Personally speaking, I’ve always been partial to rock ‘n’ roll from the 1960s and 70s. Still, that doesn’t mean I’m immune to becoming emotionally moved by a particularly good rock track from the 1980s, and that’s especially true of these four goosebump-inducing tracks from 1983.
“Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” by Journey
Journey might be cheesy to some, and I would agree that songs like “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Faithfully” do little to dispel this argument. Nevertheless, a little bit of cheese can be a good thing, especially when it comes to “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”. Everything about this track, from the cinematic synthesizers to Steve Perry’s powerful vocal delivery, gives me goosebumps every time I listen to it.
“Love Is A Battlefield” by Pat Benatar
I was first introduced to Pat Benatar’s “Love Is A Battlefield” by the early 2000s rom-com 13 Going On 30. (So I’m a late-stage millennial, sue me!) Ever since, this has been one of those 1980s songs that never fails to give me goosebumps. The 1983 rock hit is so empowering and vulnerable all at once, and it was just the thing my little kid self needed to get through the heartbreaking drama that is young love. Frankly, now that I’m in my 30s, it still serves the same purpose.
“Bark At The Moon” by Ozzy Osbourne
Following the tragic loss of Ozzy Osbourne’s lead guitarist, Randy Rhoads, in 1982, one might’ve assumed the Prince of Darkness would either go in a different creative direction or throw in the towel altogether. But Osbourne and his band proved their resilience—which, in a way, would have been more respectful to Rhoads’ legacy anyway—with their subsequent albums, including Bark At The Moon. The title track from 1983 is a rock song that always sweeps me up in its emotion, riling me up and giving me chills all at once.
“Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol
Finally, I’ll wrap this list of goosebump-inducing rock songs from 1983 with one of my favorite Billy Idol cuts, “Rebel Yell”. It’s a classic track and features Idol doing what he does best: starting in a sultry croon in the verses before exploding into a top-of-the-register howl in the chorus. This dynamic shift always leaves me with chills and is one of my favorite aspects of Idol’s vocal deliveries, whether in this track or other iconic hits like “White Wedding”.
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