Five songs from the 1980s that have no business being as good as they are

Gap Band - "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" (1982)

This song is a gimmick. The title is funny and odd, and the band leans into it by using a synthesizer to make silly "bomb" sounds. How this track did not get made fun of endlessly when it was released is only because of the sheer quality of everything else about the tune. The production is perfect, and the words somehow make enough sense for the listener to say, "Oh, yeah...You dropped a bomb on me. I get it."

Perhaps what makes the track truly work is the fuzziness of the synth itself. It pushes through the funk so that the groove is irresistible, and even without the vocals, one could keep dancing alone in their room for hours to the same bass line over and over. The vocals themselves are mostly understated, which allows the solo parts to give you religion.

Plus, "I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it/I, I-I, I-I-I won't forget it" has no business being interesting, and yet that simple phrase will be stuck in your head for days. You will also love every second.

Dazz Band - "Let It Whip" (1982)

The band did an interesting thing with this song by basically doubling the drums and bass; there are only live drums, a drum machine, an electric bass, and a synth bass. Because these sound slightly different, the song is fuller-sounding and funkier. What also helps is that Dazz Band began as a jazz-funk band, and even while there is a hint of New Wave on the track, the song is very much akin to Parliament-Funkadelic.

The payoff to the track is perfect, though. There is a slow build that becomes a fantastic chorus that at times ends with "Woo hoo," but that part is so wonderfully melodic that this exact kind of song might never have been done as well again.

More music news and analysis: