DJB,I can tell you from having been a teen in the 1980's,that as far as music,movies & some T.V. shows were in that decade,"natural" is the last thing they would be!
After the 1970's ended,a great deal (or almost all) of what that decade was about was "kicked to the curb" or forgotten. The 80's were about being almost unemotional,indifferent... but at the same time being supposedly flashy and styled (ala "Miami Vice" or the other fashion nightmares of that time.)
Gordon (or the executives at WB) was or were trying to keep pace with the times. The last thing most teens of my generation wanted to hear was a middle aged/adult contemporary artist. (Don't worry,I was not one of them!
). I remember hearing "Anything For Love" on our local AC station & I liked it.
They sure as heck went with Steve Winwood at that time though!
If anything in the 80s was natural I'd give credit to:
U2,John Mellencamp,the music of Men At Work,Bob Seger,Suzanne Vega,Bruce Hornsby and others who don't come to mind at just this moment.