4 Songs From 1985 That Every Gen Xer Knows by Heart

Gen X got to enjoy some of the absolute best music of all time, from the new wave tunes of the 1980s to the grunge classics of the 1990s. When it comes to the following four songs from 1985, specifically, I bet there’s not a single Gen X music enjoyer out there who doesn’t know each one by heart. Let’s test that theory, shall we?

“Everybody Wants To Rule The World” by Tears For Fears from ‘Songs From The Big Chair’

This Tears For Fears song is both unbelievably catchy and very poignant in terms of lyricism. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” was very much of the Cold War era, but it touched on political concepts and the nature of humanity that still exist today. Listeners loved this synth-pop tune, and it was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and a No. 2 hit on the UK Singles chart.

“Don’t You (Forget About Me)” by Simple Minds from ‘The Breakfast Club (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)’

Even if you somehow avoided watching The Breakfast Club in 1985, you definitely heard this song a lot. Not only is it an iconic new wave track in pop culture history, but it was inescapable on the radio that very year. Simple Minds reached the peak of their career with this hit, which peaked at No. 1 on the Hot 100 and the Top 20 almost globally. And if you were alive and conscious in 1985, you definitely still know the words to “Don’t You (Forget About Me)”.

“Material Girl” by Madonna from ‘Like A Virgin’

This is easily the catchiest pop song on our list of Gen X songs from 1985. Like many of Madonna’s earlier releases, “Material Girl” is as provocative as it is musically sound. It touches on everything from the consumerist leanings of the era to pop stardom, and it remains one of Madonna’s most beloved songs today. “Material Girl” was also a smash hit, peaking at No. 2 on the Hot 100 chart in 1985.

“Sussudio” by Phil Collins from ‘No Jacket Required’

Plenty of Phil Collins songs from the 1980s are still burned into the brains of Gen X. But this song from 1985, specifically, takes the cake. “Sussudio” is on the funkier side of Collins’ discography, and I’m definitely not complaining. This catchy tune was a hit, too, peaking at No. 1 on the Hot 100 chart.

(Photo by Gie Knaeps/Getty Images)

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