The 1980s were a decade of vibrant music, and many of its songs have become iconic. There is a great choice of music from this great decade that's perfect for your wedding, as there were some brilliant bands, musicians, and vocalists covering all genres. '80s music works at a wedding because it is a wonderful mixture of pure romance and nostalgia.
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Many of your guests will have a hit from the '80s that means something special to them. You can choose from beautiful ballads for the service and first dance, and then switch to some of the memorable upbeat songs that will have your guests up on the dance floor and singing along.
Key Takeaways
Choosing the perfect playlist for your wedding will almost be impossible. It is important to spend time making sure that the songs you have chosen for different stages during the day are well-matched and at the right tempo. Romantic ballads are ideal for the beginning and end of the service, while some popular dance tunes will encourage everyone to get up on the dance floor.
It is fun to ask family and friends in advance if they have any particular songs they would like to hear and have dedications made by the DJ or create a large dedications board for everyone to read.
At a Glance: The Top 10 Best 80s Wedding Songs
It is really hard to choose just ten songs from the incredible number of 1980s for our list of 'The Top Ten Best' – but here goes!
"Your Song", Elton John
"How Deep Is Your Love", The Bee Gees
"I Wanna Dance With Somebody", Whitney Houston
"Careless Whisper", Wham
"The Way You Make Me Feel", Michael Jackson
"In Your Eyes", Peter Gabriel
"Up Where We Belong", Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
"Woman", John Lennon
"The Power Of Love", Jennifer Rush
"Endless Love", Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie
A Full List of the Best 80s Wedding Songs
“Your Song” – Elton John
"Your Song" – Elton John
The melody for this beautiful song was written by Elton Jon – reportedly in less than half an hour! He apparently then met up with his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin in a diner for breakfast. Taupin wrote the lyrics in just 20 minutes, and they are amazingly deep and romantic, as Taupin was just 17 years old.
The song proved popular straight away and a live version featuring the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra was released a few years later.
" How Deep is Your Love" – The Bee Gees
This beautiful 1977 classic ballad is just one of a number by this popular band. It was featured on the soundtrack of " Saturday Night Fever". The romantic lyrics explore how a deep romantic bond can survive everyday challenges, and the singers request reassurance that the love will be forever.
" I Wanna Dance With Somebody" – Whitney Houston
These are the words sung by the late, great Whitney Houston in this 1987 hit. They continue "with somebody who loves me". This New Jersey-born star always sang with plenty of emotion, and this song was no exception.
In this song, Whitney Houston sings about finding that special someone and will certainly get many couples up and dancing – led by the bride and groom.
"Careless Whisper" – Wham!
Released in 1984, this popular song was one of several in the '80s by Wham! – George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley. It is an emotional ballad that explores the guilt and emotional fallout that occurs when one partner cheats.
The lyrics might s not sound like the obvious choice for a wedding, but they coax couples up to dance. To get everyone dancing enthusiastically, you can choose Wham's "Wake me Up Before You Go".
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"The Way You Make Me Feel" – Michael Jackson
This is definitely a good choice for your wedding party as the lyrics celebrate romantic attraction and the excitement of finding a new love. It was released on "Bad," the 1987 album. It was Jackson's third No 1 Billboard hit from the same album.
"In Your Eyes" – Peter Gabriel
This song appeared on rock musician Peter Gabriel's fifth album – "So" and reached the No 1 slot on US Billboard in September 1986. It is one of the romantic songs of all and its lyrics explores how spiritual and romantic love mix. Peter Gabriel was influenced by how the topic appears in the African songwriting tradition.
"Up Where We Belong" by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes
This beautiful love song appeared in the 1982 movie "An Officer and a Gentleman," and the lyrics describe how uplifting love can be and how it gives people strength to face life's difficulties – what better for a couple starting their new life together?
"Woman"- John Lennon
This single was released at the beginning of the decade and was written by Lennon for his wife, Yoko Ono, and as a tribute to all women. John Lennon described how he was inspired to write the song when one day he realized how much women do. The song mentions "The Other Half of the Sky," and this is a reference to the Chinese proverb that describes the importance of women in the world.
This is a great choice for all the ladies at your wedding.
"The Power Of Love– Jennifer Rush.
American singer-songwriter released this song in December 1984. She co-wrote the lyrics, which describe the strong force that love produces and how it gives a person resilience, strength, and emotional safety. There have since been a number of cover versions, with the most famous being that by Celine Dion in 1993, which saw the song back at No.
1 on the US Billboard.
"Endless Love" – Diana Ross and Lionel Ritchie
This song appears in every list of top love songs of all time! It was released by Motown Records in 1981 and featured in the movie of the same name. It reached the top US Billboard slot and stayed there for nine weeks.
It was later rereleased in a country style when Lionel Ritchie partnered with Shania Twain. Another Lionel Ritchie number that is well worth a mention because it is utterly romantic is "Say You, Say Me".
Well, choosing just ten '80s hits was certainly tough! Others that will definitely have your dance floor filled include "Woman in Love" by Barbra Streisand and Queen's " Crazy Little Thing Called Love". For the perfect final dance, what better than the great Stevie Wonder's " I Just Called To Say I Love You"……
