3 Songs From 1981 That Are Perfect for a Weekend Playlist

By the time Friday rolls around, almost everyone is ready to let loose, forget about work, and do something fun. For decades, music has been the soundtrack to weekend get-togethers and celebrations, or maybe even just relaxing at home. These are three songs that came out in 1981 but are still perfect for any weekend playlist today.

“Working For The Weekend” by Loverboy

There may not be a better weekend anthem than “Working For The Weekend” by Loverboy. On their sophomore Get Lucky album, “Working For The Weekend” is written by band members Paul Dean, Mike Reno, and Matt Frenette.

Dean had the idea for “Working For The Weekend” while at the beach, which was deserted, during the middle of a weekday.

“I’m out on the beach and wondering, ‘Where is everybody? Well, I guess they’re all waiting for the weekend,’” he recalls to Songfacts. “So that experience spurred that. And Mike had the great idea of, ‘Why don’t we call it, ‘Working For The Weekend’?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, that’s good. That’s fine.’ Not a huge difference, still works. It’s kind of cool. It’s quirky with a little bit of a twist on the lyrics.”

Their first Top 5 single, “Working For The Weekend” says, “Everybody’s working for the weekend / Everybody wants a new romance / Everybody’s going off the deep end / Everybody needs a second chance, oh / You want a piece of my heart? / You better start from the start / You want to be in the show? / C’mon baby, let’s go.”

“Louisiana Saturday Night” by Mel McDaniel

One of Mel McDaniel’s biggest hits, “Louisiana Saturday Night” is on his third studio album, I’m Countryfied. Written by Bob McDill, Don Williams first included the song on his 1977 Country Boy record. But it’s McDaniel’s version that remains the best known.

“Louisiana Saturday Night” celebrates the joy of small-town living, especially when the weekend comes. The song says, “Well, you get down the fiddle and you get down the bow / Kick off your shoes and you throw ’em on the floor / Dance in the kitchen till the mornin’ light / Louisiana Saturday night / A-waiting in the front yard sitting on a log / A single shot rifle and a one eyed dog / Yonder come my kinfolk, in the moonlight / Louisiana Saturday night.”

“High ‘N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” by Def Leppard

“High ’N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” is an album track from Def Leppard’s sophomore  High ’N’ Dry album, although even moderate Def Leppard fans can still sing this song word for word.

Written by band members Pete Willis, Steve Clark, and Joe Elliott, “High ’N’ Dry (Saturday Night)” says, “Saturday, I feel right / I been drinking all day / Yes, I got a date, a midnight ride / I had to get it away / Yeah, I’m not a loner, I’m not a fool / Don’t need a reason, reason to be cool / I got my whiskey, I got my wine / I got my woman and this time the lights are going out.”

Photo by Lynn Goldsmith/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

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