From arena anthems to soul-stirring ballads, some 80s classics truly transcend their studio recordings when performed live. Join us as we count down the most electrifying 80s songs that reach new heights in concert! Experience how these iconic tracks are transformed through raw energy, audience participation, and the magnetic stage presence of legendary performers.
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00:00Are we here? Radio Gaga!
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo!
00:06And today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic 80's anthems that are best experienced in concert.
00:13These ambitiously composed classics are elevated to a whole new level when sung live,
00:19thanks to the artist's extraordinary stage presence and impeccable audience interaction.
00:2510. What's Love Got To Do With It?
00:36Tina Turner
00:37The queen of rock and roll knows how to enchant an audience.
00:49The studio version of her hit record, What's Love Got To Do With It? is technical perfection.
00:54However, the crooner singing it live is an electrifying vision to behold. You can almost see the energy coursing through her veins as she breathes life into the lyrics.
01:05The sheer power of her unrestrained, raspy vocals is amplified too.
01:10Yeah, what's Love Got To Do With It?
01:15The best part is how Tina absorbs the crowd's verve and sends it back to them, transforming the arena into a magical space for the celebration of music.
01:25She does it all with the most disarming smile, like the legend she was.
01:38Number 9. Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel
01:41The groundbreaking music video for this song may be award-winning, but the live version takes the cake when it comes to eliciting a visceral reaction in place of the eccentric animation.
02:00We get Peter Gabriel irreverently acting out his cheeky lyrical innuendos.
02:06You could have a bum to come, bum think
02:11This amusement never ends
02:15His effortless onstage vocals radiate a raw, untamed power that isn't quite the same as the polish of the official record.
02:24They're even better.
02:25The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's chemistry with his band members, who ride his inimitable vibe to their utmost pleasure, makes the show even more enjoyable.
02:35Number 8. Born in the USA, Bruce Springsteen
02:44In this song, the boss lays bare the stark reality of war veterans in the land of the free.
02:50The official recording will have you believe it's a triumphant anthem of hope.
02:55Born down in a dead man's town
02:58The first kicker took us when I hit the ground
03:02However, the live rendition makes no pretense about the truth.
03:07The defiant wrath, frustration, and pain of the lyrics, which paint a bleak image of a Vietnam veteran's life, become evident in Springsteen's performance.
03:21The resounding, albeit ironic, chorus is most often voiced by the audience, while Bruce focuses on pouring his conviction into the verses.
03:31Then, the E Street Band takes the song to a roaring climax, with their final instrumental break.
03:39One, two, three!
03:49Only the emotional gravity of a live performance of The River could compare to the impact of this song.
03:55I come from down in the valley
04:00Where best do when you're young
04:04Number 7. Pour Some Sugar On Me, Def Leppard
04:07Everything about this song represents the epitome of 80s arena rock.
04:21As the genre suggests, it reaches its highest degree of perfection when performed live.
04:27And Def Leppard doesn't disappoint.
04:29The stage setting is ideal for the exhilarating, adrenaline-fueled chants of the track, and the echo of fans singing along adds to its surging energy.
04:39By the time the chorus rolls around, you're already in a trance, head-banging your way to rock heaven.
04:55Besides, the album Hysteria, of which this song is a part, marked Rick Allen's glorious return to drumming since the 1984 accident that claimed his arm.
05:05That alone makes any live performance of this song extra special.
05:16Number 6. Walk This Way
05:18Run DMC, Featuring Aerosmith
05:21One, two, three, four!
05:23This collaboration between the greats is one for the music history books.
05:33When hip-hop collective Run DMC joined forces with rock titan Aerosmith, worlds collided.
05:39Their winning formula of combining the two genres broke new ground, but no one could have imagined it would work so well.
05:46Both acts, separately, are known for their magnanimous presence, so it wouldn't have been surprising if such big personalities clashed on stage.
06:02Fortunately, their creative coalescence was seamless and brought us some of the best live performances of all time.
06:09It also gave Aerosmith a much-needed second wind, while Run DMC broke into the mainstream.
06:15Now that's what we call a win-win.
06:17Walk This Way
06:19Talk This Way
06:21Talk This Way
06:22Number 5.
06:23Radio Gaga
06:24Queen
06:25It only seems right that a song that wants its listeners to hone in on the sonic pleasures it has to offer, as opposed to the visuals, would be more popular live.
06:44Queen's ode to the radio age is musical tour de force.
06:48It has the addictive, synth-heavy rhythms of pop rock and the band's signature theatricality.
