This article is a short list highlighting three synth-driven rock songs from the 1980s that the author considers enduring classics of the era, when synthesisers became a defining feature of popular music. It offers a light, nostalgic look at how the instrument shaped some of the decade's most memorable rock hits.

– Van Halen's "Jump" – a playful, synth-led anthem despite the band's guitar-driven reputation
– Styx's "Mr. Roboto" – from the concept album Kilroy Was Here, telling a half-man, half-robot story
– Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" – the synth-heavy theme from 1985's The Breakfast Club