Top 20 Royalty-Free 80s Music Tracks 2020
Searching for an 80s-inspired musical accompaniment to your video or podcast? Tune in to our top tracks.
By Helen Alexander
Guilty pleasures or the glory years of rock and pop? However you remember this iconic era, our round-up of the best Envato Elements and AudioJungle 80s music tracks will immediately transport your listeners back in time.
What Music Was Popular in The 80s?
Welcome to the 80s – a time when computers and pop culture collided.
Just as increasingly sophisticated technology brought about a whole new 80s graphic design aesthetic – featuring bold fonts, futuristic styles and neon colors – machines became more and more instrumental in making music. Cue the synth-heavy soundscapes, digital drum beats and 8-bit loops and samples that continue to reverb with listeners today.
Why Is 80s Music Trending Again?
From hair-raising perms to voluminous parachute pants, the 80s might have been cringeworthy when it came to the style stakes, but the decade’s signature sounds – from scorching guitar riffs to catchy synth lines – are definitely back in fashion.
Think of Dua Lipa leaping around in a leotard to recreate a retro aerobics video for Physical, Australian band Parcels’ electropop earworms and the synthwave sounds of The Midnight and one thing is clear – what was acceptable in the 80s, is also acceptable in the 2020s.
And it’s not just music that’s making a comeback. From the neon red title sequence of Stranger Things to Spielberg’s nostalgia-soaked Ready Player One, our small and big screens have been busy satisfying our appetite for all things 80s, too.
How Is 80s Music Being Used Today?
To remind today’s listeners of their childhoods and teenage years, multimedia-makers are adding retro intros to podcasts and giving YouTube videos an old-school audio vibe. That said, it doesn’t matter if the audience wasn’t even born in the 80s – these royalty-free tracks – especially selected by our Content Specialist for Audio, Adrien Gardiner – immediately evoke an era that never really went away.
Royalty-Free 80s Music on Envato Elements
10. 80s Montage by AlexanderRufire
Kicking off our list, this energetic track pulses to an electronic beat that can’t help but build anticipation – we defy you not to hold your breath as those beeps drop at 1.44.
9. 80’s Metal by AndySlatter
At 170BPM, this exhilarating track storms its way towards a twin guitar riff at 0.33 that screams feel-good factor.
8. 80s Pop Synth Wave by AurusAudio
Channeling a softcore, pastel-hued pop sound, this track wouldn’t feel out of place in any number of John Hughes’ movies. Use it to add an element of teen angst to your audio.
7. Synthwave by lucafrancini
Did someone say montage? With its cheerful keyboard chorus and toe-tapping tempo, this relentlessly upbeat track has 80s inspiration covered.
6. Retro Inspire by Bransboynd
Dreamy drum beats lend this 105 BPM track from Bransboynd a cool confidence.
5. Cyberpunk Cinematic by cleanmindsounds
Welcome to the clash of the cyborgs... or whatever you choose to call your sci-fi film. The stakes are high in this epic electronic track, which amps up the urgency with every pounding beat.
4. Summer Rock by Stockwaves
School’s out, holidays are here. With a lead female vocal telling the tale of high-school heartbreak, this track reveals what we might have been listening to had Avril Lavigne or Taylor Swift been teleported to the 80s.
3. Fashion Disco by Bransboynd
Bursting with effervescent energy, Fashion Disco demands power dressing – we’re thinking shoulder pads and pant suits, of course. Sprightly and sparkly throughout, a mellow refrain kicks in at 1:03.
2. Happy Upbeat Eighties by matsteiner-music
Add an optimistic element to your intro and outro. Featuring an upbeat brass melody, this joyful jingle invites game-show contestants to ‘come on down’ and urges interviewees to take a seat on the sofa.
1. Like A Rock by FUNTOMASS
Squeeze into your tightest leather trousers and backcomb your hair, because glam metal is back thanks to this track’s crushing guitar riffs and pop-influenced hooks.
Royalty-Free 80s Music on AudioJungle
10. Lady of the 80s by DJ_Grand_Studio
When it comes to motivational music, this going-for-gold track is all about superheroes overcoming adversity, screen-filling blockbuster action and epic sporting clashes.
9. 80s by moonlight_sounds
Strutting to the sound of a synthesiser? Yes please. All our retro disco dreams come true with this get-the-party-started pop package, which features the full version, a range of mini versions and a 45-second loop.
8. 80s by AudioRocket
Featuring several essential ingredients for an 80s music hit – like punchy toms and warm synths – AudioRocket’s decade-defining sound adds a hint of vintage VHS to today’s online videos and games.
7. 80s Synth by VensAdams
Conjuring up images of Cadillacs cruising along surf coasts, this 80s music track serves up a lifestyle-driven dose of electronic nostalgia.
6. This is 80s by LumenMedia
LumenMedia offers some computerized cool with this energetic, synth-heavy disco track.
5. 80s Retro Synthwave by Magic_Tunes
For audio and visual projects in search of some synthpop, there’s this pulsing array of five different-length tracks.
4. Victory Rock For Strong Champions by Vlad_Annenkov
Guaranteed to inspire some cheesy air-guitar action, this drum-thumping, guitar-wrangling stomper channels a Bon Jovi-meets-Van Halen sound. As the name suggests, this is a winning 80s-inspired track.
3. Christmas Pop 80s by SergePavkin
Cheesy? Maybe. But who can resist those rhythmic drums and the uplifting piano melody that kicks in at 1.45 – energizing and inspiring, this is pick-me-up pop at its best.
2. 80s Synthpop Ballad Female Song by Antracto
Immerse yourself in this moody power ballad with its soaring guitar solo and emotive female lead vocals.
1. Retro 80s by AlexanderVolosnikov
Sunny synths give this retro recording from AlexanderVolosnikov a vacation vibe. You’ve got the music, now all you need are some vintage Ray-Ban.
Need some more nostalgia in your life? Step into the 80s whenever you want and get unlimited access to royalty-free tracks with an Envato Elements subscription. And for more audio inspiration, don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel.