15 boy crazy bops from the ’80s that spoke to us in the closet

No one understands gay yearning like a heterosexual female pop singer!

Yes, LGBTQ+ artists have recently blessed us with authentic bops, but there’s something to be said about the mark that straight musicians like Madonna and Cher (and their romantic feelings) made on gay men, especially during those formative years.

Remember, we haven’t always had Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, and Sam Smith! 

Back in the ’80s –– the era of Walkmans, E.T., and Hypercolor t-shirts –– closeted baby gays didn’t have many options for representation on the airwaves. As we obsessed over stolen glances in the locker room, boys who borrowed our pencils, and the bulges on underwear packages in Macy’s, we turned to the only people who understood the infatuation: our pop queens.

Who can forget Kim Wilde’s reckless invitation to rebel on “Kids in America” or Tiffany’s desperate plea for some solitude on “I Think We’re Alone Now?” And don’t get us started on the controversial and flagrant displays of sexuality we saw from Madge on MTV… and then recreated in the privacy of our bedroom. 

We couldn’t always open up to our peers about the cutie behind the counter at Auntie Annie’s in the mall, but we could consult our cassettes. 

These female pop stars understood how it felt to be the outsider, lingering by the lockers whilst watching a crush who wouldn’t give us the time of day. Perhaps this is why we’ve adopted so many of them as gay icons. 

Thankfully, a bevy of LGBTQ+ pop stars are now providing representation on the radio. But we’ll always look back fondly on the days of sad, synthy ballads, kick-drum driven tunes, and languishing odes to lovers from our pop queens.

Get ready for a flood of nostalgia! Here are 15 boy-crazy bops from the ’80s that touched our souls as we sat safely in the closet.

1. “Mickey” by Toni Basil

Whether you were fostering feelings for the quarterback (or wishing to be head cheerleader), there’s a good chance you can still recite Toni Basil’s “Mickey” by heart. This chart-topping ear worm was addictive, thanks to its infectious chants. But it also featured some deceptively deep zingers, like, “What a pity, you don’t understand / You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand.” BRB, we’re swooning!

That being said… we’ve never met a Mickey who wasn’t the mouse.

2. “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper

The straight boys wanted to date Cyndi Lauper, but the girls and gays wanted to be Cyndi Lauper. As the quirky and difficult girl, “Time After Time” documents her journey in accepting that she’s worthy of unconditional love –– and that she’s capable of providing it, too. Those jangly guitars and that ticking-clock beat may have been catchy, but it’s the warm lyrics that stayed with us. And while those school-age crushes weren’t timeless, this bop reminds us of our chosen families that are.

But while this chart-topping tune has outlasted the ’80s… perhaps that buzzcut and those outfits should stay there.

3. “Somebody’s Eyes” by Karla Bonoff

They don’t make soundtracks like they used to! Though this moody tune from Footloose is about a woman who fears retribution from her boyfriend’s ex, it spoke to us as closeted gays, who were the “Somebody’s Eyes” seeing her loving him. “Does she know just how / I love his kiss / Does she know this,” she croons. Our wandering eyes certainly knew, and we were living for the drama!

4. “Tell It to My Heart” by Taylor Dayne

The theatrics! The sex appeal! The big hair! “Tell It to My Heart” might just be the most desperately horny song of the decade. With a drum machine that wouldn’t quit, Taylor Dayne gave us a lovelorn anthem perfectly suited for overanalyzing a boy’s every move. We had to ask ourselves: “Is it really love or just a game?”

And we’re not the only obsessed gays: Mistress Isabelle Brooks and Jax lip synced to the track on Drag Race Season 15.

5. “Danny” by Tiffany

Tiffany had us rushing out to buy a denim jacket (and snag a slice from Sbarro) with “I Think We’re Alone Now,” but her debut single was actually “Danny,” a haunting and pulsating plea for commitment. While the mid-tempo ballad never charted nor received a music video, it provided the perfect soundtrack for the crazy and campy confessions we wanted to make. No Danny in high school was safe!

6. “Crazy for You” by Madonna

Madonna may have recorded this slow burner for the Vision Quest soundtrack, but the No. 1 hit (and go-to choice for a high-school slow dance) has a legacy of its own. Each sensual lyric spoke to our sexually frustrated souls, from “Can’t you feel the weight of my stare,” to the opening of its saccharine chorus: “What I’m dying to say is that / I’m crazy for you.”

Bonus points for its perfectly timed sync in 13 Going on 30, the rom-com that always reminds us how hot Mark Ruffalo still is.

