An article from Far Out Magazine explores songs from the 1980s that the author believes never received the recognition they deserved, arguing that the decade's music is often unfairly reduced to a single "pop" stereotype when it actually spanned dark wave, new wave, R&B, funk, metal, house and techno. The piece highlights how the era saw the rise of the standalone single as an artistic statement, following the album-focused 1970s, with several tracks achieving only modest chart success on release before later being recognised as significant works.

The list includes The Waterboys' "The Whole of the Moon" (only a minor hit in 1985, before reaching the UK and European top ten upon its 1991 re-release), A Flock of Seagulls' "I Ran (So Far Away)" (peaking at just number 43 in the UK in 1982 despite later cult status), and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's "Souvenir" (a UK number three that the author argues is still excluded from wider conversations about electro-pop pioneers). The article also mentions Talk Talk's "It's My Life," noting its success was limited until No Doubt's later cover boosted its profile.