17 Popular Songs Played on the Casio Keyboard
Invented in 1980, Casio electronic musical keyboards were introduced to the music industry and continue to be used today. How many songs can you think of with a strong keyboard part? While some think it takes away from the authenticity of the song, I love it. As long as it’s used within reason, keyboards can amplify the beat and rhythm of a song, and it’s been proven in numerous songs.
The History of the Casio Keyboard
The very first model was the Casiotone or CT abbreviated in the mid 80s but has always had full-sized keys. Here’s a list of the full series of keyboards that were popular back then:
- CT (full-sized keyboards)
- MT models (mini keyboards)
- PT models (petite keyboards)
- VL series (fully-button keyboards)
- LK series (keyboards with illuminated keys)
- S series (sampler keyboards)
Most Casio keyboards had feature automated accompaniment sections, which included drums, bass, chords and harmonies. They can be run on both electric and battery power and some integrated into other audio equipment like cassette decks and AM/FM radios.
From the 1980s through the 90s, electronic musicians and sound engineers produced an authentic lo-fi sound and some are able to extend their sound palette by circuit bending.
17 Popular Songs Played on the Casio Keyboard
1. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) by Journey
Ok I had to. “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” is my absolute favorite song with a strong keyboard part. The vocals by Steve Perry and the crew are simply amazing and emotional that it just gives me chills every time. I listen to it on the way to work at least once a week and rock out to the guitar. People at stoplights look at me like I’m a morning person!
Anyways, this song was recorded on Journey’s Frontiers album and released as a single on January 5, 1983, peaking at No. 8 for six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and also spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Top Tracks chart. The keyboard credit goes to their keyboardist, John Cain, quoting “Steve Perry and I were just working an idea backstage and it all came together…We needed a main rhythm to run through the synthesizer and Steve Smith designed that kind of drum beat to let everything breathe. It’s really a throwback to all of our roots and the Motown sound.”
2. Material Girl by Madonna
Released on November 30, 1984 for Madonna’s second studio album Like a Virgin (1984), “Material Girl” was written by Peter Brown and Robert Rans and produced by Nile Rodgers. Madonna explained the song is indicative of her life at the time as she was also provocative.
The song uses numerous synth arrangements with robotic voice chants which repeats “living in a material world”. Of course the lyrics talk about being materialistic, especially with Madonna asking for a life filled with money, fame and expensive belongings instead of just a “nice guy with a good heart”. The song reached the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and also became her third top-five single.
3. Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper
It’s really hard to miss the keyboard on this Cyndi Lauper song when it opens with that hand sliding down the keys to create the poppy upbeat start. Even throughout the song, you can hear the synthesizer as well as other keyboard pop sounds.
The song was released in 1983 and was the first major single released by Cyndi Lauper as a solo artist from her debut studio album, She’s So Unusual (1983). It was her first breakthrough hit, reaching number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and became a worldwide hit throughout 1983 and early 1984. It also received Grammy Award nominations for Record of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
4. You Spin Me Rounds (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive
I remember listening to this song when running on the treadmill. It was upbeat and moving, especially with that high-pitched keyboard playing at the beginning.
“You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” was released as a single in 1984 and reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985. It peaked at No. 11 on August 17th that year on the US Billboard Hot 100.
According to the band’s vocalist, Pete Burns, he composed “You Spin Me Round” by using two existing songs as inspiration for creating something new, “How did I Write ‘Spin Me’? I listened to Luther Vandross’ ‘I Wanted Your Love’. It’s not the same chord structure, but then that’s the way I make music – I hear something and I sing another tune over it.”
5. Tainted Love by Soft Cell
Ba-dum bum! is immediately what I think of right away when I think of this song. Again, super catchy because of the keyboard sounds!
“Tainted Love” was composed by Ed Cobb and originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. But it didn’t become famous until it was covered and reworked by the British synth pop duo Soft Cell in 1981. Since then, it’s been covered by numerous artists and groups.
The duo found the song through its status as a UK “Northern soul” hit. It was a choice between this or Frankie Valli’s “The Night”. It was recorded in a day and a half with Marc Almond’s first vocal take being used on the record. Song producer Mike Thorne commented that he was surprised by the choice since he hadn’t been impressed by the 1976 version, but was impressed after hearing it reworked.
6. Jump by Van Halen
Van Halen is hands down one of my absolute favorite bands from the 80s. The high notes they can reach without using pitch correctors is just amazing. But Eddie Van Halen, their keyboardist is legendary. Sadly, he died in 2020 from cancer, RIP.
