Hey there! So I’m a massive 80’s music fan (my fav decade for music). Anyway I love discovering new 80s music, and was curious what songs might be lesser known but are still a great listen!
Ps. All genre’s are absolutely welcome!.. but I do love me some New Wave Synth, and 80’s Dance music if you got any sick suggestions! 😎
EDIT: I asked, and y’all delivered. Can’t wait to add these to a playlist, hit the highway and crank these out!! 🌇🕶️.
Thanks Everyone! 😃
Cold by The Cure is a favourite of mine. That synth and cello action is dark.
Favourite Cure for me is the almost prog rock style, instrumental track, Carnage Visors.
Most relaxing chill out
A Forest was one of my first thoughts, and definitely a great choice
Carpathian Forest does an excellent cover of The Forest
Loved it that I'm the kind of fan that already knew all of those songs
Killing An Arab
This was the very first Cure song I ever heard and it blew my mind. I had Staring At the Sea in my discman for months.
Standing On A Beach was the cassette version. Had some great B-sides on side 2.
I'm Cold
Another Journey By Train
Descent
Splintered In Her Head
Mr. Pink Eyes
Happy The Man
Throw Your Foot
The Exploding Boy
A Few Hours After This
A Man Inside My Mouth
Stop Dead
A New Day
Now that's a best-of compilation. I wore that tape out at least twice.
Exploding Boy. How in the world wasn't that song LP album worthy? Absolutely one of my favorite Cure songs.
Donnie Iris -- Ah! Leah!
And don't forget Love Is Like A Rock! I'm not from Pittsburgh, but I live less than an hour away. And Donnie Iris was huge!
Hey it’s Dawwnie Iris ya jagoff!
Fun fact, they're talking about a beautiful woman named Leah L (don't want to share her full last name).
I used to occasionally work on her VW about 16 years ago. She was around 50 years old at the time, but still stunning.
Interesting! The song's Wikipedia page tells a different story.
Hmm interesting, well it appears I've been bamboozled. My old service manager told me that, I believed him because he was in the PB/CLE music scene when the song came out.
Great song!
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
This Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide - The Kings
New Girl Now - Honeymoon Suite
Lunatic Fringe - Red Rider
I Got You - Split Enz
Lunatic Fringe my god what a song a late night thinking about life song, and perfect for the Vision Quest movie.
Wall of Voodoo! Love that song and actually have that vinyl. 😃
Back in Flesh is another great Wall of Voodoo song.
Celtic Frost did a cover of Mexican Radio.
...and in 1987. So, technically also "an '80s song."
I’m gonna have to check that out!
It's worth checking out!! I actually love both versions 😂😎.
Lunatic Fringe I've heard but probably cause I grew up with and have always been obsessed with finding more classic rock hits
Mexican Radio!!!!!
Mexican Radio is excellent. The original, and the Authority Zero version are both great (though that one is not from the 80s)
I Don't Mind At All - Bourgeois Tagg
88 Lines About 44 Women - The Nails
Fade To Grey - Visage
Power and the Passion - Midnight Oil
C30 C60 C90 Go - Bow Wow Wow
Don't Box Me In - Stan Ridgway & Stewart Copeland
People Who Died - Jim Carroll Band
Let's Go All the Way - Sly Fox
I Predict - Sparks
Dirty Creature - Split Enz
Hear I thought I was the only one with 88 lines about 44 women on a playlist!
There's dozens of us!
Spoiler: it’s actually 89 Lines About 44 Women. “Uh uh - not Katherine” is a bonus line.
she didn't do that shit at all Jackie was a rich punk rocker silver spoon and paper plate
If you like that, you’ll like All of this And Nothing from the psychedelic furs.
The local radio station in Tacoma would only play that song after midnight, for obvious reasons.
OMG let’s go all the way is going to be in my head all day now
Whistling the chorus as I read this 😆
88 lines about 44 women throws me back to being a teenager and I'm going to go listen to People Who Died right now. Love that song!
“Power and the Passion” is one of my top ‘80s songs.
