These 1980s pop songs all have to do with heartbreak. But you’d be forgiven for not knowing that. All of these track hide their emotion underneath floor-filling beats.
“Dancing With Myself” – Billy Idol
This new wave/punk song has plenty of crossover appeal, which puts it in a pop framework. This track pushes beyond traditional genre formats, creating something universally appealing. Much of that broad appeal comes from the pulsing rhythm. It’s a track that will make anyone want to hit the floor, which is saying a lot considering how sad and twisted the lyrical content is.
This track has long been considered an innuendo, but the underlying emotion is loneliness and longing for someone in particular. “If I looked all over the world / And there’s every type of girl / But your empty eyes seem to pass me by / Leave me dancing with myself,” the lyrics read. It’s a sexed-up track, to be sure, but heartbreak lies behind the bravado.
“Maneater” — Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates might’ve made a monster out of the woman who broke their hearts, but no amount of caricature could erase the heartbreak at the song’s core. “She only comes out at night / The lean and hungry type / Oh, nothing is new / I seen her here before / Watchin’ and waitin‘,” the lyrics read. On top of these sinister lyrics is a very 1980s dance rhythm. That fact somewhat obscures the lost love that inspired the words.
“Well you ain’t gonna get too far / Cuz if you’re in it for love, it’s gonna leave a scar hey,” the lyrics continue later in the song. Though it’s told in a buoyant way, it’s clear there’s real emotion behind this 1980s hit.
“Love Is A Battlefield” — Pat Benatar
“You’re making me go / Then making me stay / Why do you hurt me so bad? / It would help me to know,” Pat Benatar sings in “Love Is A Battlefield”. She puts plenty of fire behind her vocal performance in this track, amping up the listener. But beneath all the energy is a somber story about how love can go wrong.
“I can’t tell you why / But I’m trapped by your love /, And I’m chained to your side,” she sings, a love fool. It’s a familiar story for so many that we’re not sure whether to cry or dance along to this song.
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