‘Music For The Dancers’ N°317 – Vintage 80s Music Videos

1 . Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock – Get On The Dance Floor

Dropping in 1988 as part of the album *It Takes Two*, “Get on the Dance Floor” by Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock arrives as a pulsating time capsule of late-’80s hip-hop exuberance. For a brief yet decadent window in pop history, this track managed to rule club charts, peaking at No. 1 on the US Dance Club Songs chart, while creeping into solid spots on the R&B and UK territories. Why? Because it’s precisely the kind of cut that practically drags you out of your chair and into rhythmic surrender.

Built upon thick layers of borrowed brilliance, the backbone of this track shamelessly samples The Jacksons’ “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” and Black Riot’s “A Day in the Life.” This strategic cut-and-paste arrangement delivers instant familiarity, a sly nod to its predecessors, and a sweaty invitation to keep moving. It’s the kind of looping, hypnotic energy that mimics a strobe light in auditory form—relentless and impossible to ignore.

The personalities behind the song, childhood buddies Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, struck gold with their dynamic chemistry. Born on the same day and hailing from Harlem, their camaraderie bled into the energetic punch of their music. Yet, their partnership feels bittersweet—the duo parted ways shortly after climbing the charts. In retrospect, this fleeting collaboration feels like a metaphor for the ephemeral, fleeting nature of pop ascensions in the late 20th century.

Its parent album *It Takes Two* serves as the last significant peak for the artists post-split, a moment in time encapsulating New York’s then-dominant hip-hop scene. While the track leans heavily on its sample components, its unapologetic blend of charm, brashness, and hyperactive beats remains an anchor for aerobics classes or house parties stuck in ’88. You’re welcome—or sorry—for the guaranteed earworm that comes after pressing play.

Featured on the 1988 album “It Takes Two”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

2 . Kid ‘N Play – 2 Hype

Kid ‘N Play’s “2 Hype” is a jubilant snapshot of late ’80s hip-hop, a time when the genre was stretching its legs and learning to have a good time while doing it.

Released in 1988, this debut album took its energetic charm straight to the charts, climbing modestly to #96 on the US Billboard 200 but making a stronger impact on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, peaking at #9.

Produced by Hurby “Luv Bug” Azor, the upbeat grooves are soaked in the upbeat optimism of the era, perfectly suited for Kid’s high-top fade and Play’s eight-ball jackets.

The album’s titular track, “2 Hype,” along with “Rollin’ with Kid ‘n Play,” embodies the duo’s knack for balancing playful lyricism with infectious beats.

“Rollin’ with Kid ‘n Play” later snagged the #63 spot on VH1’s “100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop,” a nod to its enduring cheeky appeal more than 20 years after its release.

And let’s not forget the dance – the iconic Kick Step became as recognizable as the beats, a kinetic reminder of a time when choreography was as important as the music itself.

The inclusion of guest appearances, like The Real Roxanne in “Undercover,” adds an additional layer of flair, underscoring collaborations that welcomed diversity in musical styles during the period.

While some listeners might dismiss the album as light fare compared to the politically charged rap of its contemporaries, there’s something refreshing about its unapologetic celebration of fun.

If anything, “2 Hype” is a time capsule, preserving and amplifying a moment when hip-hop was thriving on sheer exuberance rather than the burdens of over-introspection.

Featured on the 1988 album “2 Hype”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

3 . Imagination – Changes

Released in November 1982 in the UK and creeping into the US market the following year, “Changes” by Imagination is an undeniably slick piece of early-’80s groove engineering.

Produced by Steve Jolley and Tony Swain, the heavyweights behind much of the British boogie revival, the track wears its electronic, funk, and pop livery proudly, delivering a sound that feels as polished as it does calculated.

With a theme built around transformation and reinvention, the song’s lyrics may toy with profundity, but the real magic happens in the layering of the production.

The basslines slink with a kind of restrained swagger, the synths shimmer with a decadent sheen, and the vocals carry just enough emotional heft to stop the whole enterprise from tipping into excess.

The Larry Levan 12” “USA Megamix” takes this further, stretching out the energy and injecting a rawer club edge, yet the core remains the same—catchy but calculated.

