still the 80s

The 50 Best Modern Songs That Audio Similar the 1980s

Photo-Analogy: Maya Robinson/Vulture

All calendar week on Vulture, we're examining '80s popular culture, and how information technology lives on today.

Owing to an array of 1-hit wonders who overstuffed their tunes with synthesizers and went a little besides heavy on the Aqua Cyberspace, it's frequently easy to dismiss the music of the 1980s — and for a long time, many people did. Only then fans who grew upward secretly loving those songs stopped being embarrassed. Critics came effectually to laud the achievements of '80s artists they once dismissed. The cool kids appreciated the tracks without sarcasm. And a new crop of musicians, from pop stars to indie darlings, embraced those sounds, emulating them in the aforementioned way other artists repurposed the blues, classic '60s stone, and '70s punk.

There are countless tracks since 2010 (the fourth dimension frame we're using as our definition of "modernistic") that borrow from the '80s, and a great deal of them should be embarrassed past neither their sound nor its provenance. Here are the ones we consider to exist the 50 best, lovingly presented with respect and awe for that amazing, strange, and often groundbreaking era.

l. MUNA, "Winterbreak"
The women of MUNA try to get over great love lost on "Winterbreak." The track could hands be mistaken for Sade, with gorgeous harmonies and keyboards that baste like water out of a faucet. — Ilana Kaplan

49. Dum Dum Girls, "Lost Boys & Girls Order"
After years of making lo-fi, girl-group-inspired garage stone, Dum Dum Girls took on a darker vibe for their third total-length, 2014'due south Too True. "Lost Boys and Girls Lodge," the album's first unmarried, opens with a reverb-heavy guitar pattern reminiscent of the Smiths' "How Presently Is Now" before powering into gloomier Jesus and Mary Chain–Cure territory. What '80s goth wouldn't love putting on mascara to lyrics like "Your eyes are blackness ten's/Of hate and of hexes"? —Dan Reilly

48. Jessie Ware, "Tough Love"
It's not every day you come up across a song that oozes Prince and isn't besides an insult to his memory. "Tough Love," with its blatant vocals and classic Bobby Z. drum kicks (producer Benny Blanco's touch), hits all the purple notes. I pray Prince heard it at least once while he was still alive. The music aside, even Ware's vocalisation is brimful in that unmistakably emotive, acrobatic style of the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser. It's all so stunning. —Dee Lockett

47. Walk the Moon, "Shut Up and Dance"
The quartet'southward 2014 hit opens with a riff that'south almost an exact re-create of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Proper noun." You can get mad near that or, as the title suggests, go off your donkey and enjoy the moment. Singer Nick Petricca wrote the vocal after a night out at a club with his girlfriend, later on citing Pat Benatar, the Cars, and Rick Springfield equally influences. "The '80s and some of the '90s was a time when weird was celebrated," he later said. And you lot know what else won't be weird, shortly enough? Hearing this song blasted at a hymeneals with at least i dude playing air-keytar during the solos. —DR

46. Christine and the Queens, "Science Fiction"
At commencement listen, the rolling bass line and buoyant synthesizers on French alt-popular star Christine and the Queens' "Science Fiction" sound uncannily like Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean." Couple that with the fact that Christine (the moniker of singer Heloise Letissier) has a penchant for wearing menswear and doing a fair amount of stiff, hip-thrusting moves, and at surface level she could come off equally stridently worshiping the king of popular. Just dig a petty deeper and y'all'll realize that "Science Fiction," and Letissier's Christine and the Queens project as a whole, is most so much more than musical hero worship. Letisser's an artist whose songs tackle gender fluidity and feelings of being an outsider, and "Science Fiction" uses seductive finger snaps and an upbeat tempo to sneak in lyrics about feeling alienated while out in public with her partner: "In this bounding main of eyes, every move's a coup." Recall of it as throwback bilingual pop made for our gender-neutral future. —Samantha Rollins

45. Lucius, "Built-in Again Teen"
"Born Again Teen" is equally emotionally burdensome as information technology is holy, thank you to Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig's euphoric vocals. Catchy and captivating, "Built-in Again Teen" takes cues from '60s daughter-pop with its enticing melodies, just the pounding shell and scathing keys put it firmly in '80s territory. With the sharp, witty lyrics nigh organized religion and reliving your youth, endeavor non to imagine it in your favorite quondam-schoolhouse teen movie. We cartel you. —IK

