What songs define the 80s?

I was born in the mid-80s.
I made a list of songs that I think define the 80s and I think so far, 80s have the best music.
I am not kidding.
It’s the era of Elton John and his “I’m still standing”, Michael Jackson and his Thriller and Beat It.
Wham and their Careless Whispers and Wake me up before you Go-go.
Songs like Sweet Dreams are made of this, It’s Raining Men and Conga.
Ghostbusters and Footloose.
When Disney starts to come up and touch your heart with “Somewhere Out There” from the American Tail.

Problem is, half of the songs that I heard were covers from the 80s and I didn’t know until I heard the original.
The first time I heard ‘The Tide is High’ was because Take 5 covered it (Remember Take 5? They were like… the litter version of the Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC).
It’s similar to Stand by me – I heard that in Cantonese first, in the 90s, sang by Anita Mui, who is like… the Chinese version of Madonna.
And Uptown girl, I also heard the Cantonese version first.
I knew ‘I love Rock’n Roll’ is a cover, but I didn’t know it was the 80s (I thought it was later than that).
Also, Aaron Carter did a version of The Clapping Song and I thought that was WAY before the 80s.

Obviously there were originals that I’ve heard, like All Out Of Love and The Rose and songs by Journey (before Glee made them popular), like Open Arms and Don’t Stop Believing.
And MJ (I didn’t know ‘She’s Out Of My Life’ is by Michael Jackson until later, I thought 98 Degrees just got MJ to write them a song – I was that bad) and Madonna.
I knew ‘Video Kill the Radio Star” from somewhere (no idea where though), and I knew that was the 80s, mainly because MTV turned up and radio are dying because people are watching MTV.

And of course Glee.
I heard so many songs from the 80s in Glee.
When Blaine and Cooper did a mash-up of Hungry Like A Wolf And Rio.

Most of the original though, I didn’t hear it until I was old enough to go to school discos (given I was in a boarding school) and of course, when I was in universities and sought out some serious 80s club…
I did a duet with someone in university in a Karaoke bar.
Funny enough the person I did a duet with was the one who sought me, because he has been wanting someone to do “Endless Love” with him, but no one could sing well enough. He heard me by accident – and he asked if I’d do the duet with him.
I knew who Lionel Richie is, I knew who Diane Warren is and I knew Endless Love.
However, I don’t know-know Endless love.
And having to learn the part was a wee bit more difficult than I thought, especially I didn’t have the music.
“Eternal Flame” is another one that I sang. I like the song enough when I first heard it, but I never realise it is the right range for my voice until a singing teacher pointed it out to me.
I still don’t really like the song, but hey – at least if I needed a ballad to sooth a room full of people, I know that’s the song to go to.

Personally, I think the most iconic song of the 80s is probably Livin’ on a Prayer.
There’s of course, songs like “Summer of ’69” (which was not a song from the 70s) an Raspberry Beret which totally rocks, and ballads like Greatest Love Of All, Against All Odds and The Power of Love, and really soppy songs like Right Here Waiting and Nothing’s Gonna Change my Love For you.
But Livin’ On A Prayer is still being sung and played like there is no tomorrow, at weddings and discos and everything.
I don’t think there is anybody who doesn’t know the words to the song either.