Aqua — “Barbie Girl” (1997)
It’s easy to see that this is the kind of song that won’t do very well in modern times. The feminist movement would have quashed its lyrics as trashy and detrimental to the cause. Taken in context, the song was bubblegum pop catchy, and ended up being played in clubs all over the world at the time it did its rounds. These days you’re more likely to hear it during a Zumba class, than on the radio or on streaming platforms.
Aqua
Starship — “We Built This City” (1985)
Call it what you want, but this song is one of the biggest references to what the 1980’s music industry was all about. Just by listening to the intro, we can already feel the crimp and frizz, and that’s just talking about the band itself! Lyrically, the song talks about building a city on rock and roll. If that were the case, the city might be long gone by now, given the rise of electronic music among the Gen Z’s.
Starship