44. Divine Fits, "For Your Heart"
Led by Spoon's Britt Daniel and Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner, this group's album was a striking with critics and fans, thanks to the surprisingly tight chemistry between the leaders. But credit is due to keyboardist Alex Fischel and drummer Sam Brown for anchoring 2012'southward A Thing Called Divine Fits, especially under Boeckner'southward vocals on this alternatingly tense and tender track. —DR

43. Classixx, "All You're Waiting For"
Similar Chromeo, Classixx seem to take fabricated it their mission to get as close to time travel equally possible. They breathe the '80s, and it'due south no more evident than on "All You lot're Waiting For." This is everything the once-thriving monoculture loved about Nile Rodgers–era Madonna, from the funk-infused groove to vocaliser Nancy Whang serving shades of Madge's signature spoken-sung vocals (think especially "Vacation"). –DL

42. Neon Indian, "The Glitzy Hive"
If it'south non credible from Alan Palomo's moniker and song titles, his Neon Indian project is not subtle: On "The Glitzy Hive," he unabashedly draws from a grab pocketbook of '80s influences, from popular and New Wave to Italo-disco and R&B. That Palomo's vocal melody recalls Prince is basically a foregone conclusion at this point — and while that could brand his music seem derivative, Neon Indian'south woozy concoction of inspirations is just so diverse, flashy, and fun that it could never be considered annihilation only original. —SR

41. Lady Gaga, "Perfect Illusion"
Gaga'due south "Perfect Illusion" is the electro essential from her latest album, Joanne. While the tape tends to be heavily rooted in country folk and roots stone, the LP's pb single could hands have appeared on 2008'southward The Fame, which skewed way more than toward electro-popular. Gaga's layered, vibrato-rich vocals are what requite this track shades of peak Pat Benatar and Center. —IK

xl. Arcade Fire, "Nosotros Be"
Nowadays, lawsuits get filed left and right for ripping off classics (and, more and more, artists are losing), and so it's surprising that Arcade Fire would too then brazenly lift the bass line from "Billie Jean." But, hey, if yous're gonna take chances it all, make it count. "Nosotros Exist" isn't full-on Michael, though. This is more like Win Butler channeling Morrissey going through a disco phase. —DL

39. Foals, "My Number"
With product from Flood (New Order, Ministry, Nick Cave, Depeche Manner, U2), it's no mystery why this funky electro kiss-off to both a relationship and metropolis living sounds similar it was written a few decades before its 2013 release. —DR

38. Tame Impala, "The Less I Know the Better"
For a man with 2 '60s-indebted psych-stone albums in his catalogue and a vocalization that bears an uncanny resemblance to John Lennon's, Tame Impala's Kevin Parker is no stranger to leveraging his talents to pay tribute to the past. The Aussie's third album, 2015's Currents, saw Tame Impala detect inspiration in a new decade, with Parker describing it as his effort to "convince a few die-hard rock fans that '80s synths can fit over a '70s drum trounce." "The Less I Know the Amend" uses that formula to smashing result, resulting in a track that deftly infuses its retro influences while managing to create something that transcends pastiche. —SR

37. La Roux, "Uptight Downtown"
Similar other artists on this list, Elly Jackson is barely an '80s babe, and yet the decade has had a lasting impact on her work, particularly on 2014's Trouble in Paradise. To wit: "Uptight Downtown" is equal parts Bowie's "Let's Dance" and the best of Duran Duran. Like so many songs of the '80s, it masks the song's lyrics about political unrest (she wrote it virtually the 2011 London riots) with a danceable groove, and so it keeps light on its anxiety like y'all would be, besides, if you lot heard this in the society. —DL

36. Brandon Flowers, "Lonely Town"
Let's not pretend similar the Killers weren't (aren't?) ane large '80s tribute act — not to any 1 ring in particular, but to the whole era. That's their schtick, and they wear it well. Merely when forepart human Brandon Flowers went solo, he really ran away with it. "Lone Boondocks" is exactly the sort of vocal Iona would've played at her record store in Pretty in Pink. Fifty-fifty the video screams John Hughes: a immature woman dancing at habitation all alone, just her and her Walkman. The damn song even makes reference to a Gravitron. It's a nostalgia-baiting synth-stone haven. —DL

35. Miranda Lambert, "Priscilla"
Country superstar Miranda Lambert tackles big ballads, porch-forepart folk jams, and rockers alike with the same Texas charm. "Priscilla," off her last album Platinum, wraps her vocals in audio-visual guitars and drums that trip the light fantastic toe around the archetype Bo Diddley shell, sounding for all the world like George Michael's "Faith" until the chords change midway through each verse. —Craig Jenkins

