Whether you are doing some barbeque in the backyard or you're at someone else's you need these 1980s songs on the playlist. And heck, I don't even care if the people in charge say you can't do a playlist. Well, guess what? You are going to make them happy whether they want to be or not!
I am not saying high-jack your friend's boom box or modern laptop computer and blare stuff people don't want. I mean, no offense to any kind of music, but the 4th of July doesn't really scream, "techno bluegrass!" But go in with a overview drive to entertain.
Now, sticking with three songs is wrong too. You'll need to flesh out your own playlist. But I will help you by letting you know to definitely play the following three songs.
Three songs from the 1980s to play on the 4th of July
Falco - "Rock Me Amadeus"
It's an American holiday, the Fourth of July. So why not start your playlist with some music from an Austrian? You could also go with Kraftwerk here, but that likely would confuse some of the guests. These people want to have fun and feel relaxed, so give them some Falco.
In the United States, Falco is probably best remembered for this ode to Mozart, but you should check out some of his other songs. "Der Kommissar" has a beat you can dance to and is kind of Falco's reference to "I Shot the Sheriff." And the entire album that "Rock Me Amadeus" is from, Falco 3, is excellent.
But people will remember "Rock Me Amadeus" and maybe sing along. It'll get them off of their seats, stop eating their cake, and boogie down. Basically, just the way celebrations should be.
The Kinks - "Come Dancing"
The Kinks are certainly not a "1980s band." They made most of their great music in the 1960s, though they were able to stay relevant into the 1980s. The Kinks were also one of the more important bands from the '60s but they were also among the bands that held close to the Englishness. Songs like "Sunny Afternoon" simply weren't going to be written by an American band.
And neither would "Come Dancing." The song is an ode to singer/songwriter Ray Davies' sister who was quite a bit older than Ray but used to go to dance halls simply for the joy of dancing. So, here's the sad part. Ray's sister, Rene, died of a heart attack while dancing at the Lyceum ballroom when Ray was 13 years old and after his sister had given him a guitar.
But the heart of the song is about people hanging out and going dancing basically, There's a bit of a side story where the singer is kid and part of a London gang, but the gang isn't there to harm anyone. They simply want to have some fun.
Anyway, I realize that maybe part of this song is a bit sad, but Davies didn't mean it to be a sad song. He simply wrote it to show how people can connect simply by hanging out and having a good time. That's exactly what you'll be doing at your Fourth of July get-together.
Dexys Midnight Runners - "Come On Eileen"
OK, so I did not intentionally choose three songs by non-Americans to play at your Fourth of July thing. My point isn't to be un-American because part of the greatness of music is that it brings people of all backgrounds and views together. These three songs will do that for you at your or your friend's or the person who you want to be your friend's cookout, drinking party, or Yahztee night (it happens to be on the 4th this week).
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But honestly, how can "Come On Eileen" not be a crowd-pleaser? No one can feel gloomy when the sing-along chorus is being played. There's like two songs everyone will sing to every time they come on. One is "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and then there is this song by a band you've likely never heard another song from.
But Dexys Midnight Runners never really meant for "Come On Eileen" to be the song they are known for. Heck, the band doesn't even normally sound exactly like this song. Dexys borrowed their sound more from 1970s funk bands with horns and meshed that together with more Celtic folk-type material. It's a good sound when it works, but there is a narrow chance it always will.
Still, it works perfectly on "Come On Eileen." Your friends and family and cats will love you playing this at the Fourth of July get together. If all works well, you'll be the star of the show.