I had a boyfriend make me a mixtape with a live version of Dirty Creature (he was a Kiwi) and I’ve never found that version and dear god I loved it! Still play the studio version of it but wish I could find the live one!
"People who died". I found a way to watch Basketball Diaries.
Try "Siouxsie and the Banshees - Cities in Dust" (1985). Lesser-known but awesome New Wave track!
This should have been sooo much farther up the list
Information Society - What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy)
Sampling Leonard Nimoy
Which reminds me of the band T'Pau, whom I'd completely forgotten about,but were an okay 80s band.
Jeez, they slipped my mind! Heart and soul was one of my favorite Car-Singing songs! <3<3<3
They Don’t Know - Tracey Ullman
She had a comedy shownin the 80’s where The Simpsons got their start.
Rip Kirsty McColl
Contact by Big Audio Dynamite
A Forest; Just Like Heaven; Primary; Upstairs Room; In Between Days; Boys Don't Cry- The Cure
No New Tale To Tell - Love & Rockets
She Sells Sanctuary - The Cult
Der Kommissar - After the Fire
Forever Young - Alphaville
Under the Milky Way - The Church
Joey - Concrete Blonde
Life in a Northern Town - Dream Academy
Lips Like Sugar - Echo & the Bunnymen
River Run Dry - The Family
Love Plus One - Haircut One Hundred
Honeythief - Hipsway
Birds Fly - Icicle Works
House of Fun - Madness
Destination Unknown - Missing Persons
Pass the Dutchie - Musical Youth
One Night in Bangkok - Murray Head
Love My Way - Psychedelic Furs
Politics of Dancing - ReFlex
Never Say Never - Romeo Void
Perfect Way - Scritti Politti
Alive & Kicking - Simple Minds
Peek-A-Boo - Siouxsie & the Banshees
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
Radioactive - The Firm
Futures So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3
Gone Daddy Gone - Violent Femmes
Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo
I Know What Boys Like - The Waitresses
The Promise - When in Rome
Dear God - XTC
Solid list!
She Sells Sanctuary is the best song of the 80s. Especially the longer intro on the album version
Have you heard Dancing With Tears In My Eyes by Ultravox?
Or Viennna? Or One Small Day? Or Midge Ure's "Dear God"?
Midge has one of the best voices of all time IMO.
“The Man With The Horn” - Phil Collins
“To Be With You Again” - Level 42
“This Old Porch” - Lyle Lovett
Mike and the Mechanics - Silent Running
Don’t Go Back To Rockville- REM
Just Like Heaven- Dinosaur Jr
Straight To Hell- Drivin & Cryin
Party At Ground Zero- Fishbone
How Soon Is Now- The Smiths
Teenage Riot- Sonic Youth
Upvote for Fishbone!
Definitely
Johnny, go get your gun, cuz the commies are in our hemisphere today!
I see Fishbone, I updoot.
Skinny Puppy - Assimilate
So Alive - Love and Rockets
Rush - Time Stand Still
That's my favorite Rush song!
Jane's Getting Serious (1987) - Jon Astley
One is my favorite obscure 80s songs
Always loved that. Heinz used it on one of their commercials with a young Matt LeBlanc
Many people never flipped Kate Bush’s amazing Hounds of Love over to side 2 (The Ninth Wave). Side 1 has all the pop hits, but Side 2 is a conceptual prog rock masterpiece. “Watching You Without Me” is one of my favs.
That whole album is stunning. Glad it’s finally getting some love in the US due to Stranger Things. It’s way overdue but at least it’s happening.
Bill Nelson - Living In My Limousine
New Musik - Kingdoms for Horses // Straight Lines // I Repeat
Sparks - Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat
Young Marble Giants - Credit In The Straight World // Brand New Life
The dB's - Black and White
20/20 - Yellow Pills
Minimal Man - Pull Back The Bolt
The Monochrome Set - He's Frank (Slight Return)
Flesh for Lulu - Postcards From Paradise
Colourbox - The Moon Is Blue
Eleventh Day Dream - After This Time Is Gone
Pylon - Volume // Driving School
Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians - Unsettled // My Wife & My Dead Wife
Missing Persons - I Like Boys
Tubeway Army - Every Day I Die
Devo - Turnaround
Daryl Hall - Sacred Songs // NYCNY
Off Broadway - Stay In Time // Showdown
Julian Cope - Sunspots
King Crimson - Elephant Talk
The Gun Club - Sex Beat
Cocteau Twins - Heaven or Las Vegas
The The - this is the day
Suddenly Last Summer - The Motels Stay - Oingo Boingo
Stay - Oingo Boingo
Great song. Also love Just Another Day.