34. Chance the Rapper, "All Night"
When we talk about '80s music, too oftentimes Chicago house gets overlooked. But not now, not hither, and especially non when it'due south reemerged in such a major manner and being championed by the city'due south newest generation. Chance comes from Chicago, and even though he'southward just 23, he isn't ignorant of his metropolis's rich musical history. "All Nighttime" is his biggest nod to the genre yet, with terrific production by young business firm aficionado Kaytranada. Many Run a risk songs feel and sound like unbridled joy, and this one'due south a smash from start to finish. Frankie Knuckles would be proud. —DL

33. Justin Timberlake, "Pusher Love Girl"
After Prince died in Apr 2016, Justin Timberlake said, "He'south somewhere within every song I've ever written." Nowhere is that more credible than in this Timbaland-assisted cutting from 2013's The twenty/20 Feel, where JT gets intoxicated and funky over a particular lady. In the terminate, he really contradicts himself, proving that, as the Purple One in one case said with a pinch or two of shade, "sexy never left." —DR

32. Charli XCX, "London Queen"
Charli XCX was making records for years earlier screaming into America on the hook of Icona Pop's "I Love It," and on her ensuing smash hitting Sucker, she was at her absolute pop-punk best. "London Queen" peculiarly shines, and sounds like it was pulled from the "Going Surreptitious" era of the Jam. —Jordan Crucchiola

31. The 1975, "Somebody Else"
Their proper name might be the 1975, but this band's latest anthology is zip just '80s, babe. "Somebody Else" has all the sexual tension, slow-burning sensuality, and suspense of a vocal like Tangerine Dream's "Honey on a Dream," but also the command of a Tears for Fears fever dream. To (sort of) infringe from this album'south long-winded title, the song is and then cute yet only a petty self-enlightened of it. –DL

xxx. Vince Staples, "Blue Suede"
On this 2014 rail, the Long Beach rapper utilizes an unsettling Bernard Herrmann–like riff and a bulky bass-and-drums shell to underscore a tale of Long Beach life. Echoing N.Westward.A, Staples raps virtually the duality of life in the hood — one side projects a masculine identity of a fellow who likes parties and the ladies, the other despairing over how growing up amid poverty and gangs likely leads to a "young grave." The cease features a hell of a hook, with Vince repeating that all he wanted out of life was a detail pair of Jordans, the tragedy of being born into a world where the highest hope for a kid is to own some sneakers and survive a little longer than expected. —DL

29. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, "Stranger Things"
It didn't crave much to prove that Netflix's Stranger Things was, above all, a honey letter to the '80s — you felt it in the clothes, the cultural references, its Goonies and Due east.T. lineage — but having a theme song drive that bespeak home felt like the necessary bow to tie it all together. Who ameliorate for the job than Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the '80s-indebted S U R Five I V E? The band is modern, merely you lot'd be forgiven for mistaking their electronica style for that of Depeche Mode or Pet Store Boys, sans lyrics. Dixon and Stein'due south Stranger Things theme song may be brief (though there'south an extended version!), but it'south got a long heartbeat echoing back to precisely 3 decades agone. Information technology'southward no wonder every listen feels like stepping through the aforementioned portal to the Upside Down, but straight into the '80s-laden world the bear witness then authentically re-creates. Both volumes of the soundtrack are the perfect homage to the sounds of that era. —DL

28. Danny Brownish, "Fields"
In many ways, Detroit has been a place where the '80s never ended. The decade'due south factory closures devastated the Motor Metropolis, and the ensuing unemployment and crime struck and then harshly that it has yet to recover. As a acceleration from that crumbling world, delivered past an artist intimately fastened to it, Danny Brown's "Fields" harks dorsum to the social commentary pioneered 30 years ago by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five in "The Message." The older vocal's refrain ("Don't push me 'cause I'g shut to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head") is a motto that could easily apply to the younger artist's entire catalogue. —Frank Guan

27. Daft Punk, "Instant Trounce ft. Julian Casablancas"
The robotic DJ duo said they were inspired heavily on Random Access Memories by the late '70s and early on '80s sounds of Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder, both of whom contributed to this 2013 album. The addition of Julian Casablancas, whose solo LP Phrazes for the Young was its own kind of '80s tribute, brought new and old together for this kicking trip the light fantastic toe jam. —JC