In Eddie’s younger years, he trained for a future career as a concert pianist, and boy did he make it happen. He told Guitar Player, “I played a long time. Got all my musical theory and stuff from playing piano. We used to have this old Russian teacher that was a super concert pianist. He couldn’t speak a word of English. He would just sit there with a ruler ready to slap my face if I made a mistake.”
In the mid 60s, Eddie and his brother Alex discovered rock music and said “I said, ‘F— the piano! I don’t want to sit down. I want to stand up and be crazy!” Just afterwards, the brothers suffered through their final piano lessons and made the “Jump” to become rock musicians.
7. I’m Still Standing by Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John was more of a 70s pianist and singer with five Grammy Awards, five Brit Awards, two Academy awards, two Golden Globes, a Tony Award, a Disney Legends Award and the Kennedy Center Honor. But his and Bernie Taupin’s song, “I’m Still Standing” from John’s Platinum-certified 1983 Too Low for Zero was a huge hit.
Elton John was responsible for the lead vocals, piano and synthesizer Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray on electric and bass guitars and Nigel Olsson on drums.
The song also had a great music video which was shot in Cannes and Nice on the Côte d’Azur in France with the colors of the French flag.
8. Hungry Like the Wolf by Duran Duran
The pop sounds made from the keyboard make “Hungry Like the Wolf” that much more upbeat. It’s another one of my favorites to sing in the car on the way to and from work.
So the song was written by each of the band members and produced by Colin Thurston for the group’s second studio album Rio. “Hungry Like the Wolf” was released in May 1982 as the band’s fifth single in the UK, reaching No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart.
The music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy and filmed in Sri Lanka. It also had the same atmosphere from the movie Raider of the Lost Ark, even making the heavy rotation hit list on MTV. As a result, it peaked at the No. 3 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1983, which made Duran Duran an international sensation. The video won the first Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video in 1984.
9. Valerie by Steve Winwood
There was a strong use of keyboard in “Valerie” (call me!), which made it that much better in my opinion. But Steve’s voice takes the cake during the chorus that just makes you want to sing along every time.
The song was written by both Steve Winwood and Will Jennings and recorded for his third solo album, Talking Back to the Night, in 1982. It’s about a man reminiscing about a lost love he hopes to find again. He wrote the lyrics while thinking about the singer Valerie Carter, whose career was going down the tubes because of drug use.
10. Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
The keyboard use in this song is simply sad, dramatic and powerful, adding to the emotionally overwhelming feel.
Obviously this is a break up song and was likely written during a difficult time. But it’s during times like these where the most emotionally powerful songs come out, because they’re authentic.
So “Total Eclipse of the Heart” was recorded by Welsh and Bonnie Tyler and written by Jim Steinman, released on Tyler’s fifth studio album, Faster than the Speed of Night (1983). It was this song that turned her into a big hit, topping the UK Singles Chart as it became the fifth-best-selling single in 1983 int he UK. In the US, it topped the charts for four weeks and was Billboard’s No. 6 song of the year for 1983.
The single sold over 6 million copies over the world and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
11. Working for the Weekend by Loverboy
The keyboard in “Working for the Weekend” just gives me a buzz vibe. But it blends so well with the guitar and vocals that it just makes your whole body move to the beat.
“Working for the Weekend” was from Loverboy’s second studio album, Get Lucky (1981) and written by guitarist Paul Dean, vocalist Mike Reno and drummer Matt Frenette and produced by both Bruce Fairbairn and Dean. Compared with Loverboy’s other songs, this one has more of a power pop feel, but this was what made it stand out, reaching number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number two on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart in January 1982.
When guitarist Paul Dean was out looking for inspiration on his walk one Wednesday afternoon, he noticed much of the area was deserted since everyone was at work. He thought, “Where is everybody? Well, I guess they’re all waiting for the weekend. Mike Reno suggested they change the name of the song to “Working for the Weekend” as he began writing the song in his hotel room after a Montreal concert. After the song was finished, they used it to open a set and Dean remembered the dance floor being packed.
12. Money for Nothing by Dire Straits
I remember being obsessed with this song a few weeks ago, specifically for the synthesizer part. While the song may not have opened with it, the keyboard made it all the more powerful, even changing the pitch a bit.
