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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UMKC chapter.

If your parents raised you on 80s music and you now know all the words to the most popular hits from arguably the best decade yet, you may be eligible for compensation — in the form of more 80s music on the epic playlist that I made. No but really, 80s music is one of my all-time favorite genres. I’m not one of those, “I was born in the wrong era” types, but I just wish I was a teenager when all of the best hits of the decade first came out. I would’ve had a blast. Maybe I’m writing for the wrong audience right now, but if you love 80s music as much as me, I have the playlist for you. I present: If I was 20 in 1989 (Songs I would listen to on repeat). Warning: Some 70s hits snuck their way in. Below are some of my personal favorites on the mix.

“She Drives Me Crazy” by Fine Young Cannibals.

My dad says this song is too slow for him, but something about Roland Gift’s high-pitched voice combined with the heavy drum beat in this one really amps me up. Not to mention, this is one of the main songs that comes to mind when I think about my mom playing 80s music for me when I was little.

“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears.

I put this song on my Spotify Forever Favorites playlist. It’s so good. If you ever watched “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” you’ll recognize it as the song that Lara Jean’s mother used to play on repeat on the jukebox at the diner. 

“Come on Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners.

Even if you couldn’t care less about 80s music, you probably know and love this song. It’s guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat and onto the dance floor — think of the scene from “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

“Heaven Is A Place On Earth” by Belinda Carlisle.

Not only is this an absolute belter of a song, but Belinda Carlisle is stunning. I watched this music video for the first time last night, and was a little awestruck by her voice and her beauty. Again, all I wanna do when I hear this is dance. 

“Hammer to Fall” by Queen.

This wouldn’t be a music article by me if Queen wasn’t involved. I am a little too invested in Freddie Mercury and Queen in general, but this song transports me to a concert that took place 35 years ago: Live Aid. Bonus points if you listen to the concert version from 1985! 

This playlist is one of my favorites that I’ve ever compiled. I can jam out to these hits at any given time of the day, and I hope it awakens or revives the same love for the genre for you that it continually does for me. That would be totally tubular!

Haley Sakuma is a senior at University of Missouri-Kansas City studying communications with an emphasis in journalism and interpersonal communication. She is one of the Campus Correspondents for the UMKC chapter of Her Campus, and her favorite articles to write are blog-style with a personal touch of humor.
Krit graduated with English and Chemistry degrees from UMKC. As the President and founder of UMKC’s chapter, she hopes HC UMKC will continue to create content that inspires students. Some of her favorite things include coffee and writing.