26. Chromeo, "Night by Dark"
In many ways, electro-funk is a totally gimmicky fusion of styles, fabricated possible largely because of advances in the mechanism that births electronic music and our collective cultural longing for the music that predated so many of us. (Vocoders have come a long way, trust.) It's a type of retro-futurism that isn't so divorced from the style it borrows from that you can't pick up the references. Chromeo could be Cameo, just on designer drugs and with a lot fewer members. But what the duo of David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel really excel at is replicating '80s freestyle dance music with a funky twist. "Nighttime by Night" really isn't and so different from a song like Shannon's "Let the Music Play" — the aim is to shrug off beloved'due south frustrations, dance your face off, and never, always stop moving. —DL

25. Bleachers, "I Wanna Get Better"
Vince Clarke of Depeche Mode, Yaz, and Erasure helped Jack Antonoff produce Strange Desire, the 2014 debut anthology of his band Bleachers, so it's no wonder the songs take, in the front homo's own words, "an '80s John Hughes movie feel," with "I Wanna Become Better" being the flagship track of Antonoff's jubilant, neon-soaked manifesto. —JC

24. Chris Stapleton, "Nobody to Blame"
Chris Stapleton is a curious presence in state radio — his music owes equally much to back-to-basics '80s crooners and left-of-the-dial roots rockers every bit anything in the contemporary landscape. "Nobody to Blame" displays the nimble balance; the production is total of tense, mood-setting flourishes that call dorsum to the generation of new traditionalists Stapleton likely grew up on, but somehow all of the songs' overwhelming sense of pain and regret comes from the song. —CJ

23. Grimes, "Oblivion"
The John Carpenter–like opening synth riff sets upwards Claire Boucher's 2012 single, just her gorgeously frail singing somehow alleviates the sense of dread. But that all returns when you pay attention to the lyrics, specially the "run across y'all on a dark night" refrain, and learn that the vocal is about her sexual set on. To the Montreal singer-songwriter-producer's credit, it's simultaneously dark, bubbly, and catchy as all get out. —DR

22. Haim, "Falling"
The first fourth dimension I heard Haim's "Falling," I was annoyed. Not because it's bad, but because I couldn't believe that this song, which was then clearly an old '80s striking I must have heard somewhere before, had mistakenly turned upwardly in rotation on this satellite radio station that was supposed to be playing the newest tracks of the week. I've since made my peace with the fact that Haim oft audio of another era, because their songs are just too catchy for me to hold a grudge. Mostly, I can't fault middle sis Danielle for nailing those breathy, staccato vocals. —SR

21. Drake, "Hold On, We're Going Home"
While Drake made a name for himself channeling '90s R&B à la Kanye's 808s & Heartbreak, the biggest hit off the Toronto rapper'due south tertiary anthology Nothing Was the Same harks dorsum to '80s R&B with no filter at all. With its relaxing rhythm, smooth melodies, and utterly moving lyrics, the rail leaves the status-anxious infinite Drake typically inhabits and settles into a charmed and charming world where the dearest between two people is all that counts. —FG

20. Kavinsky, "Nightcall"
If you listen to the Bulldoze soundtrack's "Nightcall" with your eyes closed and concentrate real hard, y'all tin can supersede Ryan Gosling'due south Driver with Kurt Russell's Snake Plissken every bit he trawls through the streets of Manhattan in Escape From New York. Kavinsky uncannily revived the audio of John Carpenter on the soundtrack — icy, hot pinkish, and breaking under the weight of its own heavy synth. —JC

19. Sleigh Bells, "Infinity Guitars"
The parallels between Sleigh Bells and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts are as striking as their music: The punk-influenced rock outfits both pair crunching riffs with badass vocalists as they blur the distinction between raw and refined. "Infinity Guitars" is a percussive behemoth where the titular objects are serrated with distortion, then framed by an obliterating bass drum, manus claps, and what audio similar actual sleigh bells that build to an atomic climax. It's a perfect successor to Joan's greatest hits. —FG

18. The War on Drugs, "Ruddy Eyes"
Front end man Adam Granduciel echoes the likes of Mark Knopfler and Born in the U.S.A.–era Springsteen on this washed-out highlight from the Philly band's 2014 LP, Lost in the Dream. But really, this song's DNA probably has the about straight connectedness to the Grateful Dead's 1987 vocal "Touch of Grayness," which the State of war on Drugs just so happened to cover as the atomic number 82 runway of the National'southward charity compilation Twenty-four hour period of the Expressionless. —DR