Just Another Day is my fav of theirs
We Close Our Eyes by Oingo Boingo
Especially the 1988 re-recording. It’s surpasses the original.
SLS is one of my all time favorite 80s songs it’s hauntingly perfect.
Cool City - Danny Elfman...
Love that album! So-Lo is basically the lost Oingo Boingo album — If I remember right, they were trying to get away from A&M, but couldn’t release an album as themselves, so Danny Elfman got a solo deal, then hired the band as “session musicians.”
Sixty-eight Guns -The Alarm
88 Lines about 44 Women - The Nails
The Chauffeur- Duran Duran
If you truly want obscure, I can give it to you. Let's start with these:
"Cccan't You See" by Vicious Pink
"Self!" by Fuzzbox
"Until December" by Until December
Anything by Oppenheimer Analysis
"Life is Like" by the Suburbs
"Honey Be Good" by the Bible
"Shed a Tear" by Les Enfants
"Love Breakdown" by White Door
"Gratitude" by Danny Elfman
"Reward" by the Teardrop Explodes
"Say You Will" by Blanket of Secrecy
"I Have the Skill" by the Sherbs
"Never Never" by the Assembly
"Nowhere Girl" by B-Movie
That should get you started. I've got tons more if you like these.
Furniture - Brilliant Mind
Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday
Modern English - I Melt With You
Scarlet Fantastic - No Memory
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream
Berlin - Metro
Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed
The The - Uncertain Smile
New Order - Age of Consent
Upvote for The The!
Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus? Dead Man's Party by Oingo Boingo? Fade to Grey by Visage?
“Doot Doot” Freur
“Icehouse” Icehouse
“Souvenir” OMD
Young Lions by Adrian Belew. Technically it came out in 1990 but I associate it with the 80s.
Honey Thief by Hipsway
The promise by when in Rome https://youtu.be/vyLtOeT-5vY?si=ElJ9hLnYaoKVXh8V
Never Let Me Down by Depechemode
Bitchin Camaro
88 Lines About 44 Women-The Nails
Never Say Never by Romeo Void
Depeche Mode - Somebody
Bauhaus - Terror Couple Kill Colonel
10,000 Maniacs - Pit Viper
Adam & The Ants - Physical (You're So)
Olivia Newton-John - Overnight Observation
The vocals in Big Log are great, but the background music is brilliant
Also by The Smiths and flawless (other than their entire fucking catalogue):
The Headmaster Ritual
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
The Queen Is Dead
Shakespeare's Sister
Asleep
On the ground like a wild potato!
Captain of her Heart by Double
Say, Say, Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
Say It Isn't So by Hall & Oates
Enola Gaye by Orchestral Manouevers in the Dark
More Than I Can Say by Leo Sayer
Lady by Kenny Rogers
Space Age Love Song by A Flock of Seagulls
Slow Hand by The Pointer Siaters
Let's all turn on - hoodoo gurus..
unless you're australian, then you'd know it
Love the hoodoo gurus - going to see them live again later this year. They absolutely rock out, and some of their 80s stuff are still great party songs.
Ultravox - Vienna
Ministry - I Wanted to Tell Her.
Most are completely unaware of the first two albums.
The Ascension - Glenn Branca
Then Jerico - The Motive
Yello - Bostich
It never rains - dire straits
Love will tear us apart by joydivision. Found this song thanks to Donnie darko which takes place in the 80s. Oh and jam on it by newcleus.
The Escape Club's "Wild, Wild West." We even played it at our wedding!
Pure - Lightning seeds
Not sure if these are lesser known because these two tracks were pretty massive hits. But, I have to say I don't really hear these songs played much anymore.
