From Pac-Man and Cold War panic to mad scientists and fake cowboys, these hit songs from the 1980s were far stranger than most listeners remember today.

Country music built its mythology around heartbreak, drinking, and redemption—so it's no wonder its artists were involved in the wildest scandals.

The 1980s knew how to make romance sound enormous. Love songs arrived with saxophones, synthesizers, soaring guitars, movie soundtracks, and choruses seemingly designed to fill an arena. For Generation X, many became part of the background music of adolescence, school dances, radio countdowns, and early MTV. Decades later, these songs can still make the 1980s feel remarkably close.

Stealers Wheel was on top in 1973 with their new song “Stuck in the Middle with You,” but behind the scenes the Scottish band was already coming apart.

At his lowest point, Johnny Cash crawled into a cave with no intention of coming back out—then had an epiphany that saved his life.

Ozzy Osbourne’s DNA was tested to figure out how he survived his wild past—and the test revealed the surprising truth about his background.