1960s Classic Rock Stars Who Had Hits in the 1980s

Many classic rock stars from the 1960s chose to adapt to the times and had hits in the 1980s. On the other hand, some classic rock stars from the 1960s had hits in the 1980s without changing their sound. Notably, some of these 1960s stars had hit songs following their deaths.

4. Roy Orbison’s ‘You Got It’

According to Billboard, Roy Orbison was riding high in the early to mid-1960s with hits like “Oh, Pretty Woman,” “Crying,” and “In Dreams.” However, he went the entire 1970s and most of the 1980s without a top-40 single. 

Following Orbison’s death in 1988, his label released the song “You Got It.” Notably, the track was co-written by Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne, who were both members of Orbison’s band, The Traveling Wilburys. The tune reached No. 9 and stayed on the chart for 18 weeks. While the song came out decades after Orbison’s peak and featured the work of two hip collaborators, it fits right in with Orbison’s classic sound.

3. John Lennon’s ‘(Just Like) Staring Over’

John Lennon took a five-year break between the releases of his albums Rock ‘n’ Roll and Double Fantasy. According to the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the lead single from Double Fantasy, “(Just Like) Starting Over,” was projected to be a No. 1 single. It only topped the Billboard Hot 100 after John’s death.

“(Just Like) Starting Over” could have been a bold leap into the 1980s for John. Instead, it’s a nostalgic song that cribs from the rock ‘n’ roll of the 1950s and early 1960s. John had other posthumous hits in the 1980s, including “Woman,” “Watching the Wheels,” and “Nobody Told Me.”

2. The Monkees’ ‘That Was Then, This Is Now’

Orbison and John didn’t adapt much to the times. On the other hand, The Monkees embraced the sound of new wave music with their sole 1980s hit, “That Was Then, This Is Now.” 

It seamlessly combines the chipper bubblegum style of their early material with the sort of synthesizers you’d hear on a Cyndi Lauper album. The tune reached No. 20 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Monkees’ brand also tried to evolve for the 1980s with the show The New Monkees, which featured a new cast of characters. That experiment failed, lasting a single season. 

1. Paul Simon’s ‘You Can Call Me Al’

Like “That Was Then, This Is Now,” Paul Simon’s “You Can Call Me Al” delves into the sound of new wave. However, “That Was Then, This Is Now” feels youthful while Simon’s song is about a mid-life crisis. 

“You Can Call Me Al” is probably the best song on that topic, partly because of its sense of humor. It also has one of the best synthesizer riffs of the decade. “You Can Call Me Al” merely reached No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it remains a staple of classic rock radio. It’s more well-remembered than other Simon songs that charted higher.