Three soft rock songs from 1985 remain iconic amongst those who grew up in the 1980s, each representing a different facet of the era's enduring musical legacy.

– "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie became one of his most successful early hits, earning him an Academy Award for Best Original Song; the sweet love ballad featured on both the album Dancing on the Ceiling and the White Nights film soundtrack.
– "Suddenly" by Billy Ocean was a two-week number one single that exemplifies the emotive power of 80s soft rock, with lyrics expressing the sudden joy of falling in love and remains one of Ocean's most celebrated recordings.
– "Never Surrender" by Corey Hart stands as his biggest United States hit single, an empowering anthem written solely by Hart and inspired by both his mother's resilience and Winston Churchill's wartime motto.