Do you love 80s music as much as I do? Do you ever hear a song and think, “These lyrics have big Dungeons & Dragons energy”. If yes, this article is for you! I’ve picked the top five eighties songs that I feel best fit with each D&D class. I’ve also listed the year the song was released and the lyrics that influenced my choices. Enjoy!
Barbarian
1. Shout
Tears For Fears, 1985
“Shout, shout, let it all out
These are the things I can do without
Come on, I’m talking to you, come on”
2. Beat It
Michael Jackson, 1982
“You have to show them that you’re really not scared
You’re playin’ with your life, this ain’t no truth or dare
They’ll kick you, then they’ll beat you
Then they’ll tell you it’s fair
So beat it, but you wanna be bad
3. Straight Up
Paula Abdul, 1988
“You are so hard to read
You play hide-and-seek
With your true intentions
If you’re only playin’ games
I’ll just have to say
Abb-b-b-bye, b-b-b-bye”
4. Rebel Yell
Billy Idol, 1983
“In the midnight hour, she cried more, more, more
With a rebel yell she cried more, more, more”
5. We’re Not Gonna Take It
Twisted Sister, 1984
“We’re not gonna take it
Oh no, we ain’t gonna take it
We’re not gonna take it anymore”
Bard
1. Never Gonna Give You Up
Rick Astley, 1987
“We’ve known each other for so long
Your heart’s been aching but you’re too shy to say it
Inside we both know what’s been going on
We know the game and we’re gonna play it”
2. Don’t You Want Me
The Human League, 1981
“… Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see me
Don’t. Don’t you want me?
You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need me”
3. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)
Whitney Houston, 1987
“Oh, I wanna dance with somebody
I wanna feel the heat with somebody
Yeah, I wanna dance with somebody
With somebody who loves me”
4. Walk This Way
Run-D.M.C, Aerosmith, 1986
“She told me to
Walk this way!
Talk this way!
Walk this way!
Talk this way!”
5. Girls Just Want To Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper, 1983
“When the workin’ day is done
Oh, when the workin’ day is done
Oh, girls
Girls just wanna have fun”
Cleric
1. Livin’ On A Prayer
Bon Jovi, 1986
“Woah, we’re half way there
Woah, livin’ on a prayer
Take my hand, we’ll make it I swear
Woah, livin’ on a prayer”
2. Lean on Me
Club Nouveau, 1986
“Lean on me, when you’re not strong
And I’ll be your friend
I’ll help you carry on
For it won’t be long
Till I’m gonna need
Somebody to lean on”
3. (I Just) Died In Your Arms
Cutting Crew, 1987
“Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight
It must’ve been something you said
I just died in your arms tonight”
4. Just Like Heaven
The Cure, 1987
“Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick
The one that makes me scream” she said
“The one that makes me laugh” she said
And threw her arms around my neck”
5. Send Me an Angel
Real Life, 1983
“It gets in your eyes
It’s making you cry
Don’t know what to do
Don’t know what to do
You’re looking for love
Calling heaven above
Send me an angel
Send me an angel
Right now, right now”
Druid
1. In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins, 1981
“I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord
Well I’ve been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord”
2. Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Poison, 1988
“Every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song
Every rose has its thorn
Yeah it does”
3. Islands In the Stream
Dolly Parton, 1982
“Islands in the stream
That is what we are
No one in between
How can we be wrong?
Sail away with me
To another world
And we rely on each other, ah ha
From one lover to another, ah ha”
4. Rock You Like A Hurricane
Scorpions, 1984
“The night is calling, I have to go
The wolf is hungry, he runs the show
He’s licking his lips, he’s ready to win
On the hunt tonight for love at first sting”
5. Don’t Worry Be Happy
Bobby McFerrin, 1988
“Oh, ooh ooh ooh oo-ooh ooh oo-ooh don’t worry, be happy”
Fighter
1. Another One Bites The Dust
Queen, 1980
“But I’m ready yes I’m ready for you
I’m standing on my own two feet
Out of the doorway the bullets rip
Repeating to the sound of the beat”
2. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
Pat Benatar, 1980
“You come on with it, come on
You don’t fight fair
But that’s okay, see if I care
Knock me down, it’s all in vain
I get right back on my feet again”
3. I Won’t Back Down
Tom Petty, 1989
“Well, I won’t back down
No, I won’t back down
You can stand me up at the gates of hell
But I won’t back down”
4. Fight For Your Right (To Party!)
Beastie Boys, 1986
“Kick it!”
5. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now
Starship, 1987
“And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now”
Monk
1. Eye Of The Tiger
Survivor, 1982
“It’s the eye of the tiger
It’s the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watching us all with the eye of the tiger”
2. Take on Me
A-Ha, 1985
“Take on me (take on me)
Take me on (take on me)
I’ll be gone
In a day”
3. Forever Young
Alphaville, 1984
“Some are like water, some are like the heat
Some are a melody and some are the beat
Sooner or later they all will be gone
Why don’t they stay young?”
4. Maniac
Michael Sembello, 1983
“Just a steel town girl on a Saturday night
Lookin’ for the fight of her life
In the real-time world no one sees her at all
They all say she’s crazy”
5. You’re the Best
Joe Esposito, 1984
“You’re the best!
Around!
Nothing’s gonna ever keep you down”
Paladin
1. Personal Jesus
Depeche Mode, 1989
“Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares”
2. Faith
George Michael, 1987
“Yes, I gotta have faith
Ooh, I gotta have faith
Because I gotta have faith, faith, faith
I gotta have faith, faith, faith”
3. Heaven Is A Place on Earth
Belinda Carlisle, 1987
“Ooh, baby, do you know what that’s worth?
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth
They say in Heaven, love comes first
We’ll make Heaven a place on Earth
Ooh, Heaven is a place on Earth”
4. Like A Prayer
Madonna, 1989
“I hear your voice
It’s like an angel sighing
I have no choice, I hear your voice
Feels like flying
I close my eyes
Oh God, I think I’m falling
Out of the sky, I close my eyes
Heaven help me”
5. Don’t Stop Believin’
Journey, 1981
“Don’t stop believin’
Hold on to that feelin’
Streetlight, people
Don’t stop, believin'”
Ranger
1. Don’t You (Forget About Me)
Simple Minds, 1985
“Will you stand above me?
Look my way, never love me
Rain keeps falling, rain keeps falling
Down, down, down”
2. Break My Stride
Matthew Wilder, 1983
“Ain’t nothin’ gonna to break my stride
Nobody gonna slow me down, oh no
I got to keep on movin'”
3. A Country Boy Can Survive
Hank Williams Jr., 1982
“I live back in the woods you see
My woman and the kids and the dogs and me
I got a shotgun, a rifle and a four-wheel drive
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive”
4. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
The Proclaimers, 1987
“And I would roll 500 miles
And I would roll 500 more
Just to be the man who rolls a thousand miles
To fall down at your door”
5. With Or Without You
U2, 1987
“See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I’ll wait for you
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails, she makes me wait
And I wait without you”
Rogue
1. Notorious
Duran Duran, 1986
“You own the money
You control the witness
I’ll leave you lonely
Don’t monkey with my business”
2. Voices Carry
‘Til Tuesday, 1984
“Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry”
3. Danger Zone
Kenny Loggins, 1986
“Out along the edges
Always where I burn to be
The further on the edge
The hotter the intensity”
4. It’s My Life
Talk Talk, 1984
“It’s my life, don’t you forget
It’s my life, it never ends (it never ends)”
5. Don’t Get Me Wrong
The Pretenders
“Don’t get me wrong
If I split like light refracted
I’m only off to wander
Across a moonlit mile”
Sorcerer
1. The Look
Roxette, 1988
“Heavenly bound
Cause heaven’s got a number
When she’s spinning me around
Kissing is a color
Her loving is a wild dog
She’s got the look”
2. How Soon Is Now?
The Smiths, 1984
“I am the son
And the heir
Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar
I am the son and heir
Of nothing in particular”
3. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
The Police, 1981
“Every little thing she does is magic
Everything she do just turns me on
Even though my life before was tragic
Now I know my love for her goes on”
4. Karma Chameleon
Culture Club, 1983
“Didn’t hear your wicked words every day
And you used to be so sweet I heard you say
That my love (my love) was an addiction
When we cling (we cling), our love is strong
When you go (you go), you’re gone forever
You string along, you string along”
5. Magic Dance
David Bowie, 1986
“Jump magic, jump (jump magic, jump)
Put that magic jump on me
Slap that baby, make him free”
Warlock
1. The Killing Moon
Echo & the Bunnymen, 1984
“Under blue moon, I saw you
So soon you’ll take me
Up in your arms, too late to beg you
Or cancel it, though I know it must be
The killing time
Unwillingly mine”
2. It Takes Two
Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock, 1988
“About things that make ya get weary
Don’t cheer me, just hear me
Out ’cause I got the clout–shout (Ho!)
Before I turn the party out”
3. In Too Deep
Genesis, 1986
“Listen, you know I love you, but I just can’t take this
You know I love you, but I’m playing for keeps
Although I need you, I’m not gonna make this
You know I want to, but I’m in too deep”
4. Back In Black
AC/DC, 1980
“Forget the hearse ’cause I never die
I got nine lives
Cat’s eyes
Abusin’ every one of them and running wild”
5. You Make My Dreams
Hall & Oates, 1981
“What I want, you’ve got
And it might be hard to handle
But like a flame that burns the candle
The candle feeds the flame
Yeah, yeah, what I’ve got, full stock
Of thoughts and dreams that scatter
And you pull them all together
And a-how, I can’t explain”
Wizard
1. Burning Down the House
Talking Heads, 1982
“Watch out, you might get what you’re after
Cool babies, strange but not a stranger
I’m an ordinary guy
Burning down the house”
2. Just Can’t Get Enough
Depeche Mode, 1981
“Just like a rainbow
You know you set me free
And I just can’t get enough
And I just can’t get enough”
3. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
Dead or Alive, 1985
“You spin me right ’round, baby, right ’round
Like a record, baby, right ’round, ’round, ’round”
4. I Ran
A Flock Of Seagulls, 1982
“And I ran, I ran so far away
I just ran, I ran all night and day
I couldn’t get away”
5. Cry Little Sister
Gerard McMahon, 1987
“Last fire will rise
Behind those eyes.
Black house will rock,
Blind boys don’t lie.
Immortal fear,
That voice so clear.
Through broken walls,
That scream I hear.”
Got any additions? Let me know in the comments! Until next time, stay creepy and happy gaming.
