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Celebrating the 80s hits that featured in the biggest movies of the decade
Virgin Radio
8 Sep 2023, 11:55
Credit: Universal / Sony
We’ve been feeling nostalgic for 80s movies here at Virgin Radio, and all day today (8th September), we’re celebrating the very best from film soundtracks throughout the decade.
While we know the likes of Eye of the Tiger by Survivor made Rocky III iconic, there are some smash hits from the era that snuck into our favourite flicks and became some of the most underrated themes.
All day on Virgin Radio 80s Plus, we’re celebrating those massive tunes from equally massive 80s movies, and while you tune in, here are those you might not expect to see on the back cover of a movie soundtrack.
Don't You (Forget About Me) - Simple Minds
Scottish rockers Simple Minds released their classic hit, Don’t You (Forget About Me) in 1985 but it was actually the tune that inspired John Hughes’ seminal 80s teen drama, The Breakfast Club.
It was also a part of the film’s soundtrack, and became the band’s biggest US hit.
While it didn’t reach the top spot in the UK, it did stay in the charts from release all the way to 1987, one of the longest runs for any single in the history of the charts.
The song was originally written by Steve Schiff and producer Keith Forsey, who were scoring the 1985 classic movie. They were said to be inspired by the scene in which an introvert and the school bully bond.
Simple Minds were originally reluctant to record a track they hadn’t personally created, and the likes of Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol also passed on the opportunity.
The Jim Kerr-led band eventually caved and decided to cover the track, which they rearranged and made their own in just three hours in the studio.
It’s lucky they did too, as Don’t You (Forget About Me) ended up being used in the opening and closing credits of The Breakfast Club and soon became one of Simple Minds’ biggest hits.
La Bamba - Los Lobos
Mexican folk tune La Bamba was originally adapted and released in 1958 by Ritchie Valens, which is often considered one of the greatest tracks of all time.
Los Lobos put their stamp on the song for the 1987 biopic of the same name about Valens, which stars Lou Diamond Phillips as the singer alongside Elizabeth Pena and Joe Pantoliano.
The rock and roll pioneer died in a tragic plane crash aged just 17 and only 8 months into his career. His legacy carried on even after his sad passing, and the artist was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
For Los Lobos, La Bamba proved to be their own chart-topper, with the song becoming the fourth wholly non-English language song to top the Billboard Hot 100.
When The Going Gets Tough - Billy Ocean
Billy Ocean landed at number one in numerous charts around the world with his 1985 hit, When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Gets Going.
The earworm was used as the theme song for the Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner action adventure-meets-rom-com The Jewel of the Nile, which was a sequel to Romancing the Stone.
The song became a bona fide hit for Ocean, spending four weeks at number one in the UK.
The music video features both Douglas, Turner and co-star Danny DeVito at Brixton Academy, and featured some rather impressive/hilarious saxophone-playing by DeVito.
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now - Starship
Banging power ballad Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now has long outlived the love for the movie it was known for, often being considered one the most recognisable hits of the decade.
The epic track was the theme to 1987 rom-com Mannequin, starring the likes of Andrew McCarthy and Sex and the City’s Kim Cattrall.
While the film itself didn’t exactly wow cinema goers at the time, the soundtrack staple of Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now won over fans and was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.
It topped the charts in the UK, becoming the second-best-selling song of 1987, and has stood the test of time as one of the most memorable ballads of the decade.
You can listen to Virgin Radio 80 Plus HERE. You can also listen on DAB+ in London and Central Scotland and on smart speakers across the UK, as well as via the Virgin Radio UK app.
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