5 Songs That Prove This '80s Genre Is Even Cooler Today

Oh, the '80s featured some good music. One particular genre had everybody reaching for their eyeliner and extra-small shirts from the kids' department. Yes, we're talking about glam metal here — sometimes referred to as hair metal, because, well, look at those hairstyles. As the natural evolution of glam rock, this genre had a little more edge and bite to it — some nastiness, if you will. A strong commercial sensibility stayed intact, but the music was hard and the attitude harder, as these musicians upset parent groups with every thrust of the hip and bob of the perm.

While it's easy to poke fun at the often ridiculous aesthetic of glam metal in retrospect, there's absolutely nothing wrong with the music. As a matter of fact, songs from the likes of Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, and Bon Jovi still kick off any party and turn up the vibe to scorching-hot levels. Where's the proof? Check out the comments section of every video to see how these bangers aged.

Let's look back at the '80s genre that isn't simply a footnote in the bizarre history of heavy metal. It's hot and sticky sweet — just like one of the smoldering tracks on this list.

If you look back at rock lyrics that no one can explain, Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me" needs to be in any conversation. Of course, this is a sensual song about doing the horizontal (maybe even vertical or backward) tango, but it's also a lot of gibberish. No matter, because how fun is it to pretend to be singer Joe Elliott at his peak and slither around until the knees and back creak!?

Flying off 1987's "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" is arguably the quintessential Def Leppard song and a first-round pick for any compilation. Funnily enough, it never went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, only managing to peak in second position. No one cares about this little fact, though, since the jukebox comes alive whenever this "razzle 'n' dazzle" number lights up the occasion.

The song has been kept alive in pop culture for decades, thanks to appearances in the likes of "Coyote Ugly," "Young Sheldon," and "The Agency." For fans, however, "Pour Some Sugar on Me" never loses its appeal. As one YouTube commentator wrote, "First saw them in 1980 at the Reading Rock Festival U.K. Still listening in July 2026." Ask yourself this question: How many air guitars have you played to this song?

Looking back at Mötley Crüe's discography, there's no shortage of songs about excess. The band lived it up and weren't afraid to recount all the sordid details in explicit nature. However, there's one track that's aged better than the rest — mostly because it feels more sincere rather than forced, poser-esque tracks like "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood." It's also a power ballad that changed rock forever and continues to be on repeat decades later.

"Home Sweet Home" — off the 1985 album "Theatre of Pain" — washes away all the makeup and smell of whiskey to reveal a side of Mötley Crüe that everybody can relate to. It's a reminder that there's no place like home, and that's worth celebrating and appreciating. Plus, it's also a Crüe cut that you can play for anyone without people giving you the evil eye because of the controversial lyrics.

Despite "Home Sweet Home" not even charting in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100, it's become a popular song that connects the listener to a certain time in history and makes them yearn for the past. As a Redditor wrote, "It makes me nostalgic, more for the '80s."

Pop quiz time: Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" is an option for karaoke. So, the question is, do you only sing it once or revisit it for the encore? There's no wrong answer here. The track off the 1986 album "Slippery When Wet" climbed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for four weeks, but its unwavering and enduring quality is something that deserves extra credit. No matter when, no matter how, "Livin' on a Prayer" holds the power to transport people to a special moment in their lives where this was somehow the soundtrack to it.

The strength of the song lies in the hook of its lyrics, though. Look, this isn't Shakespeare by any means, but Bon Jovi's words resonate with everybody. We all know what it's like to experience tough times, as life beats you down over and over again. However, "Livin' on a Prayer" reminds us that there's hope on the horizon; we just need to "hold on to what we've got."

It's thanks to songs such as this one that keep the '80s genre of glam metal alive and well in this century. As one fan wrote in the comments section of YouTube, "If you're not born in this era but love this kind of music, welcome to the club."

Is it a New Year's Eve party without someone playing Europe's "The Final Countdown" before the clock strikes midnight? It's practically become synonymous with the occasion. However, there's no doubt that this tune — especially the famous keyboard motif — has burned its way into memory and seems to be transferable from generation to generation. Don't ask anybody to recite the lyrics to the song apart from the chorus, but it's guaranteed they'll be able to whistle the keyboard riff off the top of their head.

This banger continues to stand the test of time and shows no sign of subsiding. Despite being released in 1986, it hit the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hard Rock Digital Songs in 2015, thanks to its appearance in a GEICO ad. Louder also voted it as one of the best hair metal anthems ever made in the same year, and it's tough to dispute its inclusion.

On YouTube, the comments underneath the music video are both brilliant and hysterical. One user wrote, "Europe is so legendary, they named a continent after them," while another stated, "0% Bad Language. 0% Autotune. 100% Hair and Talent." Ain't that the truth!

If at first you don't succeed, try again. That's exactly what happened here, as Whitesnake turned a massive flop into their biggest hit. Originally released in 1982, "Here I Go Again" didn't light the world on fire the first time around, so the band took the song back to the drawing board, tweaked it, and re-released it in 1987. It turned out to be a stroke of genius, as "Here I Go Again" soared to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and established itself as a certified classic.

Ironically, the lyrics of "Here I Go Again" are all about second chances and trying again — which is rather apt considering the song's history — but it's also become a rallying cry for those experiencing changes in their own lives. Yeah, sometimes, it's necessary to scream out "here I go again on my own" to believe it.

Call it nostalgia, or a yearning for simpler times, but people still gravitate to this song in the modern era and love it — plus, it probably also helped that it featured in the popular Will Ferrell movie "Old School." As one YouTube commentator wrote, "This song never gets old! Reminds me of watching MTV when it played music 24 hours a day."