All You Zombies by The Hooters
Voices Carry by Til Tuesday
Nick Kershaw “wouldn’t it be good”
Anything anything by Dramarama
Get to know ya by Jesse Johnson
Kon Kan - Puss 'n Boots/These Boots ( are made for walking)
https://open.spotify.com/track/0AajTAAbk8xBbVVST0wwl0?si=ZMY75d1dTkOIkd6nlFjWCQ
Kon Kan - Move to Move
https://open.spotify.com/track/6CvoRQnxFwVQJCUzZBTBgz?si=la5i13caRJKuac1AuNNdyg
Blue Peter - Don't Walk Past
https://open.spotify.com/track/2MWkVRZU7RiY1kTjtWHYiV?si=w89B_xc3Q4aUPz1muxFwLQ
Snake Eyes by The Alan Parsons Project
The Rain Parade - This Can't Be Today
Really the whole Emergency Third Rail Power Trip album. The whole Paisley Underground thing was a lot of fun but they're the best imo
Look up the song “Everyone Knows That” and the mystery behind it. Only a snippet was available to everyone for years, but the full track was just discovered not too long ago in the wildest place.
Whoa! I didn't know this was recently solved!
The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades --- Timbuk 3 (Great Music Video too)
Dirty White Boy- Foreigner
(technically 1979 but close enough lol)
Something 2 Dance 2 -- N.W.A. (truely an 80s beat and a 'gangsta rap' track most dont know)
Someone's Calling - Modern English (their first 3 albums are amazing and very underrated)
New Model Army - "Vagabonds"
One 2 One - "Angel In My Pocket"
80s by Killing Joke. Come as You Are by Nirvana borrowed the sound a little bit there very different overall.
And both borrowed from Life Goes On by the Damned.
“If we never meet again”- Jules Shear
Wonder of Birds - Innocence Mission
Killing Joke – 80s
I does not sound as old as it is, so you'd be forgiven to think it's newer...
Alphaville - Forever Young
Ok here's 2 quintessential 80's songs that nobody listed, but I feel they fly under the radar.
Kim Mitchell - Go For A Soda
https://youtu.be/gwwV0xE70Ks?si=G7HllULPBB7RshnV
Santana - Winning
Don’t forget the entire Minutemen catalog!
In A City Lining - Cardiacs
The poppiest track from a great band and very 80s.
You need "I Eat Cannibals" by Toto Coelo in your life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rzB9-Wd67A&ab_channel=RememberThe80s
I Wanted To Tell Her by Ministry
Fun fact: Ministry started out as a synth-pop outfit, but Al Jourgenson hated it (and some reports says that he was pressured by the record company to sound like the other bands at the time) and went into the harder industrial sound it is well known for now.
Children of the sun
AEIOU Sometimes Y - Ebn Ozn
Kraftwerk - Computer Operator or Tour de France
Sisters of Mercy- Dominion/ Mother Russia
Angst in my Pants
Bag Lady - Ebn Ozn
Live and Die in LA - Wang Chung
Wasteland - The Mission UK
Monkeys on Juice - Red Lorry Yellow Lorry
He knows You Know - Marillion
In Tua Nua - Don’t fear me now, PIL - The flowers of Romance The Glove - Mr Alphabet says (the whole album Blue Sunshine is great) The Bongos - Barbarella
Jermaine Jackson-Dynamite
Peter Murphy - Final Solution
Joe Strummer - Love Kills
Slade- Keep Your Hands Off My Power Supply
Run Run Away👍👍,later covered by Great Big Sea
My Oh My
Classix Nouveaux - Is it a dream
Landscape - New Religion
The Mobiles - Drowning in Berlin
The Passions - I'm in love with a german film star
The Regents - 7 teen
Radio by Savage. I'm not super aware of how well known this guy is, so maybe this doesn't work. It's a cool song anyway.
Someone's Calling - Modern English (their first 3 albums are amazing and very underrated)
You've probably heard hits from ABC and Human League, but maybe not these dope album cuts?
