the KLF. Doctorin' the Tardis combined Doctor Who material with glam-rock rhythms and reached a large...

Facing fears in life and love

A plea for kindness in love

A cover of Elvis Presley's 1956 hit

Paul Carrack is a singer and keyboard player whose career includes Ace, Squeeze and Mike + the Mechanics. Alongside those bands, he developed a solo catalog that featured Don't Shed a Tear on One Good Reason in 1987....

Aswad developed in London's Ladbroke Grove neighborhood, bringing roots reggae into contact with dub, dancehall, pop and R&B. The group's early lineup included Brinsley Forde, George Oban, Angus Gaye, Courtney...

A phrase seen on a poster in an apartment

The possibilities that come with nighttime

The desire for reciprocated feelings

Bros formed in Camberley, England, in 1986 around twins Matt and Luke Goss and their friend Craig Logan. Managed by Tom Watkins, the group attracted a large teenage audience with When Will I Be Famous and I Owe You...

The intensity of romantic attraction

A summer romance in Hawaii

Morrissey moved from his role as singer and lyricist in the Smiths to a solo recording career in 1988. Early solo songs such as Everyday Is Like Sunday and later singles including The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I...

The pursuit of fulfillment in life and love

Michael's desire to break away from his teen pop image

Chapman has said the story is not directly autobiographical. Its struggling couple reflects the working-class community she observed while growing up in Cleveland, with hard work and hope repeatedly meeting difficult...

The complex dynamics of relationships

Gibson's own experiences with heartbreak

A playful take on romantic pursuit

Eddy Grant's work extends across performing, producing and running music businesses. Born in Guyana, he moved to London and formed the Equals, a band whose members came from different racial backgrounds. After...

Jealousy in relationships

A cover of a 1962 song by James Ray

Kylie Minogue moved from Australian television, including Neighbours, into pop recording with early albums such as Kylie and Enjoy Yourself. Her work with the PWL production team established one phase of that career....

The power of prayer and faith in difficult times

Pet Shop Boys grew from the songwriting partnership of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who met in London in 1981 through a shared interest in dance music. Work with New York producer Bobby Orlando led to the first...

The idea that true love can create a heavenly experience on Earth

Richard Marx is a Chicago-born performer, songwriter and producer whose solo catalog includes Hold On to the Nights, Right Here Waiting and Hazard. His early albums moved from the self-titled debut through Repeat...

Krush was a Sheffield dance project associated with the late-1980s crossover of house music into British pop. House Arrest brought together the group's club rhythms with Ruth Joy's vocals and a contribution from...

The fear of falling in love

Written for the film "Dirty Dancing"

The frustration of a deteriorating relationship

The fear of losing a loved one

The fear of losing a loved one

Cher emerged in the 1960s alongside Sonny Bono before developing a solo recording career across folk-pop, rock, disco and electronic dance music. Her contralto voice links otherwise different records, from Gypsys,...

The overwhelming feelings of love

The frustration of loving someone despite better judgment

Bros formed in Camberley, England, in 1986 around twins Matt and Luke Goss and their friend Craig Logan. Managed by Tom Watkins, the group attracted a large teenage audience with When Will I Be Famous and I Owe You...

Kylie Minogue moved from Australian television, including Neighbours, into pop recording with early albums such as Kylie and Enjoy Yourself. Her work with the PWL production team established one phase of that career....

Holding onto hope in love

The joy of carefree living

Intense romantic desire

The pursuit of a romantic interest

Longing for a romantic relationship

The enduring nature of true love

Eighth Wonder developed from a London band originally called Spice, with Patsy Kensit singing alongside her brother Jamie and other musicians. The group's career crossed music and film when it contributed to the...

Questioning the nature of one's feelings

The uncertainty and excitement of new love

The strength needed to end a relationship

David Lee Roth became known as Van Halen's original lead vocalist before building a separate solo catalog. Crazy from the Heat featured his interpretations of familiar songs, including California Girls and the Just a...

The regret of taking love for granted

Tropical paradise and escapism

The pain and pleasure of love

The transformative power of love

The desire for a genuine relationship

The overwhelming power of love and attraction

The need for personal change to make a difference in the world

Material desires in relationships

The transformative power of love

Regret over not pursuing a potential relationship

The addictive nature of a toxic relationship

Breaking stereotypes about women's desires

Andrew Farriss and Michael Hutchence wrote this lead single from Kick, with Chris Thomas producing. The recording combines a spare funk-rock groove with electronic programming. Its well-known promotional video joins...

Stock Aitken Waterman's signature dance-pop sound

The strength of a deep emotional bond

INXS began as the Farriss Brothers on Sydney's Northern Beaches, playing their first show in 1977. The early band combined Michael Hutchence's vocals with guitars, keyboards, bass, drums and Kirk Pengilly's...

The constant thoughts of a loved one

The carefree spirit of rock 'n' roll lifestyle

Dollar was the British pop duo of Thereza Bazar and David Van Day. The pair had performed together in Guys 'n' Dolls before beginning the new act in 1978. Shooting Star introduced Dollar's separate recording career,...

