10) Peter Cetera: 'Glory of Love'
This movie song was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy in 1987. The song was originally written for 'Rocky IV,' but after the song was passed on for that movie it was picked up by the producers for 'The Karate Kid, Part II.'
9) The Beach Boys: 'Kokomo'
The song was specifically written for the movie 'Cocktail' and earned a 1988 Grammy Nomination, but lost to Phil Collins' 'Two Hearts' (featured in the film 'Buster'). Although it was recorded in the late '80s, the song has the style of a '60s hit, a decade filled with Beach Boys hits.
8) Huey Lewis & The News: 'The Power of Love'
Lewis wrote the song specifically for the Back to the Future series, earning him an Academy Award nomination. The song appears multiple times in the films -- notably when the main character Marty McFly is skateboarding to work as well as when McFly's band performs the tune during a battle of the bands competition (judged by Lewis himself).
7) Phil Collins: 'Against All Odds'
Appearing in the movie of the same name, the ballad is telling an ex-lover that reconciliation is "against all odds." The song was originally titled 'How Can You Just Sit There?' and was featured on recording sessions for Collins' 1981 debut solo album 'Face Value,' written about his first wife.
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6) Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes: '(I've Had) The Time of My Life'
This '80s movie song is featured in the final scene of the film 'Dirty Dancing,' where the lovers perform a dance in front of the entire camp. The song won the Academy Award, Golden Globe and a Grammy.
5) Berlin: 'Take My Breath Away'
The song plays during the fight/love scene between the two main characters and won the Academy Award and Golden Globe in 1987. Jessica Simpson and Diana Ross both covered this tune.
4) Ray Parker Jr.: 'Ghostbusters'
Ray Parker, Jr. came up with the idea for this movie song while watching late night advertisements. Although he originally thought there would be no way to include lyrics, he wrote the song as a jingle advertisement promoting the Ghostbusters' services. The song was also part of a copyright infringement claim for sounding too much like Huey Lewis and the News' 'I Want a New Drug.' The dispute was settled out of court.
3) Kenny Loggins: 'Footloose'
Most notably featured in the warehouse scene where Kevin Bacon's character performs a solo dance routine, the song was nominated for an Academy Award but lost to 'I Just Called to Say I Love You' by Stevie Wonder.
2) Simple Minds: 'Don't You (Forget About Me)'
The '80s movie song -- which explores the film's theme of people being strangers and then becoming intimate friends -- was first offered to Bryan Ferry and Billy Idol, who both declined. Simple Minds then agreed, although the band is generally dismissive of the song. It has since been featured in various films and television shows throughout the years, especially those dealing with teenage relationships like 'American Pie' and 'One Tree Hill.'
1) Survivor: 'Eye of the Tiger'
The song was used for 'Rocky III' at the request of Sylvester Stallone. The band originally wanted to call the song 'Survival' because they felt 'Eye of the Tiger' was too cheesy -- but in the end they knew they had made the right choice. The song has been extensively featured in sporting events for University of Memphis and Clemson University, and was even parodied by "Weird-Al" Yankovic entitled 'Theme from Rocky XII (The Rye of the Kaiser).'
Listen to Awesome '80s Radio
1. Can't argue with Ghostbusters or Eye Of The Tiger.
Posted at 1:16PM on Feb 8th 2010 by John F.C. Taylor