ABC - Many Happy Returns
Human League - The Things That Dreams Are Made Of
Most people just know Was (Not Was) for Walk The Dinosaur or Dad I'm In Jail, which are both bangers don't get me wrong, but Out Come the Freaks is a great early 80s disco track. Harry Bowens is a brilliant vocalist, delivering bizarre lyrics that are alternately hilarious and harrowing. And then they delivered 3 sequel songs in different styles over the rest of the decade!
Was Not Was - Out Come the Freaks 1981
Was Not Was - Return to the Valley of Out Come the Freaks 1983
Was Not Was - Out Come the Freaks 1988
Was Not Was - Look What's Back 1990
"All in Your Head"-Echo and the Bunnymen
https://youtu.be/yFhx6FLxGxQ?si=bfWIYejnlhvywrQr Anything,Anything by Dramarama
Big Fat Blond - Steve, Bob and Rich
Severed heads - All Saints’ Day Book of love - Boy , I touch roses Accidentally 4th Street - all the girls named Gloria Art of noise - beatbox , moments and love Propaganda a secret wish album
I rarely see it mentioned anywhere and could not find it when I searched this list:
"One Simple Thing" - Stablizers
David Fincher directed the video, too.
Drop the Pilot by Joan Armatrading.
Check out the first album of Phish. Junta. Be prepared for it to change your life or to feel like someone is peeing in your ears.
Colourless Dream by Sad Lovers and Giants
Fly on the windscreen - Depeche
New moon on monday - Duran
Black / White - Mr Mister
And this real treat from Trent Reznor's beginnings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls5gf1FOfa8
Destination Unknown by Missing Persons
Kate Fagan- “I don’t wanna be too cool” and “Come Over” are some of my favorite 80s deep cuts
No Promises by Icehouse, Stranger by Clan of Xymox, Like The Driven Snow by Sisters of Mercy, The Landscape is Changing by Depeche Mode, That’s Good by Devo, Help Me by Bryan Ferry (featured on The Fly)
Academy Fight Song, Mission of Burma
I Still Want You, Del Fuegos
Imagination- Belouis Some
Cry- Godley and Creme
The Perfect Kiss- New Order
Electricity- OMD
Bad Connection- Yazoo
I Touch Roses- Book of Love
Cure - Siamese twins Siouxsie & the banshees - night shift dM - people are people Front 242 - headhunter Skinny puppy - assimilate Berlin Express - die russen kommen Nitzer ebb - i give to you Feilds of the nephilim - last exit for the lost Bauhaus - dark entries Sisters of mercy - black planet Joy division - disorder The mission - wastland
Don Quixotte- Magazine 60
White Horse - Laid Back
Da Da Da - Trio
Pretty Boys And Pretty Girls - Book Of Love
Ship Of Fools - World Party
Big Log - Robert Plant
Hooked On Classics - Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Guilty - Barbara Streisand & Barry Gibb
Any Day Now - Ronnie Milsap
Dirty Cash - Adventures Of Stevie V
Norman Bates by Landscape
White Horse - Laid Back Scary Monsters - Bowie The One Thing - INXS It’s My Life - Talk Talk (ok, that was a hit) Desperate but not Serious - Adam Ant (also a hit) Games without Frontiers - Peter Gabriel I Will Follow - U2 Saved by Zero - The Fixx Sunday Girl - Blondie Slippery People - Talking Heads
Lene Lovich - New Toy. Blue Hotel also has some heavy synth action.
It’s because of me - Robert Cray
Can You Help Me - Jesse Johnson
‘ Only you ‘ ~ The Flying Pickets
A Flock of Seagulls - Space Age Love Song or Telecomunication
The whole album is excellent. In fact, I'm going to listen to it now.
