The Toronto-based Loverboy, comprised of vocalist Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, bassist Scott Smith, keyboardist Doug Johnson, and drummer Matthew Frenette, was never a big hit with critics, but the band members' blend of hard-edged pop won droves of fans and kept them at the forefront of pop/rock for most of the '80s. This album contains most of their hits (excepting some more minor cuts like "Queen of the Broken Hearts"), giving a broad overview of their work. Sex was always a hot topic for the band – think "Hot Girls in Love" – but there is more to Loverboy than just hormones. There are also party anthems, with "Working for the Weekend" and "Turn Me Loose" being iconic in the genre.

Though they're best-known for their anthemic pop/rock and hard rock singles like "The Kid Is Hot Tonite" and "Workin' for the Weekend," Loverboy did enough sweeping power ballads that their Love Songs collection is fairly substantial. "This Could Be the Night," "Heaven in Your Eyes," "When It's Over," and the Ann Wilson duet "Almost Paradise" are quintessential romantic rock ballads from the '80s, with searing guitars and synth washes conveying soaring passions. This being a Loverboy collection, however, lust is just as important – if not more so – than love, though it's possible that "Take Me to the Top" and "Lovin' Every Minute of It" could be seen as love songs to the group's raging libido.

There are a few movie and soundtrack pairings that represent the wild 1980s. None more so than Top Gun (Footloose and Pretty in Pink are also strong contenders.) A whirlwind romance set in the U.S. Air Force during the Cold War, Top Gun featured wild aerial acrobatics, steamy sexual tension, and macho competition. And the soundtrack had the songs to match. Featuring the huge hits "Danger Zone," "Take My Breath Away," as well as "Playing with the Boys," "Mighty Wings," and a handful of classic soul tracks, the Top Gun soundtrack may be the perfect example of the outrageous '80s. This version expands on the original, including a number of songs not featured on the initial release, such as "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Great Balls of Fire" .

Released the year that Loverboy decided to go their separate ways, Big Ones is about as thorough a hits compilation as one could expect from the group. There are a few singles missing – like "Queen of the Broken Hearts," "Dangerous" and "Lead a Double Life," as well as Mike Reno's duet with Ann Wilson, "Almost Paradise" – but the core hits are all here: "Turn Me Loose," "The Kid Is Hot Tonite," "Working for the Weekend," "When It's Over," "Hot Girls in Love," "Lovin' Every Minute of It," "This Could Be the Night," "Heaven in Your Eyes," and "Notorious." Even though the subsequent Loverboy Classics covered more ground, Big Ones is a good, basic collection, ideal for any fan of the group.

Loverboy is a Canadian rock band formed in 1979 in Calgary, Alberta. Loverboy's hit singles, particularly "Turn Me Loose" and "Working for the Weekend", have become arena rock staples and are still heard on many classic rock and classic hits radio stations across Canada. The band is based in Vancouver. Throughout the 1980s, Loverboy accumulated numerous hit songs in Canada and the United States, earning four multi-platinum albums and selling millions of records. After being rejected by many American record labels, they signed with Columbia/CBS Records Canada and began recording their first album on March 20, 1980. Loverboy's founding members were lead singer Mike Reno, guitarist Paul Dean, keyboardist Doug Johnson, bassist Scott Smith, and drummer Matt Frenette. Wildside is an album released in September 1987. This was the first album that the band had released that did not go platinum.