The 80s. A decade of excitement, excess and erm… dodgy haircuts. It also saw director Jim Cameron unleash his Terminator franchise on to sci-fi loving audiences, the full impact of which can be seen in the upcoming Now Listen To Me Very Carefully.
To celebrate, we’ve compiled a Spotify playlist of the decade’s best tracks. Party on.
Top Gun: Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone
Tony Scott’s 1986 airborne actioner Top Gun is famous for lots of things, not least for underpinning an entire decade with a gung-ho, macho-pop soundtrack. Feel the need?
Dirty Dancing: Bill Medley, Jennifer Warnes – (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life
We all remember our first visit to Kellerman’s Family Resort just like we all remember exactly where we were when we first heard this time-stamped track. We owe it all to Dirty Dancing.
Beverly Hills Cop: Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F
A lot of great things came out of the 80s (ignoring fashion) but perhaps none were as great as the meteoric rise of Eddie Murphy. With that in mind, how could we ignore this iconic track that signaled his arrival as a big-screen star?
The Goonies: Cyndi Lauper – Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough
Children could do anything in the 80s; befriend glowing-fingered aliens, save small coastal towns from the clutches of the evil Fratelli family. They were even good enough to star in music videos with Cyndi Lauper. Impressive.
The Breakfast Club: Simple Minds – Don’t You Forget About Me
Detentions aren’t exactly synonymous with life changing experiences but in Shermer High School in 1985, they were. If we missed this one off our list there’d be anarchy.
Back to the Future: Huey Lewis and the News – Power of Love
Do you like Huey Lewis and the News? The band shot to fame long before Patrick Bateman asked that question by soundtracking the biggest film of the previous decade. Pretty heavy.
Footloose: Kenny Loggins – Footloose
Excuse? Footloose? But it’s got one of the best eighties tunes! Cheap rhyming imitations aside, this quintessential 80s flick got a decade dancing and helped launch Kevin Bacon’s career. A must.
The Karate Kid: Joe Esposito – You’re The Best Around
Imagine it: One film that forced countless parents to buy their children karate outfits that were used for two weeks, then banished to a lifetime in the wardrobe. Cheers, Mr Miyagi.
Ghostbusters: Ray Parker Jr – Ghostbusters
There’d be something strange with this list if one of the most iconic soundtrack songs ever written didn’t make an appearance. What next? Cats and dogs living together? Mass hysteria?
Ferris Bueller: Oh Yeah – Yello
Does it get any more eighties than this? Yello’s synth, bass and erm, weird voice filled track reminded us that life moves pretty fast and if you don’t stop and look around, you might miss it.
Listen to our entire 80s movie inspired playlist on Spotify.
Now Listen To Me Very Carefully runs from Thu 7 – Sat 9 Jul. Find out more and book tickets here. The Terminator will be showing on Sat 9 Jul at 14.00, book tickets here.
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