Students cue up their favorite ’80s tunes

From a young age, many high school students got their taste in the ’80s memorabilia from their parents. Whether it be clothing, movies or simply aesthetics, many parents have brought their kids on a trip to the past. It’s hard to find someone who doesn’t like at least something ’80s, and one of the most prevalent genres to occur during the time was memorable music. Whether it be pop, rock and many more, chances are you are currently thinking about your favorite ’80s music yourself. Here at the Tiger Hi-Line, we’ve asked a handful of students what their favorite ’80s movies were, so now, why not ask what their favorite songs are as well?

1. Aiden Fobian (sophomore)

“A Forest” – The Cure

“It’s a moody atmosphere and feelings of loss and hopelessness, but it ends up being more strange with its dark tone, rather than being depressing. Overall, The Cure is the cornerstone in atmospheric moody music, while they have done a ton of music that is more happy, they are best known for their depressive and down tone.”

1. Daniel Longseth (junior)

“Never Gonna Give You Up” – Rick Astley

“‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ has 1,378,578,645 billion views online and is the subject of a long-running internet joke. The rick-roll of its cultural significance today is insane, and it is such a prevalent joke that people have memorized the URL for it. It’s also a nice song to just vibe to. Compared to other songs “Never Going To Give You Up” has transcended genre and medium and has become an eternal aspect of online culture.”

1. Lauren Ferguson (junior)

“Purple Rain” – Prince

“It’s just an all-time classic, and I will always listen to that song no matter what mood I’m in. It’s by Prince, and it’s a classic.”

1. Garrett Giesler (junior)

“Africa” – Toto

“It is a classic song that people from so many groups and genres enjoy no matter their opinion on Toto’s classic rock genre. It’s unique in the way that it is a rock song from the ’80s that all people—from pop lovers, to metal lovers, to the average classical music enjoyers—everyone I know likes this song, and it is fun to listen to.”

1. Holden Fromm (senior)

“Billie Jean” – Michael Jackson

“I mean, for starters, it’s Michael Jackson. ‘Billie Jean’ is quite an original. There’s almost nobody who doesn’t know the song. It is a jam, though. Like I love to sing along with it, even on the high parts. Since it is Michael Jackson, having that name tied to a song gives it a reputation since his songs are well-made. It has a really nice and chill beat with storytelling lyrics and a chorus that is hard to not sing with.”

1. Natalie Thomas (junior)

“Modern Love” – David Bowie

“Bowie’s vocals are beautiful. It fills me with energy and joy whenever I listen to it. ‘Modern Love’ might not be the most well-known ’80s song, but it’s still quite popular, and the fast beat and bursts of piano make it a great song for dancing, which I think is quite fitting for the frenetic, musical ’80s. It’s fun, and I love it.” 

1. Aaliyah Plunkett-Kruse (sophomore)

“I Wanna Dance With Somebody” – Whitney Houston

“My sisters and I love to sing this song together. We dance in the kitchen and living room, and we just all have fun blasting it. It’s a classic, and pretty much everyone knows this song. It just makes you feel good and wanna dance.”