Pop music has a funny way of circling back on itself. Every few years, a wave of synths, gated drums, and shimmering guitar riffs comes rushing back into the charts, and listeners under thirty start asking their parents what song this “new” hit reminds them of. The answer, more often than not, traces straight back to the 1980s.
Some artists borrow a drum pattern. Others lift a full melody, credit the original writers, and turn it into a genuine collaboration across decades. Here are seven recent hits that leaned on that unmistakable 80s sound, whether through direct sampling, interpolation, or pure sonic homage.
1. The Weeknd, “Blinding Lights”
Few songs of the last decade wear their influences as openly as this one. The track is a synth-pop and new wave recording characterized by fuzzy synthesizers and a driving drum-machine beat, evoking 1980s music influences. Producers Max Martin and Oscar Holter worked alongside The Weeknd to shape that sound in the studio.
The gear choices were not accidental either. Most experts agree the main melodic hook comes from the Roland Juno-60, an archetypal ’80s synth used by artists such as Vince Clarke, Howard Jones, and Eurythmics. Even the rhythm section nods to the era, since the kick and snare follow an electro-inspired pattern reminiscent of the Roland TR-707, a drum machine released in the early 80s that helped shape that decade’s sound.
2. Dua Lipa, “Break My Heart”
This one turned into an unplanned tribute. Dua Lipa’s “Break My Heart” interpolates the melody of the 1987 INXS number-one hit “Need You Tonight,” specifically the line about doing better alone. The resemblance was close enough that it changed the songwriting credits entirely.
Due to the similarity to the guitar riff in INXS’s song, band members Andrew Farriss and the late Michael Hutchence were added as writers, with the connection classified as an interpolation. Dua Lipa herself later admitted the whole thing was accidental, noticing the similarity only after the track was already finished and loving it too much to change course.
3. Latto, “Big Energy”
Sampling can travel through more than one decade at once, and this track proves it. Latto’s “Big Energy” takes a sample from Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” which in turn samples Tom Tom Club’s 1981 song “Genius of Love,” demonstrating how 80s influences seep into today’s chart-toppers. That means listeners in 2022 were dancing to a groove first laid down more than four decades earlier.
It is a neat example of how sampling culture stacks layers of history on top of each other. The bouncy new wave funk of Tom Tom Club still carries the same infectious energy it had in the early 80s, just filtered through two more generations of pop production.
4. Harry Styles, “As It Was”
Harry Styles made no secret of where his head was at while writing his third album. “As It Was” sounds like it has its roots in the synth-pop of the 1980s, with a flair some described as vaguely Depeche Mode or having an A-ha moment. Rolling Stone put it even more directly, noting the track swerves into Eighties-style synth-pop, in the vein of A-Ha or Depeche Mode.
The chord work backs that up on a technical level too. The song uses retro chord progressions, specifically IV-ii-V-I, to create an ’80s synth feel. It became the biggest song of his solo career, proving that decades-old harmonic tricks still connect with a modern audience.
5. Fall Out Boy, “Centuries”
Pop-punk and downtown folk are not genres you would naturally pair together, yet Fall Out Boy managed it. The band’s single “Centuries” heavily borrows from Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner,” a track many casual listeners know only as the “Duh-Duh-Da-Duh” song. The vocal hook is instantly recognizable to anyone who grew up with Vega’s original in the late 80s.
What makes the pairing interesting is the contrast in mood. Vega’s original was understated and almost conversational, while Fall Out Boy blew the same melodic bones up into a stadium-sized anthem. It is a good reminder that a strong hook can survive almost any genre transplant.
6. Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera, “Feel This Moment”
Few 80s songs have been recycled as often as a-ha’s “Take on Me,” and Pitbull’s dance-floor hit is one of the more high-profile examples. Pitbull got help from both Christina Aguilera and a-ha’s “Take on Me” for “Feel This Moment,” adopting the decade’s grooves for his own purposes. The synth line from the original 1985 hit is instantly recognizable once you know what to listen for.
The pairing worked commercially, giving the song crossover appeal on both pop and dance radio. It also showed how a single synth riff, once iconic, can be repackaged decades later without losing its punch.
7. Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa, “Prisoner”
This collaboration leaned directly on one of the most recognizable workout anthems of the 80s. “Prisoner” by Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa contains an interpolation of the melody from Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical.” Listeners familiar with the original could catch the resemblance almost immediately in the chorus.
Interestingly, some listeners hear a second layer of influence in the track’s rock-tinged production. One informal listener initially thought it sounded like Foreigner’s “Urgent,” and even after recognizing the correct interpolation still felt the song carried a bit of that Foreigner vibe. That kind of layered nostalgia is part of what makes these interpolations so effective with listeners who grew up on the originals.
These seven songs show that the 80s never really left pop culture behind. Whether through a licensed sample, a credited interpolation, or a producer chasing a specific synth tone, the decade keeps resurfacing in different shapes. For listeners who grew up on the originals, spotting these callbacks has become its own kind of pastime, and for younger fans, it often works as an accidental introduction to music history.