Charting at a modest #31 on the UK Singles Chart and showing less impact on the US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (#46), the track’s commercial performance doesn’t quite match its ambition, though its inclusion in club playlists underscores its appeal to a specific niche.

The instrumental remix on the “Night Dubbing” album showcases the robustness of the arrangement, but it also highlights a curious contradiction: this is music designed to explore change yet remains almost too perfect to feel genuinely transformative.

As the eighth single in their discography, “Changes” reflects a band confident in their formula but nearing the edge of sonic predictability, toeing the line between artistry and assembly line precision.

Featured on the 1982 album “In the Heat of the Night”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

4 . The Police – De Do Do Do De Da Da Da

The Police’s “De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da” arrives like an oxymoronic anthem: part profound critique, part nonsense ditty, wrapped in a shiny New Wave bow.

Released in 1980 as part of *Zenyatta Mondatta*, it straddles cultural lines, landing at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart and breaking The Police into the US mainstream with their first top 10 hit, peaking at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Its title, pulled from Sting’s son’s playful vocabulary, mirrors the song’s larger thesis—the power and inherent absurdity of language itself.

The band grapples with language’s manipulative potential, yet their critique is smuggled under an infectious melody that could charm a brick wall.

In classic Police fashion, the rock and New Wave fusion carries the weight of the lyrics with uncanny accessibility.

The music video, shot amid the picturesque mountains of Canada, lands somewhere between visually stunning and vaguely absurd, much like the song itself.

An international flair colors its trajectory, with Spanish and Japanese versions launched in 1981, before a re-recorded version found new life in 1986.

Though its lyrics wrestle with the complexity of simplicity, the song’s catchiness ensures you’ll be humming incomprehensible syllables long after the deeper critique fades.

Featured on the 1980 album “Zenyatta Mondatta“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

5 . Positive Force – We Got The Funk

Positive Force’s “We Got The Funk” sashays into the late ‘70s with a swagger that’s proudly unpolished and unapologetically bold.

Released in 1979 on Sugarhill Records, it feels somewhat wedged between disco’s glitter-strewn dominance and the brash emergence of hip-hop, embodying neither fully but still carving out its groovy corner.

This is no sleek anthem of excess but a scrappy, infectious party jam propelled by an ensemble that leans into its earthy imperfections.

Fronted by Brenda Reynolds and Vickie Drayton, the outfit keeps its eight-piece machinery churning, though the vocals teeter between commanding and buried beneath the instrumental clamor.

The bassline is thick enough to chew on, but the track resists polish, clinging to its sweaty, DIY essence.

Used uncredited in the Sugarhill Gang’s iconic “Rapper’s Delight,” it lacks the commercial attention such piggybacking might imply—ambition outpaced by context.

DJs like Larry Levan and Frankie Knuckles kept the track alive in club circuits, but its mainstream impact stalled, caught in the shadow of its more visible contemporaries.

It’s a funky paradox: a track embodying joy while remaining tethered to anonymity, shining brightest in personal nostalgia or dimly lit dancefloors.

Featured on the 1979 album “We Got The Funk”.

Lyrics >> Review >>

6 . Dayton – The Sound Of Music

Dayton’s 1983 track “The Sound of Music” offers a glossy blend of post-disco funk and a pinch of understated ambition, tucked neatly into their album *Feel the Music* under Capitol Records.

Produced by Rahni Harris, the song straddles the line between shimmering disco polish and the tactile groove of funk, capturing both the waning confidence of disco’s commercial peak and the optimism of funk’s adaptability.

Despite peaking only briefly at No. 75 on the UK Singles Chart, its true legacy seems to reside on nightclub floors, where its rhythm and bounce found a grittier, more enduring kind of success—less top of the pops, more basement boogie.

And yet, there’s something delightful about its refusal to overreach; it glides more than it insists, its catchiness devoid of the desperation sometimes found in chart-hungry tracks of the era.

The accompanying video, now digitized for YouTube posterity, captures Dayton’s lively yet understated energy, resisting the overproduced cheesiness that plagued many contemporaries’ visuals.

While “The Sound of Music” doesn’t exactly rewrite the funk rulebook, it’s a time capsule of an era caught between the fading Studio 54 glitz and the heady rise of more grounded, groove-driven club culture.