06:53Radio, someone still loves you, yeah.
07:03Freddie Mercury's grand showmanship is on full display during live performances of The Number,
07:08as he commands his audience with unrivaled charm.
07:12When thousands of fans clapped to his beat for the chorus at the band's 1985 Live Aid performance,
07:18history was created, and it will live on forever.
07:21All we hear is Radio Gaga, Radio Goo Goo, Radio Gaga.
07:29Number 4.
07:30Billie Jean
07:31Michael Jackson
07:32She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene.
07:36I said, don't mind, but what do you mean?
07:39I am the one.
07:41The King of Pop has some of the most cinematic and visually stunning music videos in his discography.
07:47However, his live performances were what solidified his status as the best of the best.
07:53After all, who can forget the dramatics of Beat It that dominated live shows in the 80s?
07:59However, it is another smash hit that defined the decade.
08:03Billie Jean in concert is an artistic freak like no other.
08:13One minute, he's giving us pitch-perfect vocals with the most brilliant flourishes that you
08:18won't find on the CDs.
08:20And the next, he's hitting the smoothest moonwalk.
08:23On stage, MJ tapped into the infinite potential of the song, entertaining his audience like
08:30only he can.
08:31There will never be another Michael Jackson.
08:34People are not an army.
08:35Be careful what you do.
08:37Don't go around breaking young girls' hearts.
08:40Number 3.
08:41Where the streets have no name.
08:43U2
08:44The edge was in his bag when he came up with the grand composition of this song.
08:56In his own words, it was born out of a desire to create, quote, the ultimate U2 live song.
09:02Safe to say, he succeeded.
09:04The intricate structure and complex arrangement, particularly the sophisticated chord progressions,
09:10come alive on stage.
09:11Where the streets have no name.
09:15Where the streets have no name.
09:19Even drummer Larry Mullen Jr. admitted that the song gets its epic proportion from being
09:24played live.
09:25Indeed, the unifying quality of the track manifests itself in how the crowd comes together to sing
09:31along with Bono, creating a transcendent experience.
09:35No studio version could compare with that intensity.
09:38Where the streets have no name.
09:42Where the streets have no name.
09:45Number 2.
09:46Livin' on a Prayer.
09:48Bon Jovi
09:49Tommy used to work on the docks.
09:53Union's been on track.
09:55A live performance of this song is as close to real magic as we're ever going to get.
10:01Bon Jovi's exultant tribute to the common man boasts extraordinary energy that feeds off
10:06a fan's vigor and grows by the second.
10:09Jon Bon Jovi sings like there's no tomorrow.
10:12And he does it for every show.
10:14Meanwhile, Richie Sambora's TalkBox segments add the perfect amount of innovative edge.
10:19That said, what makes this song so special in concert is the rousing participation of fans,
10:33highlighting the unbreakable connection Bon Jovi has with them.
10:37The resonance is also evident in live versions of You Give Love a Bad Name, which only goes
10:42to show how consistently impactful the band is on stage.
10:47Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:59Don't Stop Believin', Journey.
11:01The powerful optimism of this track is eternal.
11:04Everybody wants to rule the world.
11:14Tears for fears.
11:15The universal message comes across stronger than ever in the band's live performances.
11:21In the air tonight, Phil Collins.
11:33Heartbreak is palpable in Phil's live vocals.
11:36Well, I was there and I saw what you did.
11:41Saw it with my own two eyes.
11:45Jump Van Halen.
11:46If you're going to party to this, the concert version is the only right choice.
11:58Every breath you take.
12:00The police.
12:01You almost forget it's about stalking when you're captivated by the group's mastery
12:05lives.
12:291.
12:30Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution.
12:41If we had a time machine, we'd use it to witness his royal badness perform this song
12:46one last time.
12:48Live renditions of Purple Rain, complete with the emotionally charged guitar solos and tender,
12:53anguished vocals are angelic to say the least.
13:00So when it poured during his performance of the song at Super Bowl 41, it felt like a sign
13:05from the heavens that fans were in the presence of ultimate greatness.
13:10Prince boasts unparalleled magnetism and gravitas as he spontaneously bursts into melismatic ad-libs
13:18and shreds his guitar like a god.
13:28In contrast, acts like Let's Go Crazy allow him to let loose as listeners give in to his
13:33groove.
13:34Studio versions will never hold a candle to Prince's raw excellence live.
13:39Which 80s concerts make you wish you were in the crowd?
13:50Tell us in the comments down below.
13:52Did you enjoy this video?
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