Back to the Future: Huey Lewis names the four best songs of the 1980s
When James Murphy complained about borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered 1980s, he was ahead of his time. From Stranger Things to It, 2010s pop culture would borrow endlessly from the era of shoulder pads and John Hughes movies. The era is now one of the easiest to define and emulate—it’s synth-pop and skateboarding, Marty McFly and The Breakfast Club, Huey Lewis and The News.
When Lewis landed a cameo and a place on the soundtrack of Back to the Future, he was well on his way to becoming a 1980s icon. ‘The Power of Love’ is up there with the most well-known and well-loved songs to spawn from that generation, boosted by its appearance in the sci-fi series, but which other songs deserve to be considered amongst the greats of the 1980s?
As a staple of the era, Lewis seems more than qualified to answer, and that’s exactly what he did. During an appearance on BBC Radio Two, the ‘Hip to Be Square’ singer named four of the best songs from the 1980s, ranging from art rock icon David Bowie to pop legend Cyndi Lauper. Lewis’ first pick came from an ever-so-slightly less well-known name but a 1980s staple all the same: Squeeze.
He picked out one of the British band’s signature tracks, ‘Tempted’, from 1981, noting his particular admiration for Paul Carrack’s vocals. A slow, swaying piece about temptation, the song isn’t quite as grooving as their other hits like ‘Up the Junction’ and ‘Cool for Cats’, but it’s infused with that 1980s sound nonetheless.
Lewis’ second selection was the iconic ‘Time After Time’, a 1980s staple that even featured in Stranger Things. Over gorgeous synths that evoke nostalgia for the era without even trying, Lauper’s floaty vocals make glorious pop declarations of love. “Cyndi is a friend and this song just was so important to her,” Lewis commented, “it was like a career-maker for her.”
The singer’s third pick came from the persona-shifting, glam rock icon David Bowie. From countless 1980s hits, Lewis picked out 1983’s ‘Let’s Dance’. With soaring saxophones and uplifting lyrics, it’s one of Bowie’s best tracks and one of the greatest works to come out of the 1980s.
Lewis rounded out the list with a pick by Bruce Hornsby, picking out his policial 1986 piece, ‘The Way It Is’. Over soft piano and synths, Hornsby comments on inequality and injustice. Lewis described the track as “very American” in the way it expresses both the “hope and disappointment that is America.”
Ranging from pop hits by Cyndi Lauper to pieces about the state of America in the 1980s, Lewis’ list encapsulates the decade into just four songs, darting between synths and social commentary. It’s a look back into the culture and the music of the time, into the people who shaped and secured it in history.
The list could only be completed with one more track: Lewis’ ‘The Power of Love’. Between its classic 1980s sound and its association with Marty McFly skateboarding to school, it’s a song that will always be attached to the time that spawned it. It’s the sonic equivalent of the 1980s, guaranteed to evoke instant nostalgia, even for those who never lived through it.
Check out the full list below.
Huey Lewis’ favourite 1980s songs:
- ‘Tempted’ – Squeeze
- ‘Time After Time’ – Cyndi Lauper
- ‘Let’s Dance’ – David Bowie
- ‘The Power of Love’ – Huey Lewis and The News
