Rewind Confusion: 1980s Songs That Trick Your Memory
Ah, the 1980s—a time of synth-pop, hair spray, and mixtapes. But among the iconic tunes that defined the decade, some of them play a clever game with your memory. You’ve probably bopped along to a hit thinking it was a cover, only to find out it was the original. And then there are those sly little tracks that were covers all along, and you had no idea.
Take “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell. Everyone thinks it’s a quintessential '80s original, but nope—it dates back to 1964, first recorded by Gloria Jones. It flopped then, but Marc Almond’s synth-heavy revamp turned it into a gothic club staple.
Or how about Whitney Houston’s massive hit “I Will Always Love You”? Wait—okay, that is the '90s, but it’s worth a mention. Many forget Dolly Parton wrote and recorded it way back in 1974. But flip the scenario for “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics—yes, that surreal anthem with the cows in the video. It’s not a cover, despite feeling like it could’ve come from some obscure Euro disco act a decade earlier. It’s 100% original, bizarre genius.
And then there’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Cyndi Lauper made that song hers, but guess what—it was originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard, a guy. Her feminist reworking turned it into an anthem, but technically, it’s a cover.
Even “I Love Rock 'n Roll,” forever linked with Joan Jett? That was a 1975 tune by Arrows, a British band barely anyone remembers.
So next time you hit play on your '80s playlist, listen closely. That shiny synth-pop track or glam rock anthem might just have a dusty little secret. Or not. Welcome to the Mandela Effect of music history.