5 Love Songs From 1980 That Sound Even Sweeter Today

Among a packed decade of love songs, 1980 holds its own, with many memorable tracks that have remained relevant and even grown better over time. That year, top tunes included No. 1 hits from legends such as Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, and Diana Ross, but another group of love songs, none of which ever fully topped the charts at their peak, have lived on as the finest testaments of what love songs could be in the '80s.

The tunes we've chosen cover all the bases with a variety of different styles of love — some obsessive, some desperate, some traditionally romantic — but each lands with an undeniable sweetness despite the complexity of its subject matter. We've featured five excellent love songs from 1980, from artists across popular genres of the time, such as Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder. These tracks have each aged wonderfully, and we hope you rediscover some radio hits and album cuts of 1980 that capture love's unique magic.

With a title inspired by a classic English poem, the sentiments of this 1980 hit are timeless, and its lyrics and cheery instrumentation have only grown sweeter. Bruce Springsteen released "Hungry Heart" in late 1980, and it climbed all the way to No. 5 on the U.S. charts by the end of the year. Its sound is definitively '80s, with large, echoing vocals that pair well with the grand, cinematic driving keyboard and groove. Though the radio-friendly song isn't the most traditionally Springsteen-sounding, with his voice feeling slightly sped up, this effect adds a brightness to the recording that brings home the central feeling of the track. 

In its memorable chorus, "Hungry Heart" drives home its message of the universal chase that all people find in their own version of love: "Everybody's got a hungry heart / Everybody's got a hungry heart / Lay down your money, and you play your part / Everybody's got a hungry heart." It's an effective, charming tune, and these feel-good sounds from that most iconically nicknamed artist, "The Boss," are hard not to love. 

This often-covered song has been performed by the likes of the Righteous Brothers (for whom it was originally written), Roberta Flack, and Donny Hathaway, but this 1980 version from one of pop music's greatest and most complicated duos, Daryl Hall & John Oates, has remained an essential love song of the era, and one of their most underrated compositions. Daryl Hall & John Oates included the cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" on the 1980 album, "Voices," and it reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single in late November. 

This upbeat rendition strikes a golden balance of the narrator's weakening grip on their lover with the hopeful plea for it to return. Whether the plaintive cries are ultimately fruitful is left ambiguous, yet "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" brings out a moving side of love in the duo's delivery, full of striking vocals and an inspired arrangement. Its change of chorus — "Bring back that lovin' feeling / Oh, that lovin' feeling / Bring back that lovin' feeling / 'Cause it's gone, gone, gone" — from its original, less hopeful lyric, circles back repeatedly to end the story on a memorable note, leaving this excellent song to hold an enduring sweetness as it fades out.

Throughout the 1960s, '70s, and '80s, Stevie Wonder released a nearly endless amount of quality love songs. Simply put, he's one of the 20th century's finest voices of love. "All I Do," from Wonder's 1980 album "Hotter Than July," may not be the first song from his discography you think of, as it wasn't really a major hit, but its infectious love has rendered it a modern-day can't-miss song. Full of fervor and passion, "All I Do" has a funk-first instrumental that's matched with gorgeous R&B chords, but it's Wonder's most iconic trait that truly sets the song apart. 

"All I Do" is a vocal masterpiece, with Wonder's soulful croons grabbing you from the first delivered line. He turns a simple message — "All I do (Ohh, baby) / Is think about you (I think 'bout you, baby)" — into something terribly effective, with each line of this love song feeling as though they have to be said, as though they contain a truth he couldn't keep to himself. "All I Do" does what Wonder's best songs often achieve: an enchanting mix of groovy production and the shine of one of music's best voices. Wonder's sentiments are universal, and the lovestruck, near-desperation of his performance feels even stronger with the passing of time. 

This hit soft rock song mixes sweet harmonies with a warm, gentle instrumental, and it's arguably the most iconic song from this now-forgotten band. Ambrosia released its single "Biggest Part of Me" in early 1980 with its album "One Eighty," and the feel-good track found notable success on the charts, peaking at No. 3. This easy listener is the type of song perfect for a sunset drive or a quiet Sunday reset, and Ambrosia utilized memorable melodies at all levels of the song, verses and chorus alike. 

The back and forth between backing and leading vocals in "Biggest Part of Me" is addictive, particularly in its expertly sequenced verses: "(Stay the night) Need your lovin' here beside me / (Shine a light) Need you close enough to guide me / (All my life) I've been hopin' you would find me / You're the biggest part of me." "Biggest Part of Me" blends a soulful charm with these classically loving sentiments, and it's a hard tune to turn off. 

Throughout his distinct musical eras, Billy Joel is known as a master of the love song, and this 1980 song finds its subject totally lovestruck with someone to the point of near obsession. "All for Leyna" blends Joel's trademark vocals with a unique arrangement of heavier guitar-driven pieces and a grand, nearly operatic rock sound. The song wasn't a major commercial success in the U.S., but it reached the Top 40 in the U.K., and its expression of desperate love has held up well to this day. 

"All for Leyna" follows a narrator who is hung up on someone who likely doesn't view them the same way, and though they are self-conscious of this disparity, they won't let reason stop their affection: "There's nothing else I can do / 'Cause I'm doing it all for Leyna / I don't want anyone new / 'Cause I'm living it all for Leyna." This impulsive love song is electric and replayable, and though it may not have the legs of songs like the meaningfully named "Uptown Girl," it's certainly an underrated hit among Joel's stacked discography.