Toni Street and science agree: these hits really do lift us up.

There’s a reason you can’t help but turn up the volume when ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ kicks off, or why ‘Summer of 69’ always transforms a carpool into a full-throated singalong.

With their infectious energy, unfiltered emotional honesty and earnest commitment to making you feel something, ‘80s hits have a power that cuts straight through the noise of modern life.

It might surprise some that Gen Z is excitedly discovering Tears for Fears on TikTok and millennials are creating Spotify playlists titled ‘80s Serotonin’, but there is actual science backing up what we’ve always known in our bones: this music is genuinely, measurably good for your wellbeing.

Somewhere between the synthesisers and the soaring choruses, ‘80s music stumbled onto a formula that modern neuroscience is only now beginning to understand.

“It’s so uplifting and it’s not overthought – it’s just fun,” says Coast breakfast host Toni Street. “People are looking, particularly in this modern era, for a bit of escapism. There’s so much going on in the world to get anxious about, and I think ‘80s music is that escapism – it’s not too deep, it’s just fun, and you don’t need to overthink it.”

A 2024 Nature Scientific Reports fMRI study found that when a chord progression lines up with listeners’ musical expectations, the brain’s reward and prediction-error networks light up – the same circuits activated by pleasure and anticipation. That helps explain why those big, confident ‘80s key changes and soaring transitions feel so satisfying.

Meanwhile, new research from the University of Oslo, published in Neuroscience News, shows that our brains and bodies naturally entrain to rhythm and harmony – synchronising to the beat at a neurological level. In other words, when a classic ‘80s drum machine kicks in or a huge synth hook drops, we’re not just hearing it – our brains are literally moving in time with it.

And the natural highs this music delivers never lose their potency, even for people who play them every day.

“I’m a big Whitney Houston fan and ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’ gets me every time,” says Street.

A soundtrack designed to lift moods and connect across generations is exactly what Coast is built on. The radio station recently refreshed its playlist to focus on the biggest, most beloved hits of the 1980s – a move that perfectly aligns with its “feel good” ethos.

Street says it’s a perfect fit for her and breakfast show co-hosts Jason Reeves and Sam Wallace. “We’re positive creatures. There’s so much negativity in the world and radio should be a form of escapism. If you want some positivity in the morning, come to us. It’s the perfect marriage really: feel-good music, ‘80s tunes, and hosts that are glass half full.”

While today’s music often leans into irony, angst or heavy production, ‘80s hits wear their heart on their sleeve. They’re lyrically simple but emotionally big, and beyond the science of their mood-boosting ability, that simplicity is a huge part of the appeal.

“I think that’s what makes them so refreshing,” says Street. “Everyone knows the words, and you know exactly what they mean. There’s a commonality and shared vibe in that. People are wanting some simplicity and that’s what the ‘80s gives them. You don’t need to analyse it – you just feel it.”

That emotional accessibility is why the songs connect across generations – something Street witnesses both on air and with her children at home. It’s not about looking back; it’s about how these tracks make you feel right now, in this moment, when you need a lift.

The ‘80s gave us music that was unafraid to be big, bold and sincere – from the glittering optimism of synth-pop to the heartfelt surge of a power ballad. In a world that often feels too complicated and too cynical, there’s something powerful about music that simply wants to make you to feel good.

And that’s ultimately what makes Coast’s new direction so smart: they’re not selling you on a decade, they’re offering you a mood. One that just happens to come wrapped in the most infectiously joyful music ever made.

Listen to Coast’s feel good ‘80s mix or find your frequency at coastonline.co.nz or on the free iHeart app.