3 Songs That Use the Juno-60: The Synthesizer That Made 80s Pop Music Sound Magical

From The Cure to Billy Idol, there were countless acts during this decade that used the Roland Juno-60, whether onstage or in the studio. Here are some popular tracks that made use of this synth that you’re likely familiar with.

“Take On Me” by a-ha

This 80s classic used several instruments that were relatively new at the time. “Take On Me” used the LinnDrum Machine and the Yamaha DX7, in addition to the Juno. The Juno-60 was used to craft the song’s main melodic line.

Apparently, one of the members of A-ha actually wrote the riff for “Take On Me” when he was just 15.

“I had no idea at the time that it would be such a definitive statement,” Magne Furuholmen shared with Music Radar. “I remember Paul trying to diss it and saying, ‘Oh this sounds way too commercial, it sounds like an advertising jingle or something’, because we were into the ’60s and more flowery, psychedelic, darker stuff at the time. And I was like, ‘Yeah but it’s kind of catchy though, isn’t it?’”

“Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

As producer Rob Hyman told Ari Rosenschien, the Juno-60 played an essential role in the making of “Time After Time”.

“It started with that pad,” he shared. “Number 61 on the JUNO. I’ve never forgotten that—I owe my life to that pad.”

On She’s So Unusual in general, the Juno was used quite a lot. “That instrument was magical for me,” Hyman continued. “I love hands-on synths and that’s what the JUNO was. When Cyndi came along, I had other things in there, but that was my go-to axe.”

“Last Christmas” by Wham!

Andrew Ridgeley, who was staying with Michael’s parents when he penned this song, once shared how “Last Christmas” came about in February of 1984.

“We’d had a bite to eat and were sitting together relaxing with the television on in the background when, almost unnoticed, George disappeared upstairs for an hour or so,” Ridgeley explained to Smooth Radio. “When he came back down, such was his excitement, it was as if he had discovered gold which, in a sense, he had.”

According to Roland.com, George Michael recorded all the harmonies for “Last Christmas” on the Juno-60.

Photo by: Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

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