Christmas 2020 has come and gone and with it the release of Wonder Woman 1984 on HBOMax. Many of us wrapped ourselves in our weighted blankets, forced our cats and dogs to snuggle, and prepared ourselves for a wave of feel-good nostalgia of both the eighties and our undying love of Diana Prince. And despite how you might feel about the movie overall, it definitely gave us a hint of that candy colored, synth-tastic, hair sprayed world and it left us wanting more!
So if you want to keep 1984 alive in your hearts and ears, here is a list of some of 84’s greatest hits! Put on your tights, hike up your high-cut thong leotard, strap on your sweat band and lets pump the jams! And if your favorite 1984 hit isn’t on the list, please share it in the comments so we can create the most epic, specifically 1984 playlist of all time!
1. “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” – Wham!
Obviously we have to start out with the obnoxiously upbeat and poppy hit from Wham! George Michael’s smooth yet perky crooning, the almost ominously low mutterings of “jitterbug” make it a toe-tapping treat. You can just imagine Max Lord listening to it obsessively as he pumps himself up to go con more investors into buying shares of Black Gold.
2. “When Doves Cry” – Prince
Prince’s iconic movie musical “Purple Rain” came out in July of 1984 and while I think every song from that film (and album!) is a solid gold hit, “When Doves Cry” feels like the perfect angsty bop for Diana Prince as she reminisces about her doomed romance with Steve Trevor. He did, after all, “leave her standing, alone in a world that’s so cold.”
3. “What’s Love Got To Do With It” – Tina Turner
“What’s Love Got To Do With It” is the perfect song for when you want to dig into the vibes of Barbara Minerva and Max Lord’s escalating flirtations. Opposites attract! It’s physical! It’s about a woman trying to project a tough exterior in order to protect her fragile heart! Plus Tina’s mane makes her a ferocious lioness!
4. “Jump” – Van Halen
It’s all in the name. “Jump” is dying to be used in an action sequence. And let’s be real, Diana does A LOT of jumping and slow, graceful landing in this movie. Especially after she learns to fly!
5. “I Just Called To Say I Love You” – Stevie Wonder
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiRj5m63oig
Craving a song to slow dance to as you imagine yourself in Diana and Steve’s shoes as they slow dance right after reuniting at the gala? Then Stevie Wonder has the sappy slow jam for you! Leave your irony at the door because this is the eighties, you can grab it again when the year is 1990.
6. “Let’s Hear It For The Boy” – Deniece Williams
Another jam for you WonderTrev stans! Deniece Williams has the perfect song for Steve’s makeover montage. When she sings “And maybe he don’t dress fine, but I really don’t mind” just picture Steve’s love of fanny packs and enjoy.
7. “Radio Ga Ga” – Queen
What song could capture the vibe of Max Lord, powered by the Dreamstone, taking over the top secret government satellite to broadcast his wish granting all across the globe more than Queen’s “Radio Ga Ga?” He has the time and he has the power! And Diana has yet to reach her finest hour ok?
8. “Eighties” – Killing Joke
You can’t talk about the eighties without mentioning the tense ever-present fear of nuclear annihilation brought on by the Cold War. This, spurred on by Max Lord, is the real threat at the heart of Wonder Woman 1984, as both the United States and the USSR wish for more nukes and prepare to launch them. Killing Joke taps into the darkness brewing under the neon-candy surface of the 1980s with this scathing song. Fun fact: They later sued Nirvana for ripping them off with “Smells Like Teen Spirit!”
9. “The Glamorous Life” – Sheila E.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeJLZi0uyJw
If there was ever going to be a song from 1984 made for Barbara Minerva it is Sheila E’s “The Glamorous Life.” Minerva is desperate for power, confidence and fabulous clothing. All the things she thinks Diana has and that she herself lacks. She doesn’t think she needs love or human connection when she has her fur coat and the ability to kick a man to death for harassing her on the street!
10. “Do They Know It’s Christmas” – Band Aid
And finally, you can’t have a 1984 Christmas without the celebrity filled, condescending, and cringe-inducing collaboration of Band Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas!” Or I suppose, you could watch Gal Gadot’s equally misguided 2020 edition in which she gathered various celebrities together to warble along to John Lennon’s “Imagine.” It’s no longer 1984 but some things never change!
(Photo: Warner Bros. )
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