The Silliest 80s Songs That Still Slap

Ah, the 1980s — an era when hair was tall, logic was optional, and the more random your lyrics, the bigger your hit. Here’s a totally tubular tribute to the oddest and often nonsensical hits that made the decade sparkle like a sequined headband under a disco ball.

Too Shy – Kajagoogoo (1983)
Flirtation as abstract art. “Hush hush, eye to eye” means… something. We think. Possibly eyeliner-related.

She Blinded Me with Science – Thomas Dolby (1982)
Romance meets chemistry lab. Features bonus random man yelling “SCIENCE!” for reasons still unclear.

I Eat Cannibals – Toto Coelo (1982)
Cannibalism, but make it catchy.

De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da – The Police (1980)
Proof that even Sting occasionally ran out of lyrics and said, “Eh, these syllables will do.” It’s either a deep commentary on communication breakdown or a toddler’s freestyle poetry slam.

Oh Yeah – Yello (1985)
Two Swiss guys in sunglasses looked at a synthesizer and said, “Let’s make a song that sounds like chocolate syrup being poured in slow motion."

Safety Dance – Men Without Hats (1982)
Proof Canadians can get weird. “We can dance if we want to” — and apparently, in fields with jesters.

Tarzan Boy – Baltimora (1985)
The jungle jam no one asked for, but everyone secretly loves. Tarzan-core before it was cool.

Rock Me Amadeus – Falco (1985)
Every shout of “AMADEUS!” sounds like Falco’s trying to summon Mozart’s ghost for a dance battle. It’s the only song that makes you want to both head-bang and curtsy

Walk the Dinosaur – Was (Not Was) (1987)
Boom boom acka-lacka lacka boom. Paleontologists hate it. Everyone else loves it.

Pump Up the Jam – Technotronic (1989)
This little ditty has all the intensity of a hostage negotiation. The jam must be pumped. The booty must comply. And against all logic... we do exactly what we are told.

It’s Raining Men - The Weather Girls (1982)
A meteorological miracle set to disco thunder. It’s camp, it’s chaos, it’s cardio with glitter.

Down Under – Men at Work (1981)
Vegemite, flutes, and one confused North American audience. Cultural exchange at its most confusingly catchy.

Doot-Doot – Freur (1983)
Sounds like a fax machine in love. The ultimate synth-pop nonsense jam.

Everybody Have Fun Tonight (a.k.a. “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight”) – Wang Chung (1986)
They took their own band name and turned it into a verb, a philosophy, and possibly a religion.

Weird Science – Oingo Boingo (1985)
Teenage fantasy, Frankenstein energy, and Danny Elfman yelling over synths. Cinema in song form.

The Rain – Oran ‘Juice’ Jones (1986)
Starts out smooth, ends like a soap opera finale. Includes the most legendary spoken-word rant in 80s music history.

Word Up! – Cameo (1986)
That funk groove, those lyrics, that red codpiece — it’s like Prince crashed a superhero costume party.

Mickey – Toni Basil (1981)
An entire cheerleading routine condensed into three minutes of obsessive pep.

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive (1984)
Aggressively circular and proud of it. Pete Burns sounds like he’s trapped in a carnival ride — and we’re all on board.

Centerfold – J. Geils Band (1981)
The heartbreak ballad no one saw coming: finding out your high-school crush is in a magazine. Bonus points for the world’s most random handclap break.

Whip It – Devo (1980)
The cowboys, the energy domes, the implied self-discipline advice — it’s pop surrealism at its peak. Whip responsibly.

Let It Whip - Dazz Band (1982)
The funky cousin of “Whip It” who showed up late to the roller rink in sequins and a million dollar smile.

867-5309 / Jenny – Tommy Tutone (1981)
The most famous phone number in music history — and the weirdest pick-up strategy ever: "Hey, I got your info from the bathroom stall!” It’s basically the 80s version of sliding into someone’s DMs, except it required a dime and a payphone.

Turning Japanese – The Vapors (1980)
Rumored to be about...well, not geography. Catchy as heck, weird as heck, and a karaoke challenge for the unprepared.

I Want Candy – Bow Wow Wow (1982)
A hyperactive sugar rush of drums, yelps, and pure tween chaos. Should come with a dental warning.

Cars – Gary Numan (1980)
Synth minimalism about vehicular solitude. It’s either some deep social commentary or about a man who really, really loves his sedan.

Der Kommissar – After the Fire (1982)
German new-wave rap about… crime? disco? Either way “Don’t turn around, uh-oh” lives rent-free in our heads.

Major Tom (Coming Home) – Peter Schilling (1983)
The spiritual sequel to Bowie’s space oddity, but with way more synths and exactly zero NASA oversight.