'80s Pop

What a decade! Walls were falling, volcanoes erupting, and a breakthrough gaming system called Nintendo was gaining traction in rec rooms across the country. It was the ’80s — change was in the air, and things were every bit as revolutionary where great pop was concerned. So, while Michael Jackson, a star even as a wee one, reinvented himself with one glittery glove, some killer moves, and a monster hit named “Billie Jean,” newly minted diva Madonna was ascending “Like a Prayer” to the pop heavens, mousse-maned new-wavers Duran Duran were stalking the scene and “Hungry Like the Wolf,” and Norwegian trio a-ha was seizing the airwaves with the animated video for “Take On Me,” which hit heavy rotation on a brand-new network called MTV.

“We Got the Beat,” chirp girl group the Go-Go’s, and we got more ’80s pop galore, in Next Steps.

If you think the ’80s was just about synthesizers and skinny ties, think again — our ’80s Pop Next Steps proves that something for everyone was the name of the game. Olivia Newton-John capitalized on a newborn fitness craze, modeling leg warmers and leotards for a feel-the-burn “Physical,” and glam-rock supergroup Night Ranger put a half nelson on eardrums everywhere with the hook-bait chorus of the supremely singable “Sister Christian.” Billy Idol laid down some punk-pop inroads with a snarling “White Wedding, Pt. 1,” and on “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” Bonnie Tyler scored a power-ballad smash and future karaoke classic.

“Don’t Dream It’s Over,” croons Crowded House on their debut smash, but we say, “Don’t worry, fellas. There’s more great ’80s pop in Deep Cuts.”

Welcome to our ’80s Pop Deep Cuts, where Better Midler’s soaring ode to everlasting friendship, “Wind Beneath My Wings,” shares a bill with the J. Geils Band and its raucous remembrance of a good girl gone bad, “Centerfold.” Where, more than 20 years after their first hit, the Beach Boys break again on a beachy-keen “Kokomo,” and Christopher Cross unfurls an easy-listening classic with the yacht-rock cruiser “Sailing.” Wham! wants to be sure they don’t miss the fun on “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” but with your own ’80s playlist, time waits on you.

Quick! What do you think of when you hear the harmonic strains of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” coursing through the air — that mean mullet you once sported or “isn’t this that song from Glee”? Hey, we won’t tell about the mullet; we just want to make a point — when it comes to ’80s pop, everybody wants in on the game, from multicolored songbirds (Cyndi Lauper and the so-unusual strains of “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”), to arena-rock icons (Bryan Adams and “Summer of ‘69”), to heartland heartthrobs (John Mellencamp and a little ditty about “Jack and Diane”). Luckily, pulling ’em all together is what we do best, so whether you were there for it all or you’re just ’80s-curious, with our ’80s Pop Essentials, you can enjoy the best of a decade in one time-warping wonder of a download.