Perhaps its charm lies in its contradictions—a song of modest chart notoriety that carved a niche in the vibrant UK nightclub scene, reminding us that music’s currency isn’t just measured in chart positions but in collective movement and joy.

Featured on the 1983 album “Feel the Music “.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

7 . Smiley Culture – Police Officer

In 1984, Smiley Culture crafts a witty yet poignant narrative with “Police Officer,” a song that dances between humor and social critique.

Released under Fashion Records and later tied loosely to Polydor, its infectious dancehall and reggae rhythm conceal sharp observations about racial inequality.

The autobiographical tale recounts his arrest for cannabis possession, only to be humorously freed after giving an autograph—a tongue-in-cheek jab at authority.

The underlying tension isn’t hard to miss; beneath the playful tones lies a biting commentary on the unjust treatment of black communities by law enforcement.

Smiley’s lyrical delivery pairs perfectly with the pulsating grooves, creating a catchy track with necessary depth.

The accompanying video, directed by Giblets and filmed in the unassuming basement of Saint Martins School of Art, adds to the track’s scrappy charm.

Its low-budget, tape-edited aesthetic mirrors the raw edge of the song itself, emphasizing form as reflective of content.

A surprise hit, it climbed to No. 12 on UK charts, selling 160,000 copies and prompting a *Top of the Pops* appearance that further cemented its cultural impact.

Despite its humorous storytelling, the song retains a critical edge, spotlighting systemic biases while keeping listeners grinning—and thinking.

With societal issues wrapped in irresistible hooks, “Police Officer” is more than just a catchy tune—it’s a loud, pounding reggae rebuttal to cultural injustice.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

8 . Five Star – If I Say Yes

Released in 1986 as part of Five Star’s “Silk & Steel” album, “If I Say Yes” is a glossy slice of disco-pop primed for the late-night dance floor.

Blending an infectious saxophone solo with buoyant synths, the song exudes the carefree sheen characteristic of the group’s mid-’80s sound.

Backed by RCA and Tent records, it enjoyed moderate chart success, hitting #15 in the UK and making smaller ripples in the United States and Australian markets.

Production credits include Buster Pearson and Michael Jay, who polished the track with an ear for slick radio readiness.

Critiques of the song like Jim Reid from *Record Mirror* highlighted its “bubbling disco-pop” energy, though cynics might argue that it skates dangerously close to formulaic gloss.

For fans of remix culture, there’s notable tinkering: Phil Harding extended its run time for club grooves, and Shep Pettibone added urban flair for a remix aimed at broader appeal.

The accompanying music video offers pastel aesthetics and synchronized choreography, now a retro time capsule of ’80s aspiration.

While undeniably catchy, it’s more a polished product of its time than a timeless anthem, nestled comfortably within Five Star’s repertoire of commercial charm.

Featured on the 1986 album “Silk & Steel”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Wikipedia

9 . Drum Theatre – Eldorado

Emerging amidst the effervescent synth-pop wave of the mid-1980s, Drum Theatre’s “Eldorado” straddles both anthemic aspiration and peculiar obscurity.

Released in 1985 and rebranded within their 1986 album *Everyman*, the song’s performance across charts is a curious contradiction: while it soared to the top of European rankings and nestled second in Italy, it landed rather unceremoniously at the 44th spot on UK charts.

This uneven reception mirrors the track’s dual identity—its pulsing electronic layers and sweeping melodies aim for grandeur but occasionally border on overstated.

Produced under Madrid’s Discos CBS label, “Eldorado” champions a glossy, synthetic aesthetic synonymous with its era, but it carries a faint air of thematic vagueness, perhaps in its quest to evoke mythic ideals of utopia.

Cherry Red Records’ 2013 remaster with additional tracks serves as a fitting nod to its niche, cult-like following—one that appreciates its dated charm.

The music video, now cleaned up on YouTube, encapsulates the aesthetic fervor of 1980s futurism, though today it sits oddly quaint.

In hindsight, “Eldorado” is more an emblem of a specific time and place than a lasting pop masterpiece—it thrives on nostalgia, faltering on depth.

Lyrics >> More by the same : Wikipedia

10 . Tiffany – Radio Romance

“Radio Romance” is quintessential late-’80s teen pop: sugary, dramatic, and just slightly over the top.

Released in 1988 as part of Tiffany’s sophomore album “Hold an Old Friend’s Hand,” it finds Tiffany navigating the tricky waters of adolescent infatuation with a disco-tinged, hi-NRG gloss.

The track, penned by John Duarte and Mark Paul and produced by George Tobin, never quite reaches the heights of her debut hits, but it still manages to leave a neon-tinted footprint.

The music video leans into the song’s romantic chaos, featuring Tiffany as a waitress pining for a secret crush who’s, inconveniently, hanging out with her best friend.

A surreal dream sequence pops in, complete with awkward dancing and a kid wielding a magic wand like a budget fairy godchild.

Musically, the song is brimming with perky beats and syrupy melodies, evoking echoes of “Be My Baby” while firmly staying camped in the bubblegum stratosphere.

Performance-wise, Tiffany flaunted her sparkly earnestness on platforms like “The Mickey Mouse Club” and “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

It did decently, landing at #35 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and charting much better in places like South Africa (#3) and the UK (#13), proving that formulaic romance still sells across diverse markets.

Critically, reactions were mixed: while *RPM* claimed disco fans likely enjoyed it, *Billboard* shrugged it off, and *Music & Media* gave it faint praise through pale comparisons.

Ultimately, “Radio Romance” dances on the fine line between catchy appropriation and forgettable fluff, best appreciated with a nostalgic lens and maybe a glittery scrunchie.

Featured on the 1988 album “Hold an Old Friend’s Hand”.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Instagram

11 . UB40 – Many Rivers to Cross

Released in 1983 on their “Labour of Love” album, UB40’s rendition of “Many Rivers to Cross” reinterprets Jimmy Cliff’s 1969 hit with a polished Reggae Fusion style.

The original, penned by Cliff, captures his personal battles with displacement and resilience, its melancholy rooted in his adjustment to life in the UK alongside the poetic imagery of Dover’s famous white cliffs.

UB40 adds a smoother, synth-inflected production, trading the aching rawness of the original for a more refined, almost wistful delivery that slots neatly into their broader catalog of covers.

Peaking at number 16 in the UK Singles Chart, their version carves out its own space, though perhaps lacking the authentic weight that powered Cliff’s version to iconic status.

The song has inspired interpretations as varied as Cher’s poignant balladry and Annie Lennox’s emotive styling, but UB40 positions it firmly within their reggae-pop aesthetic, a choice more sentimental than transformative.

Its enduring charm lies in the universality of its themes, even if the edges feel slightly sanded down in this iteration.

Featured on the 1983 album “ Labour of Love“.

Lyrics >> Review >> More by the same : Official Site

12 . David Bowie – John I’m Only Dancing

“John, I’m Only Dancing” doesn’t just flirt with glam rock conventions—it struts, winks, and unapologetically breaks the rules.

The 1972 original is a buoyant burst of glitter-laden energy, tethered to an R&B backbone and an irreverent tone that refuses to take itself too seriously.

The lyrics are deceptively simple but laced with innuendo, as Bowie’s narrator shrugs off jealousy with an almost theatrical nonchalance.

If nothing else, Bowie knew how to make a line drip with implications.

The 1973 rerecording doesn’t stray far from the original but amplifies the production, giving Mick Ronson’s snarling guitar and Trevor Bolder’s bassline a more polished edge.

The 1979 disco version, though, feels like it wandered off into Studio 54, traded its feathered boa for mirrored sunglasses, and decided to go all-in on funk grooves.

This version is polarizing—slinky and infectious to some, overproduced to others, but undeniably Bowie in its adventurous spirit.

What ties all takes together is the rhythmic propulsion borrowed, knowingly or not, from dancefloor classics like Alvin Cash’s “Keep On Dancing.”

The promotional video, directed by Mick Rock, oozes Bowie’s signature charisma, though it couldn’t possibly contain the song’s cheeky undercurrents in a mere few minutes.

And of course, leave it to Bowie to stash a funk-reimagined version from the *Young Americans* sessions in storage for years, only to unearth it in 1979 as if to say, “Oh, you thought I was done?”

At its core, “John, I’m Only Dancing” is Bowie hitting his stride as both provocateur and trendsetter—part glitter, part guts, and entirely unforgettable.

Featured on the 1981 album “Changestwobowie”.

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