The United States has been in the middle of an ’80s nostalgia craze the past several years (see: Stranger Things, the Stephen King renaissance, etc.). As a result, many hit songs from that decade have made comebacks. Broadway has also fueled this trend with ’80s-inspired musicals like Head Over HeelsRock of Ages, Kinky Boots, The Wedding Singer, HeathersTaboo, Footloose, and several others. Below, I’ve compiled four Spotify playlists featuring songs that will work well in auditions for the type of shows mentioned above. These playlists are loosely grouped by tempo and artist gender, but there are very few rules when it comes to choosing pop/rock songs. So, feel free to put your own creative spin on any of these pieces! Scores for most can be found on MusicNotes.com.

P.S. Need more song options? Visit my new radio pop/rock songs blog, RadioSongsForSingers.com. Also, check out my professional repertoire guides here.

Songs Popularized by Female Singers (Ballads/Slow Jams)

Songs Popularized by Female Singers (Uptempo/Driving)

Songs Popularized by Male Singers (Ballads/Slow Jams)

Songs Popularized by Male Singers (Uptempo/Driving)

Kevin Michael Jones

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