Recorded on their fifth studio album, Brothers in Arms (1985), Dire Straits released this song as a single on June 24th 1985 through Vertigo Records. The lyrics were written from the perspective of two blue collared men watching music videos and commenting on what they saw. it also had a guest appearance by Sting, singing background vocals and providing both the backing chorus of “I want my MTV” and signature falsetto introduction. The video was the first to be aired on MTV Europe when the network launched on August 1st, 1987.
“Money for Nothing” was Dire Straits’ most successful single, peaking at No. 1 for three weeks on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and Top Rock Tracks chart and No. 4 in the band’s native UK. They also performed the song at Live Aid the following year in July 1985.
“Money for Nothing” also won Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 28th Annual Grammy Awards in 1986. It was also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. At the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, the video received 11 nominations and won Video of the Year and Best Group Video.
13. Keep on Loving You by REO Speedwagon
Again, the hook of the keyboard at the beginning of “Keep on Loving You” just draws you in right away. It’s a conversation stopper to turn it up and listen!
“Keep on Loving You” was a soft rock power ballad written by Kevin Cronin and of course performed by REO Speedwagon. It first appeared on their 1980 album Hi Infidelity and was their first single to break the top 50 on the US Billboard Hot 100, reaching the number-one spot for one week in March 1981.
The single was certified Platinum for over one million copies sold in the US along. It’s also been a mainstay on 1980 soft rock compilations, appearing on dozens of “various artists” compilation albums as well as several REO Speedwagon’s greatest hits albums.
14. Runaway by Bon Jovi
The keyboard part in this song reminds me of the childhood song “Drumsticks” because it’s short double hits on each key that move up and down the scale.
“Runaway” was the debut single by the rock band Bon Jovi and was originally recorded in 1981 for the “Power Station Demos” at the beginning of Jon Bon Jovi’s career which featured him backed by session musicians.
It became a surprise in 1983 on WAPP-FM (now WKTU), which led to the formation of the first proper lineup of Bon Jovi for a short tour.
The song was first recorded in 1982 at the Power Station recording studio and released to radio in 1983. Jon Bon Jovi chose studio musicians who were recording with other various artists using the same studio. They were known as “The All Star Revue”, which included:
- Hugh McDonald, bassist
- Tim Pierce, guitarist
- Frankie LaRocka, drummer
- Roy Bittan, keyboardist
The keyboard credit goes to Mick Seeley, who wrote the intro.
15. Summer of 69’ by Bryan Adams
It may not have started with the keyboard, but the keyboard certainly played through the chorus! “Summer of 69’” gives me a vacation vibe, hence the theme of summer. It’s a great song to listen to when looking back at old memories and what you used to do when you were young.
“Summer of ’69” was recorded by Canadian musician Bryan Adams from his fourth album, Reckless. It’s about the issue of deciding whether to settle down or live the life of a rock star. It was written by Adams and his longtime songwriting collaborator, Jim Vallance and released in June 1985 under A&M Records as the fourth single of Reckless.
16. Take Me Home Tonight by Eddie Money
If I didn’t hear the vocals of “Take Me Home Tonight”, I would have thought the keyboard part would have been Chinese. It’s just got that vibe to it! But the beginning part with the keyboard has got the rhythm set as an immediate upbeat sensation. Add in Eddie Money’s feathery hair and saxophone and you’re hooked!
So the story behind the song is that the chorus interpolates the Ronettes’ 1963 hit “Be My Baby”, with the original vocalist Ronnie Spector providing the uncredited vocals and reprising her role.
“Take Me Home Tonight” reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 15, 1986 and No. 1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart. It received a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance and was Eddie Money’s biggest hit on the US charts.
17. I Ran (So Far Away) by a Flock of Seagulls
Of course I couldn’t forget this one where the music video starts with camera revolving around lead singer Mike Score playing the synthesizer. But surely the guitar part is my favorite in this song, making that echoing sound at the beginning.
“I Ran (So Far Away)” was released in 1982 as A Flock of Seagulls’ third single and second single from their self-titled debut album. While it topped the charts in Australia and reached No. 7 in New Zealand and No. 9 in the United States, it didn’t reach the top 40 in their home country, the United Kingdom. It was, however, certified silver by the BPI.
So Many Songs with Keyboards
There are simply way too many songs with strong keyboard parts to count. And I only tried to get one from each of my favorite groups! Many of these bands various songs with keyboards but I just wanted to get those most popular.
I feel the keyboards are what make 80s music unique. Since the 90s and onward is just pre-recorded stuff. What are your favorite 80s songs with strong parts? Did you prefer rock ’n’ roll or pop songs? Or neither? Let me know in the comments below!
