This piece revisits three pop songs from 1985 that the writer argues remain enjoyable enough for modern radio, despite being largely overlooked today. The selection spans different corners of that year's pop landscape, from synth-pop to Madonna's early ballad work to a rock comeback single, highlighting how varied and enduring the era's songwriting was.

The three tracks are Tears for Fears' "Head Over Heels" (from Songs from the Big Chair), Madonna's "Crazy for You" (her second US number one and first Grammy nomination, featured in the film Vision Quest), and Heart's "What About Love?" (originally recorded by the band Toronto in 1982, later reworked by Heart as a Top 10 comeback single). The article draws on producer John "Jellybean" Benitez's comments to Billboard about the unusual challenge of recording a ballad with Madonna, and notes the songwriting pedigree behind "What About Love?", co-written by Jim Vallance, known for his work with Bryan Adams.