The ‘80s are universally regarded as an amazing decade for music, and rightfully so. Classics from those years are still played today. Many ‘80s songs, however, aren’t actually from the ‘80s, as in addition to all the synths, and drum machines, what the decade should also be known for is its embracing of unique covers.

The following 15 songs are great examples of this, as they defined the 80s, but have their roots in other eras.

Soft Cell – "Tainted Love" (1981)

Original: Gloria Jones – “Tainted Love” (1964)

Arguably one of the greatest covers of all time, the 12’’ for “Tainted Love” also featured another cover that turned out to be a hit for Soft Cell, “Where Did Our Love Go?” (The Supremes, 1964).

Toni Basil – "Mickey" (1981)

Original: Racey – "Kitty" (1979)

The fact that there are more than one of these is kind of scary, and if you clicked play on Toni Basil’s version it’s going to be stuck in your head for about a month.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – "I Love Rock n Roll" (1981)

Original: Arrows – “I Love Rock n Roll” (1975)

She may not have been the first to sing it, but “I Love Rock n Roll” is definitely a Joan Jett song.

UB40 – "Red Red Wine" (1983 & 1988)

Original: Neil Diamond - “Red Red Wine” (1968)

As many have pointed out, “Red Red Wine” was begging to be turned into a reggae song. UB40 gave it the life it deserved.

Naked Eyes – "(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me" (1983)

Original: Lou Johnson – “There’s Always Something There to Remind Me” (1964)

One of the definitive songs of the 80s, “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me” sounds almost nothing like its predecessor. It’s amazing what some synths can do for a song.

Whitney Houston – "Greatest Love of All" (1985)

Original: George Benson – “Greatest Love of All” (1977)

With all due respect to George Benson, once Whitney sang a song, it became hers.

Bananarama – "Venus" (1986)

Original: Shocking Blue – “Venus” (1968)

Each version of “Venus” defines the respective musical era its from. An impressive feat!

Kim Wilde – "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (1986)

Original: The Supremes – “You Keep Me Hangin’ On” (1966)

This is a case of a song simply being redone with ‘80s musical sensibilities, and having the result be fantastic.

The Bangles – "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1987)

Original: Simon and Garfunkel – "Hazy Shade of Winter" (1966)

The aggressive electric guitar of The Bangles’ version of “Hazy Shade of Winter” turned a 60s folk classic, into an 80s rock classic. Also, The Bangles’ transition from their reworked version of the song’s intro, to that electric guitar, is ridiculously kick ass.

Heart – "Alone" (1987)

Original: i-Ten – “Alone” (1983)

It’s rare to hear a song covered within just a few years of its release, but Heart’s vocals were at their peak in the mid-to-late 80s, and they took “Alone” to new heights.

Tiffany – "I Think We're Alone Now" (1987)

Original: Tommy James & The Shondells – “I Think We’re Alone Now” (1967)

The first of two covers of songs originally by Tommy James & The Shondells, Tiffany turned “I Think We’re Alone Now” into an ‘80s teen pop classic.

Billy Idol – "Mony Mony" (1987)

Original: Tommy James & The Shondells – “Mony Mony” (1968)

You’d be hard pressed to find two artists covering the same band who are more contrasting than Tiffany and Billy Idol, but while the former covered Tommy James & The Shondells’ “I Think We’re Alone Now,” the latter made the band’s “Mony Mony” his own. Incidentally, whoever was managing Tommy James & The Shondells in 1987 made the band some serious, more than likely unexpected, bank.

Phil Collins – "Groovy Kind of Love" (1988)

Original: The Mindbenders – “Groovy Kind of Love” (1964)

Phil Collins adjusted the pace of “Groovy Kind of Love,” and made it an ‘80s slow dance staple.

Red Hot Chili Peppers – "Higher Ground" (1989)

Original: Stevie Wonder – “Higher Ground” (1968)

It’s impossible to make a song better than the original when the original artist was Stevie Wonder, but the Red Hot Chili Peppers did the next best thing – they covered “Higher Ground” in such a radically different way that they made it part of their own canon.

Michael Damian – "Rock On" (1989)

Original: David Essex – “Rock On” (1973)

We should all thank David Essex for writing this song, and we should REALLY thank Michael Damian for covering it.