While summer may not last forever, the fun, the memories, and even the music never fade away. Yes, music evokes memories and recalling your favorite tunes can help transport you right back in time. Yes, you might even remember how cool it was to grab your favorite cassettes and your boom box and crank up the tunes while you listened for hours. Let’s look at some of the top 80’s songs and artists that had great summer hits. 

It’s Still Rock and Roll To Me — Billy Joel (1980): This song was performed by Billy Joel, from his hit album Glass Houses. Did you know that this song was number 1 on the Billboard Charts for two weeks from July 19 through August 1, 1980. A great summer hit! 

Jessie’s Girl — Rick Springfield (1981): This song was written and performed by Australian singer Rick Springfield. It was released on the album Working Class Dog. The song is about unrequited love and centers on a young man in love with his best friend’s girlfriend. Who didn’t spend that summer singing “I wish that I had Jessie’s Girl”, we all did!

Endless Love — Diana Ross and Lionel Richie (1981): The MOST romantic song of 1981! It made a comeback when it was covered by R&B singer Luther Vandross with fellow R&B singer Mariah Carey and also by country music singer Shania Twain. Richie’s friend (and sometimes co-worker) Kenny Rogers has also recorded the song. Billboard has named the original version as the greatest song duet of all-time.

Don’t You Want Me — The Human League (1982): This song is from their third studio album Dare. It later topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on the 3rd of July in 1982 where it stayed for three weeks.

Eye of The Tiger — Survivor (1982): This song was composed by American rock band Survivor. It was released as a single from their third album of the same name Eye of the Tiger and was also the theme song for the film Rocky III, which was released a day before the single, after Queen denied Sylvester Stallone permission to use “Another One Bites the Dust.” The version of the song that appears in the movie is the demo version of the song. The movie version also contained tiger growls, something that did not appear on the album version. The song spent fifteen consecutive weeks in the top ten, the second longest run of 1982, behind “Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp (which was prevented from reaching the top of the Hot 100 by “Eye of the Tiger”).

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) — Eurythmics (1983): This song was written and performed by the British new wave music duo Eurythmics. The song is the title track of their album of the same name and was released as the fourth and final single from the album in early 1983. The song became their breakthrough hit, establishing the duo worldwide. Its music video helped to propel the song to number 2 on the UK Singles Chart and number 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. It was the first single released by Eurythmics in the U.S.

Let’s Hear It For The Boy — Deniece Williams (1984): This song famously appeared on the soundtrack to the feature film Footloose. It became Williams’ second number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on May 26, 1984, also topping the dance and R&B charts, and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Time After Time — Cyndi Lauper (1984): This was the second single by American singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual (1983). The song became Lauper’s first number 1 hit in the U.S. The song was written in the album’s final stages, after “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, “She Bop” and “All Through the Night” had already been written. The writing began with the title, which Lauper had seen in TV Guide magazine, referring to the science fiction film Time After Time (1979).

Ghostbusters — Ray Parker, Jr. (1984): I ain’t afraid of no ghost! This song was written by Ray Parker Jr. as the theme to the film of the same name starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 11, 1984, staying there for three weeks. It was nominated at the 57th Academy Awards for Best Original Song, but lost to Stevie Wonder‘s “I Just Called to Say I Love You“. 

Shout — Tears for Fears (1985): This song asked us to “let it all out” and we did! The song reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985 and remained there for three weeks. “Shout” would become one of the most successful songs of 1985, eventually reaching the top 10 in 25 countries.