4 Rock Songs That Define the Classic Sound of the Late 1980s

In the late 1980s, popular music was at a transition point. While rock dominated the 1960s and 1970s, in the 1980s, pop music and other prominent styles were popping up. That meant the late 1980s felt more like a sonic buffet than a prix fixe menu.

Here below, we wanted to highlight four songs from back in the day that kept the flame of rock music alive. These are four tracks that kept the torch burning bright. Indeed, these are four rock songs that define the classic sound of the late 1980s.

“Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses from ‘Appetite For Destruction’ (1987)

No rock band captured the hearts and minds of fans in the late 1980s like Guns N’ Roses. The Los Angeles-born rockers blended party rock with heartfelt, genius songwriting. And their fans ate it up. Before grunge music began to dominate the airwaves, GNR was the high point of rock music during the era, thanks to rousing tracks like “Sweet Child O’ Mine”.

“Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe from ‘Dr. Feelgood’ (1989)

Speaking of late 1980s party rock bands, Mötley Crüe was truly the pinnacle of the style. With brash songs about going wild and having extreme amounts of fun, the group gave license to their legions of fans to do the same. Mötley Crüe said that it was okay to act a little mad when you were enjoying your music. And everyone listened.

“Janie’s Got A Gun” by Aerosmith from ‘Pump’ (1989)

Aerosmith has lived many musical lives throughout their career. The group rose to fame in the 1970s, but then it had hits seemingly every decade since. In the late 1980s, the band’s most popular song was likely “Janie’s Got A Gun”, a solemn, dark track about the drama that inevitably comes with beauty and violence.

“When Love Comes To Town” by U2 with B.B. King from ‘Rattle And Hum’ (1988)

You can’t talk about 1980s rock without mentioning U2. The Irish-born band knew how to captivate fans with mesmerizing music and voluminous vocals. And in 1988, U2 released their LP, Rattle And Hum, a hybrid live and studio album, which included one of their all-time classics, “When Love Comes To Town”, featuring blues guitarist B.B. King.

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