I haven’t expressed my love for ‘80s pop on this blog as much as I probably should’ve by this point. While today is rainy and gross and 50º outside, my vibe has been everything ‘eighties with a hint of old-school hip-hop–somehow they mesh well. Maybe it’s because both genres seem to sample from the same pool of songs.
Anyway, there’s one duo that really stands out to me and probably the rest of the world when I think of spectacular ‘80s pop, and that is Daryl Hall and John Oates. To be so honest, I think it’s taken me so long to actually take the time to listen to their discography because I only thought of their songs as singles and not parts of larger pieces of work. Part of that assumption arose from the fact that this “band” is just both guys’ names. They didn’t try to come up with a name or become a unified force, but made a point to keep their identities separate. Another band that is famous for doing this is Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. But the big difference for them is that each of these four artists did have stellar solo careers and that combination was one of many projects for them. Hall & Oates can’t say the same. For that reason, I get the impression that they thought their duo releases would temporarily elevate their statuses so that then they could strike out on their own as individuals. I get it, but that’s no fun for me as the listener. Therefore, I didn’t think it was worth researching them if they cared more about individual fame than investing in these awesome songs.
Fortunately for me and probably you, dear reader, I am super obsessed with a lot of their music and finally came around to listening to a few entire albums and reading a Wikipedia page or two about this wacky duo. Through this in-depth research, I have gathered that I wasn’t super far off-base about their weird relationship; Daryl Hall and John Oates aren’t in communication anymore. They’ve been in legal battles for a while and haven’t spoken much in about twenty years. I guess that’s rock n’ roll. But more importantly, let’s get into their spectacular music.
I got super into “Do What You Want, Be Who You Are” off one of their earlier albums, Bigger Than the Both of Us, which was released in 1976. After giving that entire album a listen, I now see why it received less acclaim, as it really gives us “Rich Girl” but nothing else show-stopping.
So naturally, I then made my way to their 11th studio and highest-charting album, H2O. It was released in October of 1982 and blessed us with the most successful single of their career, “Maneater,” which spent four weeks at the Billboard Hot 100’s top spot. After perusing their other works, I can pretty confidently say that this album captures the Hall & Oates sound most genuinely. But picture this: Michael Jackson changes the world order with Thriller, Prince pushes out 1999, and The Clash gifts the world with Combat Rock. This pop duo decides to take things into their own hands and releases pure dancing pop on their new record. I would’ve gone broke at the record stores in 1982.
So let’s get into the record. “Maneater.” Opening track. Their biggest single ever. One of my favorite songs of all time. They shocked the world with the saxophone two years before George Michael could even offer “Careless Whisper” to us. Nelly Furtado failed to steal their thunder with her own “Maneater.” It’s one of the catchiest tunes known to man. I hear the bass start and immediately start moving my shoulders along. The sax solo has pretty much been ingrained in my brain since first listening. And the simple and emotional storyline aligns so perfectly with the rhythm that you personally feel the pain this trifling woman is inflicting. When I was abroad, I would ask the local bartender to play this, and the way all of the non-English speakers sang along captures the reach of this song so well. An international home run.
The next song I’ve had quite a moment with is “One on One.” Another story of a man upset by the way a woman is treating him. It’s slower, has no sax, but also has a great little electric piano and synthesizer beat. I wanted to include a quote, but unfortunately, they’re all pretty allusive to some dirty things. Unsurprising, but what a great song.
The final track I’ll highlight is a relatively newer one for me, “Family Man.”
But he said,
“Leave me alone,
I’m a family man
And my bark is much worse than my bite”
There’s a pretty consistent theme in all of their songs and it is just pure unadulterated lust. This song is describing a man battling his morals by debating cheating on his wife and kids, and ultimately accepting his fate? If you think that theme is concerning, watch the music video. It’s just Daryl Hall hanging out with his fictional family while contemplating cheating on his wife. I needed to remind myself that this was like the first music video ever made before I mentally critiqued it too heavily. If the tune wasn’t so infectious and I wasn’t caught singing along so often, I’d question Daryl Hall and his lyrics just a bit more. Lucky for them, this is one of their catchiest songs and I can’t get it out of my head.
If you’re interested, this record has quite a few more addicting songs with just as problematic of plot lines: “Art of Heartbreak,” “Open All Night,” and “Go Solo.” My support for this album doesn’t mean I support their message, but wow do they have a fun sound. It’s kind of like, how can you not love Stevie Wonder’s “Part-Time Lover,” Foreigner’s “Urgent,” or LRB’s “Man On Your Mind?” Maybe this just speaks more to society at that time than anything else. I’m not educated enough to give any real input, so I’ll leave it at that.
Hall & Oates has been a staple of mine since the beginning. That is largely due to my dad’s obsession with their music, especially on a Sunday cleaning day or a summer weekend cookout in the backyard. While Daryl Hall and John Oates were into some pretty funky hairstyles and music videos, they’ve certainly made their mark on the ‘80s and beyond (as it is 2026 and I think the general population of Americans at least know them by name).
If you’re looking for any more eighties, here’s my ongoing collection of my favorites: 80s on 8.
Iz FM 
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