The 20 best hard rock summer songs of the 80s

There is hardly a more typical summer subgenre than 80s hard rock.

Known colloquially as glam metal (or more derisively as the dreaded “hair metal”), these songs celebrate the simple but universal pleasures in life: soaking up the sun, throwing a great party, and gathering around the nearest radio to turn up your favorite music.

The 80s are long gone, but those feelings are eternal – and that’s why you need “The 20 Best Hard Rock Summer Songs of the 80s” on your next playlist.

20. Mötley Crüe, “Kickstart My Heart”

The connection between an adrenaline shot to the heart after a heroin overdose and a beer by the pool with your mates is tenuous at best – but nothing screams summer like the oversized gang vocals and thunderous riffs of this Dr feel good Classic. You’ll almost certainly see it at any summer sporting event or tailgate party.

19. Cinderella, “Gypsy Road”

Despite the title of Cinderella’s second album Long, cold winterthe bluesy, cheeky “Gypsy Road” is a ready-made summer anthem.”And who cares if my hair grows to the sky?” asks Tom Keifer. Nobody! It’s the season of long hair and night drives, where you control your own destiny. At least until morning comes and you have to go back to work.

18. Van Halen, “Panama”

Legend has it that David Lee Roth was criticized for only writing songs about women, parties and fast cars. Then he realized he’d never written a song about a car. So he wrote “Panama” about a car of questionable origin, with plenty of lyrical references to a woman who loved to party. Roth ambiguously described “Panama” as “the southernmost place you can go and still have a really filthy good time” – but this energetic anthem sounds like the happiest of summer days no matter where you listen.

17. Kiss, “Crazy Crazy Nights”

Crazy nights was the name of the much-maligned, keyboard-heavy album by Kiss from 1987. The title song was called “Crazy Crazy Nights”. In the chorus, Paul Stanley marvels: “These are crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy nights!” That’s four times as crazy for those keeping count at home. Despite the album’s overall failure, “Crazy Crazy Nights” cements its status as a summer banger through sheer force of will and a Bon Jovi-style key change. Stanley sums it up best: “If life is a radio, turn it to 10.”

16. Whitesnake, “Here I go again”

Fast cars and beautiful women: For a long time, these were considered the basic requirements for a great summer. Fortunately, the music video for Whitesnake’s hit power ballad offers both – two Cars, even, with Tawny Kitaen doing somersaults over both hoods! It’s best to leave the stunts to the pros and concentrate on cruising with the top down to the soothing sounds of David Coverdale.

15. Warrant, “Down Boys”

Warrant’s debut single is a thinly veiled reference to oral sex, but Jani Lane sings it with the youthful exuberance of a kid playing in the woods on a Saturday morning. Pining for a woman to the sound of catchy riffs and infectious choruses isn’t exclusively a summer activity, but it somehow feels more appropriate this time of year.

14. Y&T, “Summertime Girls”

Y&T’s only Billboard Hot 100 entry peaked at No. 55, but it’s the kind of second-tier classic that lives on in the hearts and playlists of rock-loving bums in the sun. And for good reason: It’s frothy pop-rock fun with a silly, charmingly irreverent video to go with it. When Dave Meniketti sings, “If you lift me up, I’ll never come down,” one assumes he is talking about practicing a cheerleading routine on the beach.

13. Def Leppard, “Pour Some Sugar on Me”

Def Leppard didn’t write the ultimate stripper anthem for you, not Crank it up at every barbecue, beach party, and backyard party from June through September. Summer makes you feel hot and sticky sweet (from head to toe)? Grab a bottle and shake it up—and crank up the music while you’re at it.

12. David Lee Roth, “Goin’ Crazy”

A word of warning: This Diamond Dave summer jail stint may lead to reckless behavior, such as quitting your job, telling your boss to go to hell, drunkenly stumbling off the pier, and making out with the mayor’s daughter. (Apparently, “crazy with heat” is not a valid defense in court.) Listeners are encouraged to make a contingency plan before indulging in this.

11. Guns N’ Roses, “Paradise City”

The chorus to “Paradise City” – “Take me to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty” — is perhaps the most uncharacteristically optimistic statement on Guns N’ Roses’ meteoric debut album, Destroying. The verses, meanwhile, tell the convoluted story of a dirt-poor street kid struggling to make ends meet. It’s this duality that gives “Paradise City” so much thematic weight and makes the chorus all the sweeter. If GN’R could fight for their piece of paradise, then you too can fight for your rock’n’roll summer.