The search for a meaningful relationship

Whitney Houston grew up in a musical family in Newark, New Jersey, with gospel as an early influence. Her self-titled 1985 debut and 1987 album Whitney established a repertoire of ballads and dance records. She also...

The pain of a difficult relationship and the desire to make it work

Debbie Gibson established herself as a teenage performer who also wrote and produced her own pop material. Only in My Dreams, Foolish Beat and Lost in Your Eyes introduced the combination of singing, songwriting and...

Fairground Attraction built its sound around acoustic folk-pop and skiffle elements, with Eddi Reader as lead singer. Perfect introduced the group to a broad audience, followed by the album The First of a Million...

The pursuit of an ideal life

A chance encounter leading to romance

Natalie Cole developed her own recording career after performing with the college band Black Magic. Her Capitol debut, Inseparable, appeared in 1975 with This Will Be (An Everlasting Love). She worked across R&B,...

A chance encounter with a sugar-pouring incident in a café

The need for assurance in a relationship

The various reasons for loving someone

Climie Fisher paired singer Simon Climie with keyboardist Rob Fisher, previously a member of Naked Eyes. The musicians met through session work at Abbey Road and developed a polished pop sound with soul and funk...

Intense romantic attraction

Rok da House developed after the Beatmasters invited Cookie Crew to write rhymes for a studio track. The collaboration joined the production trio Paul Carter, Amanda Glanfield and Richard Walmsley with rappers MC...

The need to adapt and persevere in life

Jermaine Stewart developed as a singer and dancer through Soul Train during its Chicago years. Before making his own records, he supplied backing vocals for artists including Shalamar, Millie Jackson, Tavares and the...

The desire for commitment in a relationship

The cyclical nature of life and relationships

The joy and energy of young love

Clark Datchler wrote Shattered Dreams as Johnny Hates Jazz developed new material after its initial single. The band's official biography dates its release to March 1987, followed by a U.S. breakthrough in 1988. The...

She's Like the Wind is Patrick Swayze's vocal contribution to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack, with Wendy Fraser separately credited for vocals. Swayze wrote it with Stacy Widelitz, and Michael Lloyd produced the...

Erasure is the songwriting partnership of Vince Clarke and Andy Bell, formed in 1985 after Bell answered Clarke's advertisement for a singer. Their work developed through Wonderland and subsequent albums, with...

Regret over a failed relationship

The commitment of love

The overwhelming attraction to someone

Global interconnectedness

The power of intense emotions in relationships

Heartbreak and healing

Aztec Camera served as a main outlet for Scottish singer, guitarist and songwriter Roddy Frame. Formed in 1980, the project moved from local recordings to the single Just Like Gold and the 1983 album High Land, Hard...

a-ha is the Norwegian trio associated with singer Morten Harket, guitarist Pal Waaktaar-Savoy and keyboard player Magne Furuholmen. Take On Me reached an international audience in 1985 with a distinctive music video....

Morrissey moved from his role as singer and lyricist in the Smiths to a solo recording career in 1988. Early solo songs such as Everyday Is Like Sunday and later singles including The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I...

The music developed during a house rehearsal from a guitar figure Slash was playing. The other musicians added chords, bass and drums; Axl Rose supplied words inspired by Erin Everly. A later suggestion from producer...

Facing life's challenges

The desire for honesty in a relationship

The enduring nature of love, even after a relationship ends

Jack 'N' Chill was the British dance-music recording partnership of Ed Stratton and Vlad Naslas. A contemporary Music Week interview distinguished the two-person studio unit from its stage presentation, which added...

Prefab Sprout developed around singer and songwriter Paddy McAloon and his bass-playing brother Martin in northeast England. Early independent recordings led to Kitchenware and the debut album Swoon in 1984. Wendy...

A cover of Little Eva's 1962 hit

Small-town life and relationships

Appreciation for a partner's love

The excitement of romantic attraction

S'Express was formed by London club DJ Mark Moore with co-producer Pascal Gabriel. The project connected house music and disco sampling with pop through Theme from S-Express. Its albums Original Soundtrack and...

The promise of lasting love

A woman named Valerie

White Lion was a New York hard-rock band led by Danish singer Mike Tramp and guitarist Vito Bratta. Its music combined melodic hooks with the guitar-centered production associated with 1980s pop metal. Albums...

A shooting star seen at a Whitney Houston concert

Sting, born Gordon Sumner, is an English singer, bassist and songwriter whose early experience included jazz groups in northeast England. After recording with the Police, he developed a solo career with The Dream of...

The pain of a dysfunctional relationship

Self-reflection and identity

The mysteries of the human mind and attraction

Recognizing true love

Bros formed in Camberley, England, in 1986 around twins Matt and Luke Goss and their friend Craig Logan. Managed by Tom Watkins, the group attracted a large teenage audience with When Will I Be Famous and I Owe You...

The aftermath of a failed relationship

American culture and its influence on the world

The pursuit of dreams and aspirations