If You Were a Teen in 1985, These Songs Defined Your Young Romances

These three songs were the soundtrack to everyone’s first romances in 1985. If you were a teen experiencing your first relationship back then, these songs were likely on your playlist. Even today, these mega hits feel like romance incarnate.

[RELATED: 3 Power Ballad Songs From the 1980s That Turned Shredding Heartbreak Into Radio Gold]

“Careless Whisper” — George Michael

Released the year prior, this George Michael song is a little outdated. The saxophone is very 1980s, but it still manages to flutter the heart today. Few people are releasing songs like this earnestly in modern times, making it a throwback often revisited for a dose of nostalgia. It works in that way for everyone, but this song is especially hard-hitting if it soundtracked your first dates as a teen back in 1985.

Though this song is technically about heartbreak, it has long been a shorthand for romance. Michael’s voice is as intimate as it gets here, and the backing instrumentation is a frequent needle drop in any romantic situation, in real life and on screen.

“Everytime You Go Away” — Paul Young

Released at the top of the decade, this Paul Young song is the perfect choice if you’re ever missing your love interest. In the 1980s, no other song better captured that emotion. Paul Young transformed this Hall & Oates song into an intimate ballad with his version. If you were in a long-distance relationship back in the 1980s, this song was likely your anthem, albeit a somber one.

“Every time you go away / You take a piece of me with you,” the lyrics read. That’s a relatable sentiment for many who constantly have to say goodbye to their partners.

“I Want To Know What Love Is” — Foreigner

Foreigner’s “I Want To Know What Love Is” is a song that could’ve only been released in the 1980s. It’s got powerhouse vocals and no shortage of earnestness that we would consider cheesy nowadays. If you were a teen figuring out love for the first time back in this era, this song was likely an invigorating sentiment.

“I wanna know what love is / I want you to show me” reads like a cry for relief. If you found yourself stuck on the outside of love, knocking on the door to be let in when this song was released, it surely got lots of play from you.

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

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