10. Bon Jovi, “99 in the Shadows”

The Bon Jovi multiverse takes another turn New Jersey On the B-side, Sahara Jack and Suntan Sally join “Livin’ on a Prayer” protagonists Tommy and Gina for some fun in the sun. Senoritas and margaritas abound as Jon Bon Jovi sings about soaking up the sun, surfing and cranking up the radio in his old man’s Chevrolet. This Sonuvabeach really knows how to party.

9. Ratt, “Round and Round”

Where do we meet? On the street! What do we do? Tighten our belts and… torture ourselves? The motivations behind Ratt’s breakthrough single are unclear, but as one of the defining songs of the glam metal era, it needs to be played loudly at every summer gathering. Dig!

8. Skid Row, “Youth Out of Control”

Rachel Bolan and Dave Sabo probably had worse crimes in mind than sneaking a few beers or staying on the beach past curfew when they wrote “Youth Gone Wild.” Nevertheless, this hard-hitting rebel anthem has become the epitome of personal freedom and the pursuit of fun at any cost. Ironically, it probably now appeals to many of the three-headed Wall Street types the band initially denounced. The time comes for everyone.

7. Autograph, “Turn Up the Radio”

Autograph singer Steve Plunkett expresses a universal truth in his signature song and only Top 40 hit: “Whether during the day, at night or at any time – things go better with rock.” Amen, brother. “Turn Up the Radio” is an essential party rock anthem for anyone who has ever slogged through a miserable work week to have a sunny weekend of fun. Plunkett also reminds listeners what they are entitled to: “For every minute I have to work, I need a minute to play.”

6. Aerosmith, “Permanent Vacation”

On the surface, the title song of Aerosmith’s career-launching Permanent vacation expresses the desire to travel to the tropics for a change of scenery. But beneath the steel drums and the mention of exotic places, the song brims with unease.My nose is clear and my goodness, I don’t need sedation“I’m not going to let you down,” sings Steven Tyler, referring to the band’s newfound sobriety. His struggle to keep his demons at bay while enjoying the sun is understandable. But most of all, it’s just infectious fun.

5. David Lee Roth, “As in Paradise”

The top 10 single from Roth’s second solo album skyscraper sounds like a spiritual successor to “Goin’ Crazy,” with bouncy keyboards and soaring hooks, the sonic equivalent of the stomach-churning climb the frontman completed for the album cover.”This must be like life in paradise,” Roth marvels, before adding with a hint of concern, “And I don’t want to go home.” Who among us hasn’t felt like this on vacation?

4. Quiet Riot, “Come and feel the noise”

Metal health Producer Spencer Proffer knew that a cover of Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noize” would be a huge hit in the right hands. “It was anthemic, participatory rock,” he remembers. “It invited People to participate: ‘Come on, feel the noise, girls rock your boys.'” The song was so infectious that Quiet Riot couldn’t help but turn it into a party metal anthem, even though they had planned to sabotage it in the studio. Decades later, the opening drum beat can still transform the most mundane hangout into a wild party in a matter of seconds.

3. Def Leppard, “High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night)”

Summer nights (spoiler) have always been considered the best time to get drunk, but in the title track of their second album, Def Leppard makes a compelling case for getting drunk during the day and drinking until the early hours of the morning. The meaning of “dry” in this context probably doesn’t mean alcohol-free.

2. Van Halen, “Summer Nights”

David Lee Roth purists often argue that Van Halen’s first frontman was more effortlessly cool and entertaining than his successor, Sammy Hagar. The Red Rocker effortlessly refutes that claim on this 5150 Highlight, one of the most indomitable tracks in Van Halen’s catalog. Hagar offers a short but definitive checklist for the perfect summer party: er, summer nights and the radio! That’s all! Factor in Michael Anthony’s intoxicating harmonies and one of Eddie Van Halen’s wildest solos, and you have a perennial summer playlist favorite.

1. Poison, “Nothing but a good time”

Let us describe the scene: You’ve just finished a grueling shift busing tables at the busiest restaurant in town, while your boss barks who knows what in your ear. You kick open the door, put on your favorite song, and get ready to enjoy your slice of freedom. That’s essentially the “plot” of Poison’s “Nothin’ but a Good Time” video, but the pop-metal cuties sold this rock’n’roll escapism so effectively that it’s impossible not to feel the same when you hear the song. To paraphrase Bret Michaels, how can you resist?