3 Rock Songs From the 1980s That Are as Visual as Any Painting

These rock songs from the 1980s are as visual as any painting. Listening to these isn’t just an experience for your ears; every sense is set on fire. Your mind will take a trip while hearing these songs, putting images to the melody. Like wandering through a gallery and gaining new perspectives, these songs give listeners something all-encompassing.

[RELATED: 3 Folk Songs From the 1960s That Are as Visual as Any Painting]

“Sledgehammer” — Peter Gabriel

Peter Gabriel’s innuendo-filled hit, “Sledgehammer”, really paints a picture. The visuals might be a little less than forthright in this 1980s rock song, but the effect is still there. The listener will take what Gabriel says at face value, visualize it, and have a single experience. They can then read the subtext, visualize it, and have entirely another. It’s really an ingenious sort of song that should be celebrated for its picturesque writing.

“You could have a big dipper / going up and down, all around the bends / you could have a bumper car, bumping / this amusement never ends,” the lyrics read. The lines aren’t super complex, but they elicit a visceral reaction in the listener. Sometimes simplicity does best in these circumstances.

“Ashes To Ashes” — David Bowie

This David Bowie song serves as the surreal follow-up to “Space Oddity”. As if that song couldn’t get any more heady, “Ashes To Ashes” ups the ante. “Time and again, I tell myself
I’ll stay clean tonight / But the little green wheels are following me / Oh, no, not again,” the lyrics read as Bowie paints his hero as a drug addict.

Bowie describes the confusion felt while high in this 1980s rock song. He superbly describes this unique experience to his listeners, bringing them into the life of this troubled ex-astronaut. It’s easy to picture yourself in his shoes as he struggles through a hazy mind trip.

“Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” — Kate Bush

Thanks to its famous inclusion in Stranger Things, fans might have a pretty clear picture to envision while listening to this Kate Bush staple. But even without that Netflix series, this song carries some visual elements.

“And if I only could / I’d make a deal with God / And I’d get Him to swap our places / Be runnin’ up that road,” the lyrics read. Bush doesn’t spell everything out for the listener, but she still paints a picture. There is an atmosphere to this song that is impossible to ignore.

(Photo by PL Gould/IMAGES/Getty Images)

The post 3 Rock Songs From the 1980s That Are as Visual as Any Painting appeared first on American Songwriter.