In life, there is often a lot of time to kill. Sometimes the days can drone on into meaninglessness. But wait, there is a cure for such banality! You can start a band! If you need inspiration for your upcoming musical project, don’t worry, we got you. That’s just what we wanted to explore here below. We wanted to highlight three songs from the 1980s that actually got us up off our rumps to pursue music. After all, there’s little else better than starting a band with friends! Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1980s that made us start a band.

“Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club from ‘Tom Tom Club’ (1981)

The artists who wrote and recorded this song loved being in a band so much that they took some time away from the band they were already in to start another band together. Still with us? Okay, good! Indeed, Tom Tom Club’s Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth both played in Talking Heads but the married couple also knew they had more music in them. So, they started their own band and put out this disco hit and fabulous animated music video. How inspiring!

“99 Luftballons” by Nena from ‘Nena’ (1983)

Speaking of inspiring, sometimes a band puts out music to entertain their fans and sometimes they put music out to share an even more important message. That’s just what the German group Nena did with this song. The track dreams of breaking down unnecessary barriers for the sake of human connection—an important topic given the moment in history with the Berlin Wall. Indeed, the song itself was inspired by a literal balloon rising and floating off. Maybe that balloon could send a message over the wall. Or maybe a song could!

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister from ‘Stay Hungry’ (1984)

Just in case you needed a little more inspiration to get off your butt and create something new, Twisted Sister is here to get your blood boiling and your mind revved up. If you’ve ever been pushed around or told what to do, this song is for you. It also shows off the power of rock music itself. Speaking of walls (above), rock music can make you want to run right through one. That’s what this iconic Twisted Sister track does for us.

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