Artist: Oingo Boingo
Album: Dead Man’s Party (1985)
No ‘80s dance party is complete without a little Oingo Boingo. Known for its fusion of new wave and ska music with nearly every genre imaginable, Oingo Boingo brings out a more prominent pop-rock influence with Dead Man’s Party.
The power behind the eight-man-band makes it impossible to ignore its envied horn and rhythm sections, particularly on the album’s singles, “Weird Science” and “Dead Man’s Party.” Even more distinct are the band’s irresistible hooks and extravagant vocals, courtesy of Danny Elfman, just prior to his career as a successful film composer. (Dead Man’s Party was released in the same year as Pee Wee’s Big Adventure—Elfman’s first major film credit—which would lead to a career-spanning creative partnership with director Tim Burton.)
Meanwhile, the song “No One Lives Forever” is not only a major high point of this album, but it also embodies the band’s ability to make minor chords sound unusually happy. With the addition of lyrics that tell you to “Have a toast and down the cup, And drink to bones that turn to dust, ‘Cause no one lives forever,” the epic number feels simultaneously macabre and triumphant—quite like celebrating Halloween on Christmas.