Five Songs About SUNSHINE from the 80s & 90s to Brighten Up Your Miserable Day

Here in the Seattle area, winters are dark and wet. Seattle office workers stop caring if they have window desks or not. In fact, having a window nearby only reminds you how dreary and moist the world is. So, what do we do besides pop Lexapro with a cup of double-shot espresso? We listen to 80s and 90s music! If we are feeling particularly blue (or gray as the case may be), we listen to 80s and 90s music about sunshine! So, turn on your SAD lamps and listen to these five songs about sunshine from the 80s and 90s to brighten up your miserable day.

Walking on Sunshine - Katrina and the Waves - 1985

You knew this would be on the list so let’s just put it here right at the top. The 80s didn’t have many songs with the word “sunshine” compared to the decades before or after, probably because everything was already brightened up to the extreme with all the neon around, but it did have one of (if not the) best song about sunshine ever made: “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves. Often sited as being released in 1985, it was originally released in Canada in 1983 (Vancouverites walked on sunshine two whole years before Seattleites). Following its success, Katrina and the Waves were nominated for a Grammy for best new artist.

Hailing from England, another wet and gloomy place as you can see from their official music video, Katrina and the Waves would brighten things up again in 1997 by winning the Eurovision Song Contest with their song, “Love Shine a Light”. With all the walking on sunshine and shining lights of love, how can you not pep up when you listen to Katrina and the Waves?

The Sun Always Shines on T.V. - A-ha - 1985

Okay, I’m cheating here. This isn’t technically a “sunshine” song, but I needed another 80s song for this list and, as mentioned before, there aren’t as many for the 80s. Hey, “The Sun Always Shines on T.V.” is close enough and who doesn’t pep right up when they hear a-ha? The song, their third single, starts out a bit melancholy but then progresses into synth pop awesomeness. I’ve opted to show the live tux video but if you want creepy mannequins in yet another MTV award winner, have a look at their official music video.

Winning a Grammy and eight MTV Video Music awards in 1986, a-ha is often sited as being the most successful global music act of their native Norway, another place with dark, dreary winters. Is there going to be a pattern of artists from places that have cold, dreary, dark winters singing about sunshine?…

Sunshine on a Rainy Day – Zoe- 1990

…aaaaand the answer is yes with another Englishwoman Zoë Pollock, or “Zoë” if you want to go with one-namers. You might not remember her name, but once you hear her song “Sunshine on a Rainy Day”, it will come back to you. We know her here in Seattle because she sings about what we dream about all Winter long.

Beautiful with a soulful voice, Zoë is worth another listen on those particularly gray, drizzly days.

Everyday Sunshine - Fishbone - 1991

We leave the gray, European winters now for Los Angeles were they have “Everyday Sunshine” and the city’s native Fishbone makes everyone up north jealous by singing about it. Have a look at their upbeat official video and tell me you don’t want to get up and move those hips! What can be said about Fishbone other than being synonymous with an Ishikawa diagram? They were the MacGyver’s Swiss Army knife or John Carpenter’s Thing of 80s and 90s alternative rock with a fusion of ska, punk, funk, metal, reggae, and soul. They continue to release their eclectic music to this day.

Regardless of how you want to classify Fishbone, they are undeniably unique. There is actually a documentary about them produced in 2010 narrated by Lawrence Fishburne (I see what you did there!!!) called “Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone”. I don’t know about you but I’m going to drop everything after writing this article and check that out.

Steal My Sunshine - Len - 1999

Heading south from Ontario, Canada to Daytona Beach like a group of douchebag snowbirds on mopeds chasing Helios himself, Toronto’s Len took 1999 by storm with their hit single “Steal My Sunshine” and cemented the band into 90’s one-hit-wonder preeminence for all time.

Its impossible to listen to this song and not at least attempt to have a better day. Watching the video, however, takes it to a whole new level. Directed by two of the band members themselves as a demand to their record label, the video follows Len as they tour about on scooters, hanging out and having fun in a warm, sunny beach city. It will either leave you elated or even more dejected. Watch at your discretion.

The band would later disappear into obscurity but they leave us with this gem and we couldn’t be more grateful.

So there you have it: Five songs about sunshine from the 80s and 90s for your playlist to get you through your miserable day and possibly your whole wretched Winter… unless you live in a warm, sunny place year round. In that case, #@*! you anyway. Not that I’m jealous or anything…