17. Kanye West, "Fade"
Were nosotros to include songs from pre-2010, we'd requite high praise to Kanye's greatest '80s moment to date, 808s & Heartbreaks, but that's not where his callbacks began and concluded. "Fade," much like Chance's "All Night," serves equally Kanye's own take on Chicago house, reaching deep into his vault of reference points to sample the legendary Mr. Fingers' "Mystery of Honey" from 1985. Further proof that this is Kanye'southward ode to the '80s: Its video stars Teyana Taylor in what is essentially a mini Flashdance remake. Demand nosotros say more? —DL

16. CHVRCHES, "The Mother We Share"
The Glasgow trio'southward kickoff official single is carried by the ethereal pb vocals of Lauren Mayberry, but the instrumental work of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty give "The Mother We Share" an added emotional uppercut. In curt, it's Depeche Manner that'southward fashion heavier on the low end and fronted by the lead soprano of a divine choir. —DR

15. Beyoncé, "Schoolin' Life"
It'due south i of the neat pop crimes of the decade that Beyoncé's sleek, clever "Schoolin Life" ended up a B-side on the deluxe edition of her 4 album and not a proper single. It's one of co-author and producer The-Dream'due south great Prince homages (run into likewise: "Fast Motorcar" and "Yamaha"), full of howling guitars, gleefully alien synths, and busy drum programming. The lyrical conceit — that there isn't a unmarried decade where life ceases to be astonishing — is warm and funny, and information technology'due south worth your time off the force of the hilariously enunciated "motherfucker" in verse one alone. —CJ

14. Mark Ronson, "Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars"
The definition of a great party song, one you lot'd envision in the opening credits of a motion picture, thanks to the large-band appeal. Bruno Mars's powerful vocals fuel the funk-filled pop jam, and the song speaks to influences from both the '70s and '80s, specially the "Minneapolis Sound" of Prince and the Fourth dimension. Like their greatest tracks, "Uptown" has a vibe that's both vintage and futuristic. —IK

xiii. Taylor Swift, "New Romantics"
Taylor shocked fans and skeptics alike by releasing her first full-on popular album, 1989, in 2014. "New Romantics" is one of the faster-paced tracks on the record, featuring her precipitous-tongued lyrics about romantic outcasts, à la The Breakfast Club. Originally intended as a bonus track, information technology became the LP'due south seventh and final single, and deserves even more than attending than it got. —IK

12. Killer Mike, "Big Beast"
The starting time rails on Killer Mike's R.A.P. Music heralds the showtime of a beautiful friendship. Produced past El-P, "Big Brute," with its eerie, brutally straight force, marks the first collaboration between Mike and El that would culminate in the formation of Run the Jewels. Just the vocal looks to the past besides. With a powerful, agile vocalisation and lyrics focused, sometimes hilariously, on political themes, Mike had long garnered comparisons to Ice Cube. Backed past El-P's retro-futurist production (itself reminiscent of the Flop Squad instrumentals Cube rapped over at his summit), the similarity isn't just remarkable — it's undeniable. —FG

xi. Future Islands, "Seasons (Waiting on You)"
This electro-popular group had the musical equivalent of a debutante brawl on a taping of Letterman in 2014, largely cheers to vocalizer Samuel T. Herring. His sweetly exaggerated dance moves and vocals that veer betwixt Tom Jones and Tom Waits just enhanced how damn neat this song is, and why information technology topped the twelvemonth-finish singles polls of Pazz & Jop, Pitchfork, Spin, Outcome of Sound, and NME. —DR

x. The Weeknd, "In the Night"
Abel Tesfaye wasn't live in the '80s, merely why permit that minor detail stop him from imagining himself there? The Weeknd didn't get-go out wanting to await to the by, but when he shifted to 2015'south Beauty Behind the Madness, he did so with the expressed intent of making himself a pop star. Though he never said which kind of star he strove to exist, later on ane play of "In the Night," you lot know it'south Michael Jackson. The track, as peradventure a court volition someday argue, re-creates the vibe of "The Way You Brand Me Experience" in such a mode that he even alters the peak of his vocal range to mirror Jackson'due south. It's uncanny and highly effective. As far as MJ knockoffs go, there's non much hither to be mad at. —DL