John Butcher Axis: Ocean in Motion
Martín Briley: Salt in My Tears
Danny Wilson: Mary’s Prayer
The Jesus and Mary Chain: Head On
How can I- mark a. Mitchell
The friends of Mr Cairo- Jon and vangelis
Churches- new musik
Torn open- Sophie and Peter Johnston
October(love song)- Chris and cosey
L’intrigue- deux filles
Worlds in collision- Jerry Harrison
Do you dream in color- bill nelson
Our dust- A.C. Marias
Don’t fall- the chameleons
Inky bloaters- Danielle Dax
Adventures in success- will powers
2 little skeletons- minimal man
Faces- clio
Same thing twice-Vivien Goldman
Welcome to the Boomtown by David and David
“That’s When I Reach For My Revolver.” - Mission To Burma
Dig it, by skinny puppy. Still so good
True Faith by New Order is a great song but a lot of people probably don’t know it.
Obsession by Clan of Xymox.
World's Apart by Saga is a really good album.
Freur - Doot Doot
Three Obscure LA goth classics
Kommunity FK - Something Inside Me Has Died
Darling Cruel - Everything's Over
The Gun Club - She's Like Heroin To Me
You probably already know about it, but Skinny Puppy's "Assimilation" is worth listening to.
Heaven by the Eurogliders!
Bela Lugosi’s Dead by Bauhaus. It’s goths answer to Freebird.
I Still believe - Tim Capello
He was the saxophone guy on the beach in The Lost Boys.
True - Spandau Ballet
Love is The Slug - Fuzzbox
Murderous - Nitzer Ebb
Breakaway - Big Pig
Oh L'amour - Erasure
Hit That Perfect Beat - Bronski Beat
Say About Love - The Bodeans
Come Anytime - Hoodoo Gurus
Inside Out - The Mighty Lemon Drops
I Love You - Yello
The Walls Came Down - The Call
Kiss - Age of Chance (prince cover)
Rollercoaster - Echo & The Bunnymen
Smash The Marketplace - Screaming Blue Messiahs
Charlton Heston - Stump
Fish Heads - Barnes & Barnes
So Afraid of The Russians - Made For TV
Star Trekkin' - The Firm
I Hear The Call - The Unforgiven
Secret Separation - The Fixx
Living in A Dream - Pseudo Echo
I guess that's enough for now
Doot Door - Freur
Louise - Human League
Stigmata - Ministry
When Your Heart is Weak - Cock Robin
Invisible - Alison Moyet
Talk Talk's entire catalog
Hole in the Wall by Billy Idol
"The Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys "Live is Life" by Opus "Tempted" by Squeeze
Buffalo Stance – Neneh Cherry
Game Theory, Like A Girl Jesus
Replacements, Take Me Down To The Hospital
XTC, Burning With Optimism’s Flames
David Byrne, Big Blue Plymouth
Urban Verbs, Luca Brasi
Love Tractor, We All Loved Each Other So Much
The League of Gentlemen, Cognitive Dissonance
ImpLOG, Hollander Tunnel Dive
Tuxedomoon, Desire
Fred Frith, Dancing In The Street
Human Switchboard, I Can Walk Alone
Talk Talk, Time It’s Time
Ultravox, I Remember (Death In The Afternoon)
Shriekback, Malaria
Jane Siberry, The Bird In The Gravel
Nick Cave, From Her To Eternity
Minutemen, The Red And The Black
Peter Gabriel, San Jacinto
Tom Waits, Jockey Full Of Bourbon
Guadalcanal Diary, Pray For Rain
The Bongos, Barbarella
Our Daughter’s Wedding, Nightlife
Wire, The Boiling Boy
New Order, In A Lonely Place
Magazine, Naked Eye
Elvis Costello and the Attractions, Motel Matches
Pixies, Bone Machine
They Might Be Giants, Your Racist Friend
That should get you started. It was a busy decade.
Life in a Northern Town- Dream Academy
Dogs in the Yard- from Fame
I’ll Be Here Where the Heart Is- Kim Carnes
Do you know "On the Loose" by Saga? It's got a nifty tandem synth-guitar solo that just melted my 12 year old brain.
The Cure has so many great deep cuts. Empty World, Piggy In The Mirror, A Forest, In Between Days, Fire In Cairo, Killing An Arab (bit of background), 10:15 Saturday Night, Primary, Charlotte Sometimes, Shake Dog Shake, The Hanging Garden, Three Imaginary Boys, Play For Today, A Strange Day...hell, their weaker tracks are better than some bands best efforts.