5 Dance Hits That Took Over Every Club In The '80s

Dance clubs of the '80s rang with the sounds of acts who knew how to add energy to the scene. It seemed like no matter which clubs you frequented, there were certain dependably dance-worthy tunes that became inescapable. The rise of techno sounds in the music industry helped inform the dance music scene with a new wave of fresh material that charged up the clubs like a live wire. Thanks to the diversity of radio and music video airplay, many of the most popular dance songs were also mainstream hits that livened up the industry across multiple formats.

In the early '80s, synth-heavy songs like "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell opened a portal for more futuristic dance sounds to enter. By the mid- and late-'80s, soul and R&B music had turned the dial toward hip-hop and street sounds, laying out the red carpet for a star like Janet Jackson to ignite the scene with hits like "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" These and other ubiquitous tracks were sure to cause a commotion and get the club crowd fired up, all while also making their presence known on the pop charts. You knew you'd be hearing them at some point during your dance club exploits, and you couldn't wait for them to roll around so you could get your groove on.

One of the earlier groundbreaking pop songs to feature all-electronic instruments, 1981's "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell was a reimagined '80s cover of a '60s soul track for a dance crowd in need of fresh noise to move to. The clever duo kept the Sesame Street bounce from the 1964 original by Motown singer Gloria Jones, but charged up its batteries with an irresistible double whip-crack that had dancers clapping along. 

It became a London club favorite and helped pave the way for a more electro-friendly music scene, both in and out of the dancehalls. Many folks may consider it one of the worst songs of the '80s, but it rose to No. 8 on the Hot 100 in 1982, proving that minimalist synth pop could achieve big success. For such an icy, sinister arrangement of synthesizers and drum machines, the song sure generated a warm reception. With Marc Almond's nearly-off-key warble adding a charming human touch, "Tainted Love" conveyed the right amount of defiance and pain to stir up a roomful of clubbers in need of fleet-footed, freestyling catharsis. 

The extended radio single even added a few lines of the band's take on "Where Did Our Love Go?" by Diana Ross and the Supremes, a fun Easter egg even if you didn't catch the club mix. It's still one of the grooviest '80s dance tracks for transporting nostalgic boomers and Gen Xers back to their club-hopping youth.

Smack-dab in the middle of the transition from disco to electronic dance music, "Let the Music Play" gave dance artist Shannon a signature tune that turned up the heat on the club circuit. The 1983 freestyle burner had the sharp edges and cool robotic soul of a modern dance hit, with a killer chorus fused to the center. With space-age sound effects married to a throbbing drum machine rhythm track, the tune's sizzling circuitry was custom-made for remixes, extended versions, and street-based breakdance DJ mischief that brought the Latin dance sounds of New York City into the mainstream.

The innovative sound gave dance music a distinctive crossover vibe, but Shannon's hit dance track wasn't just popular in the clubs; it was also a No. 8 Billboard hit on the Hot 100 and spent six weeks at No. 1 on the dance chart in 1984. Her album of the same name garnered a Grammy nomination, and though she wouldn't hit the mainstream chart again, Shannon would return to the top of the dance chart three more times in the '80s, asserting a sort of dominance that kept her tunes spinning in dance clubs for years.

What a controversy Frankie Goes to Hollywood unleashed when they dropped the bombastic club favorite "Relax" on the world in 1983. The infectious rhythm was hypnotic, and the chant-worthy chorus "Relax, don't do it" was instantly iconic, appearing in gay dance clubs in various remixes. The phrase "Frankie Say Relax" and similar variations began appearing in heavy black font on oversized white T-shirts, which became peak merch for '80s clubbers. Those shirts may have begun as a failed marketing promo for the record, but they became a period-defining fashion sensation.

However, the sexually suggestive nature of the lyrics was considered obscene by staid music fogies, leading to a radio ban of "Relax" in the U.K. There was more than a little homophobia at play too, given that two of the members were unabashedly gay at a time when that sort of openness was scorned. Press like this usually ends up helping the work in question; in the case of Frankie Goes to Hollywood, it helped stir curiosity within young listeners who love a good controversy. "Relax" ultimately landed at No. 10 in the U.S. and went all the way to No. 1 in the U.K., all while breaking down barriers for the queer community and playing non-stop in clubs.

One of her biggest hits from the days before Madonna began setting a slew of world records, "Into the Groove" was a one-off single that accompanied her acting debut in the 1985 movie "Desperately Seeking Susan." Being a dancer and a club kid herself, Madonna had an instinct for creating songs that emphasized beat and motion; she channeled her abiding love of dancing into this sonic tribute. It showed up between her star-making second album, "Like a Virgin," and her career-expanding third LP, "True Blue," adding new club-ready sounds and textures to her growing catalog of danceable music.

"Into the Groove" turned out to be a crossover hit, landing at No. 19 on the Billboard R&B and Hip Hop chart. Despite appearing on the "Desperately Seeking Susan" soundtrack, it was never officially released as a single, which means it didn't qualify for the Hot 100 — a wild misstep considering how popular the song became around the world. Ultimately, it hit No. 1 on the Club Play charts as a B-side to the song "Angel," a very club-savvy way to get the song the success it deserved.

Once Michael Jackson had proven his standing as a solo artist, it was time for little sister Janet Jackson to snag the spotlight. "Control," her third album and artistic reintroduction as an all-grown-up R&B singer, launched with the single "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" a 1986 track full of edges and attitude that threw angular beats at the audience and challenged them to stop dancing once they started. It blended the best bits of modern '80s music with some funky new moves thrown in to advance the art form, and it worked like gangbusters.

Shepherded by Minneapolis songwriting and production power team Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Jackson was recast as a confident young woman taking the reins of her own life and destiny, and "What Have You Done for Me Lately?" dispelled the youthful teen soul-pop of her first two albums. The club crowd who'd come of age learning to moonwalk with Michael gave a warm reception to the youngest Jackson sibling, crafting her own dance floor-friendly style. Being able to cut up to this genre-bending stomp let clubgoers come together over a crossover mega-hit, which gave Jackson her first Top 5 single on the Hot 100 and a No. 1 on the dance singles chart.