9. Tegan and Sara, "Closer"
The Quin twins were already favorites among rock fans thank you to acclaimed albums similar And then Jealous and The Con, where they experimented with a alloy of indie popular, punk, and folk. But later turning 30, Tegan and Sara decided to pursue larger success and move in a more than mainstream pop direction. "Closer," the first unmarried from their 2013 album Heartthrob, leans heavily on the throwback sounds of the sisters' childhood, a Cyndi Lauper–like trip the light fantastic toe-floor jam about immature love. It was a crossover moment for the duo, winning the Juno for Single of the Year, appearing on Glee, topping the Billboard chart for Hot Dance Club Songs, and leading to a cameo performance with Taylor Swift during her Red tour. —DR

8. Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend"
It's hard to believe Robyn is even of the mod era; everything about her just feels so reminiscent of '80s Europop. Her whole artful is throwback, even when information technology feels ahead of its time. "Call Your Girlfriend" is glossy and unpredictable (that glitchy electro breakdown toward the end just kills), a massive pop anthem that'll make you wonder how dissimilar things might've turned out had Cyndi Lauper also hailed from Sweden. —DL

7. Bon Iver, "Beth/Rest"
This vocal, with its melancholic saxophones and glowing keyboard tones, is so steeped in the '80s that it sounds like Lionel Richie meant to put it on Dancing on the Ceiling, just the demo record slipped betwixt the seats and didn't turn up over again until Justin Vernon properly recorded it for his second Bon Iver album. –JC

half-dozen. Sky Ferreira, "Everything Is Embarrassing"
"Everything Is Embarrassing" is straight out of a prom scene. The track is trip the light fantastic popular at its finest, and Ferreira couples the anthemic, glossy grunge with sensual, desperate lyrics. Information technology'southward the standout from her 2012 Ghost EP, bolstered past its Joan Jett–like swagger, just with more keyboards instead of guitars. —IK

5. Kendrick Lamar, "Rex Kunta"
"King Kunta" screams neo-soul and funk right out of the gate, while paying homage to '90s hip-hop stalwarts like Dr. Dre, Tupac, and Ice Cube. It'south a pure gangsta-rap political party that makes you want to join in and dance, even if the grooves portend a darker mood. The militantly tight instrumentation takes cues from '70s James Brown, simply the about obvious '80s callback comes when Kendrick lifts "Annie, are you okay?" from MJ'southward "Smooth Criminal." — IK

4. Carly Rae Jepsen, "Run Away With Me"
From the moment "Run Away With Me" blares its faux-saxophone notes to signal the opening of Carly Rae's roundly praised 2015 album, Emotion, it's clear this is a record that borrows heavily from the decade all-time known for twinkling synth sounds and booming drums. For Jepsen, the trip back in time works. Every bit an creative person whose first megahit was pure bubblegum pop ("Call Me Maybe"), this infusion of '80s musical tropes is the perfect complement to her propensity for teetering on the line between the irresistibly catchy and the outright cheesy. With an '80s flair — hither provided by a beat from Swedish super-producer Shellback — CRJ'southward unabashedly sincere proclamations and anthemic choruses are injected with throwback cool. —SR

3. Claret Orange, "You're Not Good Enough"
Alongside girlfriend Samantha Urbani, Blood Orange's Dev Hynes does his best Prince on "Y'all're Not Skilful Enough." The Cupid Deluxe jam features funky R&B melodies and lyrics that are directly-up vindictive: "I never was in dear / You know that you were never adept enough." There'south a lack of sensitivity that runs throughout the track, but information technology's Hynes'south ability to aqueduct the Royal One that makes the song stand out. —IK

ii. Rihanna, "Kiss It Better"
Guitar on a Big Pop song? In 2016? Oh yeah, "Kiss It Better" only screams '80s throwback. Rihanna took plenty of risks on her new album, Anti, with one of the greatest being this attempt at an onetime-school rock-and-curl ability ballad. It's her combo of "The Beautiful Ones" and "Don't Finish Believin'" or a sexy siren Tina Turner singing alongside Slash, with some not-so-subtle innuendo. In v years, it'll be karaoke gold. But watch. —DL

1. M83, "Midnight City"
"Midnight City" put French electronic grouping M83 on the map. Throughout the iv-infinitesimal Hurry Upwards, We're Dreaming track, Anthony Gonzalez'due south vocals soar hazily into the ether and the master riff sparks similar a neon laser beam. Then, but when you retrieve you've heard it all, in comes the saxophone solo from James King of Fitz and the Tantrums that transports you 25 years back in time. As Gonzalez told The Guardian, "Sometimes a song needs an element to be finished. You know that this chemical element has been overused in the past and is considered cliched or cheesy, but the vocal needs information technology." Thus, information technology'southward the prototype of '80s music. —IK

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