The 80s were filled with iconic movies, which held up to a varying degree. The same goes for their soundtracks. A good movie in the 80s needed a good theme song, some of which are timeless, but a lot of which are incredibly dated. But some have gone down in history as some of the most iconic songs of all time.
Today we will be looking at some of the most popular themes from ten classic 80's movies. It is important to note that for the purspose of this article, a theme song will be any song that was either explicitly written for a movie, or has been so intrinsically associated with it that one cannot think of the song without the movie coming to mind. With these simple rules in place, let’s see which tunes made the cut.
Huey Lewis & The News – The Power Of Love (1985)
Back to the Future starts with this upbeat number, which helps establish Marty McFly’s personality right away. The song was strong enough to give Huey Lewis and The News their first number 1 on the Billboard Top 100. As for the movie itself, it was so good that it didn’t really need the song to succeed; in fact, more people seem to associate “Johnny B. Goode” with the film.
But for anyone who’s spent a significant part of their childhood watching Back to the Future, the song’s opening riff is forever linked to the start of an incredible adventure.
Limahl – The Neverending Story (1984)
The latest season of Stranger Things might have brought this theme song back into the collective psyche, but for those that grew up in the 80’s, The Neverending Story was always bubbling under the surface, ready to reemerge as soon as the first line of the lyrics is heard.
It’s definitely one of the cheesiest items on this list, but it still deserves recognition because of how perfectly it seems to distill an entire movie into a single song. It might not be as musically strong as others, but it’s superb as a movie theme.
Duran Duran – A View To A Kill (1985)
Duran Duran is not exactly what one would call a “timeless” band, but for a specific period of time in the 80s, they could do no wrong. Similarly, Roger Moore’s James Bond movies did not age as gracefully as other interpretations, but they’re still entertaining if you put yourself in the right mindset.
This might be why “A View To A Kill” is such a great theme song for Roger Moore’s last outing as Bond: The two perfectly represent their era and the excesses associated with it.
Prince – Batdance (1989)
Prince’s entire soundtrack for Tim Burton’s Batman is worth nomination. “Partyman”, for example, could have been on this list had it been longer. But if we have to pick only one song from this iconic soundtrack, “Batdance” is it for many reasons. The first one is the awesome video, in which multiple Batmen get into a dance battle with a group of Jokers.
The second one is the way the song is built, with multiple tempo changes because Prince was good enough to put three songs into a single one and make it sound coherent. One could argue there hasn’t been a better Batman song since.
Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F (1984)
The theme from Beverly Hills Cop does not even have lyrics, and yet, it says everything you need to know about the movie. You hear that keyboard and Eddie Murphy just magically pops up in your mind. The song is simultaneously mysterious, frenetic and playful.
If you hear it once, then these notes will stay with you forever, because it’s the ultimate ear worm. The song even ended up transcending its original movie, appearing in dozens of other films because it became iconic by itself.
David Bowie – Underground (1986)
This could have been “Absolute Beginners”, another movie theme song by Bowie which could be argued to be better than this one. However, Absolute Beginners ended up flopping monumentally, while Labyrinth is a beloved movie that is fondly remembered by children of the 80s, so “Underground” gets the nod.
It’s also the strongest song on a soundtrack which includes “As The World Falls Down” and “Magic Dance”, so you know it’s good.
Survivor – Eye of the Tiger (1982)
This song is arguably the most well-known song from any Rocky movie, with possibly “No Easy Way Out” giving it a run for its money. However, only “Eye of the Tiger” happened to also be a Hulk Hogan theme song. It still gets regularly played on the radio unironically, most likely due to its hypnotic guitar riff.
It’s not super difficult to play on Rock Band, but when you need to get your blood pumping before playing sports, there’s nothing better.
Kenny Loggins – Danger Zone (1986)
Before it became a meme thanks to Archer and his Kenny Loggins obsession, “Danger Zone” was mainly known as the ultimate Loggins movie theme song. This is a great distinction because Loggins’ soundtrack work also includes Footloose, Caddyshack and Over The Top.
“Danger Zone” is the superior song because it is simply the epitome of 80's rock music. The combo of Top Gun and “Danger Zone” could in fact be considered the pinnacle of 80s movie making, as everything after it slowly left the cheesiness of the decade behind to move towards the 90s.
Ray Parker Jr. – Ghostbusters (1984)
Ghostbusters simply wouldn’t be the same without its theme song. It is a great comedy, sure, and might also be Bill Murray’s finest comedic performance ever, but the movie would not have become a worldwide phenomenon without Ray Parker Jr.’s contribution. It’s as much a jingle as it is a pop hit. It’s a catchphrase that has become entrenched in our collective mind.
If you ask anyone born in the 80s “Who you gonna call?”, the answer is automatically “Ghostbusters”. It was so good that it has been remixed, to varying success, for both the sequel and the remake. And yet, everyone agrees that you still can’t beat the original.
Prince – Purple Rain (1984)
Prince is the only artist to appear twice on this list because 1) it’s Prince and 2) there’s no way one can possibly choose between Batman and Purple Rain. The latter’s soundtrack is full of songs that would come to define Prince as much as the movie, including “When Doves Cry” and “Let’s Go Crazy”, but it’s “Purple Rain” that leaves a more lasting impression.
It’s long, it plays a pivotal role in the movie, and it also became one of Prince’s signature songs in a career that was filled with hits. Its longevity also gives it the edge, since it remains a favourite of fans all over the world.