AMG Review of '80s Pop Hits [Sony]

Andy Kellman
All Music Guide

'80s Pop Hits is a three-disc set from Sony with a heavy emphasis on ballads, many of which continue to be played on adult contemporary radio stations across the U.S. The relatively upbeat material -- like Wham!'s "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," Toto's "Rosanna," Luther Vandross' "Stop for Love," and Deniece Williams' "Let's Hear It for the Boy" -- tends to be safe enough for waiting-room listening. But it is definitely the slow, soft material (joined by a few power ballads) that takes center-stage: Surface's "Shower Me with Your Love," Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam's "All Cried Out," and Gregory Abbott's "Shake You Down" are some of the inclusions.