Every Baby Boomer Alive Has a Core Memory To Go With These 5 Songs From the 1980s

Music often serves as the glue that keeps a core memory sticky in our minds for years, even decades, into the future. Indeed, songs have transportive qualities. They let us travel back in time to a specific moment, relationship, or experience in our lives. For baby boomers, that’s certainly true of these five songs from the 1980s.

“Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd’s anti-thought-control anthem, “Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2”, is commonplace these days. But in the early 1980s, this song was as fresh and infectious as it ever would be. Whether or not you were still in school when The Wall came out, this defiant song speaks to us all.

“Jack & Diane” by John Mellencamp

Heartland rock was finding its footing in the early 1980s, thanks to artists like John Mellencamp and songs like “Jack & Diane”. This song is even more likely to be attached to a core memory of baby boomers who grew up in the flyover states of the eastern United States, due to the anthemic bridge, “Let it rock, let it roll / Let the Bible Belt come and save my soul.”

“Like A Virgin” by Madonna

Madonna’s equally iconic and infamous performance of “Like A Virgin” at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards took place in 1984. This was a time when virtually everybody was watching the same thing on television each night, which is why this song is likely embedded into the memories of most baby boomers. They were there to see all of that white-lace-clad gyrating happen in real time.

“Maniac” by Michael Sembello

Movies (and their soundtracks) can sometimes be the most evocative pieces of pop culture from our youth, fully embodying a specific moment in time, both in a general sense and on an individual level. “Maniac” by Michael Sembello, which was famously featured in Flashdance, is one that every baby boomer heard at least 5,000 times following the release of the 1983 movie starring Jennifer Beals.

“Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson

As the King of Pop, Michael Jackson is attached to countless core memories among the baby boomer generation. But perhaps one of the most notable is his song “Smooth Criminal”. The music video for this classic pop track featured Jackson’s famous 45-degree lean that appeared to defy gravity and baffled viewers worldwide. Decades later, most baby boomers won’t be able to hear “Smooth Criminal” without imagining themselves watching this iconic dance move on their TV.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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