3 Songs That Sound Like Driving Home on a Summer Night in the 1980s

If you were a teen or young adult in the 80s, I bet you still remember many of the songs that played on your car radio while driving home after long summer days spent at the beach or with your friends. There’s something about 80s music playing on the radio as one drives at night, particularly in the stickiness of summer, that has such a pleasant vibe. Let’s replicate that vibe with just a few playlist-worthy songs from the 1980s, shall we?

“Hurts So Good” by John Mellencamp from ‘American Fool’ (1982)

John Mellencamp had a pretty big hit on the charts with this pop-leaning heartland rock classic in 1982. “Hurts So Good” was a No. 2 smash hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and it scored Mellencamp a Grammy Award the following year. It’s still a staple on classic rock radio today. But there was nothing like listening to this song through the graininess of one’s car radio back in the 1980s.

“Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics from ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ (1983)

This new wave jam is often the first song many people think of when they think of new wave or even synth-pop from the 80s. “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” by Eurythmics was a massive hit in 1983. It peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and No. 2 on the UK Singles chart. It remains not only Annie Lennox and David A. Stewart’s most enduring composition, but it’s also one of the most iconic songs in 80s pop culture history.

“Heart And Soul” by T’Pau from ‘Bridge Of Spies’ (1987)

I think this T’Pau jam is a bit underrated in retrospect. The pop outfit T’Pau was underrated on our side of the pond as a whole, considering “Heart And Soul” was their only song to reach the Hot 100 chart. That’s a shame. This group had plenty of radio-worthy hits in the UK and Ireland that deserve way more love. But “Heart And Soul” was the one to make it to American ears. And this particular entry on our list of songs was a treat to hear during the summer while driving in the 80s. “Heart And Soul” peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100.

(Photo by Fryderyk Gabowicz/picture alliance via Getty Images)

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