7. “Let’s Hear it For the Boy” by Deniece Williams

If there was ever a bop that spoke to an unrequited (and disillusioned) crush, it’s this Deniece Williams gem from Footloose. TBH, this No. 1 hit doesn’t start off promising: “My baby, he don’t talk sweet / He ain’t got much to say,” she sings, with all the pep of the Energizer Bunny. Still, her infectious performance sold it, giving us a tune for reassuring ourselves anytime we crushed on a guy who didn’t “dress fine,” was “watching every dime,” or “[sang] off key.” Let’s hear it for our baby!

8. “Oliver (Voice on The Radio)” by Kim Carnes

You probably remember Kim Carnes for her timeless (and Grammy-winning) 1981 hit “Bette Davis Eyes.” As if a tribute to the gay icon wasn’t enough, her 1985 album Barking at Airplanes gave us this sparkling, over-the-top ode to Oliver. What a sexy name!

Though the lyrics never reference this mystery man, they provided plenty of melodramatic material to transpose onto our own lives: “Do you think about me / I just want to know / It doesn’t really mean anything / It’s part of letting go.” Let’s be real Kim, we both know it meant something!

9. “Lost in Your Eyes” by Debbie Gibson

Is anyone as ’80s as Debbie Gibson? Just listen to that angelic voice… and look at that f*cking hat! Though Gibson’s pop career didn’t outlive the decade, this pop virtuoso (who wrote her own songs!) knew how to spin a compelling ballad. In retrospect, “Lost in Your Eyes” –– and its cheesy video –– feel quintessential, with lyrics that recount teenage infatuation in painstaking detail. Was she the blue print?

The best part is she’s a fierce ally. “I can’t imagine what it must have been like decades ago when there wasn’t the [LGBTQ+] acceptance there is now, when young people had to stifle who they were,” she told GoPride in 2021. “I’m such a fan of having parades, concerts and celebrations until the end of time to hopefully make up for the fact that this community was not able to be its authentic self (…) in their formative years.”

10. “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler

Turn around, bright eyes! Bonnie Tyler (and her big, blonde hair) had already given us a classic with “It’s a Heartache,” but she outdid herself with 1983’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart.” The power ballad (which songwriter Jim Steinman called a “vampire love song”) has become prolific, giving us the perfect soundtrack for desperate and theatrical nights, when you really need someone… if they’d only hold you tight. And the video, which featured shirtless schoolboys and sexy winged men, always captured our attention.

11. “Saving All My Love for You” by Whitney Houston

Before Whitney Houston had us gyrating on the dance floor to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” she was serving smooth and soulful with “Saving All My Love for You,” her first No. 1 hit. Those buttery vocals were proof that she’d become a star! And her besotted and pensive lyrics spoke to the impatience we felt from the closet, saving our affection for the boy next door, because “no other man’s gonna do.”

12. “Crush on You” by The Jets

Having a crush is both embarrassing and exhilarating, but no ’80s bop captured the jubilance quite like The Jets’ “Crush on You.” The funk-tinged track is pretty straightforward –– “How did you know ’cause I never told / You found out I’ve got a crush on you,” its chorus admits –– yet its optimistic tone made our little gay hearts sing. And yes, the handful of crush worthy boys in the band (and their knee-bending dance moves) certainly helped the appeal!

13. “Shane” by Kim Wilde

Kim Wilde gave us a throbbing, generational anthem with “Kids in America,” but underneath that jagged, bleached cut was a softie, as showcased in “Shane,” the B-side to Wilde’s second single “Chequered Love.” There’s nothing better than a nonsensical ’80s namedrop and Wilde certainly let this boy’s name linger on her lips as she pleaded, “Please take me back there with you.” Whether or not you crushed on a Shane, her desire was palpable and we were ready to wait by the phone with her.

14. “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles

“Eternal Flame” showcased a softer side from The Bangles, who ruled the ’80s with hits like “Manic Monday” and “Walk Like an Egyptian.” Nothing spoke to a closeted teen quite like a power ballad that featured a prying chorus: “Do you feel the same? / Am I only dreaming.” And that candle-lit video –– filled with fading transitions, CGI fireworks, and sunset beaches –– matched our math class daydreams perfectly.

15. “Lovergirl” by Teena Marie

If only love was as simple as saying, “I just want to be your lovergirl / I just want to rock your world.” This jiving top-5 hit from Teena Marie showed us the meaning of confidence. She made her move on a crush with that spicy opening lyric: “Coffee, tea, or me, baby? / Touché au lait.” If only we had the chops to use that line back then –– or even now.

The late R&B singer recently got her flowers when Beyoncé’s “Cuff It,” which sampled “Ooo La La La” and credited Marie as a writer, won Best R&B Song at the 2023 Grammy Awards.