Besides the legendary summer hits of the '90s and 2000s, the 1980s were the decade in which sunny Mediterranean Italo disco, lambada and tropical pop conquered Europe's beaches and charts for good. From sultry beach parties on the Costa del Sol to poolside romance under the palm trees, these ten summer classics take you straight back to the carefree summers of the '80s. Vote for your favorite '80s summer hit.
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Kaoma – Lambada
The biggest and most intoxicating summer hit of the '80s. That melancholy melody (originally by the Bolivian group Los Kjarkas), the warm accordion and that sensual Brazilian dance style exploded into a worldwide craze in the summer of 1989.
Mory Kanté – Yé ké yé ké
The Guinean singer and kora player made music history with one of the first African singles to sell more than a million copies in Europe. The rousing West African rhythms and kora picking made it a summer sensation in 1988.
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Righeira – Vamos a la playa
A bizarrely catchy synth-pop song with a sunny beach theme that secretly warns of a nuclear explosion at sea. The mechanical synth beat and the Spanish slogan made it the ultimate European summer hit of 1983.
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Madonna – Holiday
Her first big worldwide hit from 1983, driven by an irresistible guitar riff and a sparkling cowbell groove. Madonna invites the whole world to put down their work and celebrate the sun.
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Ryan Paris – Dolce Vita
The ultimate Italo disco classic of 1983. The melancholy synth melody and Ryan Paris' smooth, nonchalant delivery capture the magical atmosphere of warm Italian summer evenings by the sea.
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Wham! – Club Tropicana
George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley celebrate carefree holiday life complete with crickets, cocktails and a pool full of fun: 'Club Tropicana, drinks are free, fun and sunshine, there's enough for everyone!'
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Gibson Brothers – Cuba
The French-Caribbean brothers scored a huge summer hit full of sun-drenched salsa disco. The rousing horns and the call 'Cuba, quiero bailar la salsa' remain a guaranteed mood-maker on any summer terrace.
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Bill Medley & Jennifer Warnes – (I've Had) The Time of My Life
The Oscar-winning song from Dirty Dancing. The build from a smooth soul ballad to a festive climax made it the ultimate soundtrack of summer romances in 1987.
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Laid Back – Sunshine Reggae
Danish duo Laid Back delivered the ultimate laid-back soundtrack for a lazy beach day in 1983. With a relaxed reggae groove and hypnotic bassline, the song urges listeners to let all their worries slide away.
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Miami Sound Machine – Conga
Driven by virtuoso Cuban percussion and Gloria Estefan's rousing vocals, this song kicked off the worldwide Latin pop wave. An explosion of tropical dance energy that leaves no dance floor untouched.
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