18 One-Hit Wonders from the 80s
The 1980s. So many songs. So many one hit wonders. While countless artists struggled to make it in the 80s, not everyone can be the next Michael Jackson or Van Halen. In fact, there are so many one hit wonders that when you play their music you may not even be able to recognize the artist. But back then, there were so few outlets to become famous apart from MTV, unlike the digital world we live in today, where everyone has a voice. Nevertheless, these songs don’t deserve any less credit than their famous counterparts performed by the legends.
One-Hit Wonders from the 1980s
1. “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” by Kate Bush (1985)
Boy this song hit wasn’t only a one-hit but a two-hit wonder, first at the time of its release and again with the release of Stranger Things’ season 4. I’ll admit, I was among the millions who listened to it everywhere: in my car, on the Alexa speaker at home, during flights and of course it was all over Facebook and Instagram.
“Running Up That Hill” was released in the UK as the lead single from Bush’s album Hounds of Love on August 5, 1985 by EMI Records. The lyrics portray a scenario in which a man and woman make “a deal with God” to exchange places.
Upon the original release, it reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It was also Bush’s first US Top 40 hit. She first performed it live in 1984 at the Secret Policeman’s Third Ball, accompanied by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.
But when it appeared on Stranger Things, it gained a whole new level of attention, topping the charts in UK, Ireland, Australia and the US.
2. “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone (1981)
One of the most recognizable songs even today, “867-5309/Jenny” was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2 and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in May 1982 as well as No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in April 1982. The song is most definitely a fad but there isn’t a moment that goes by where I don’t think of it every time I see or hear 867. You wouldn’t think it comes around too often, but it does!
Believe it or not, the song was based off a real person, Jenny, known by the lead guitarist, Jim Keller. He said his friends wrote her name and number on a men’s room wall at a bar. He then called her on a dare and they dated for a while. But surprisingly, he hasn’t spoken to her after the song became a hit because he believes she thinks he’s a jerk for writing it.
3. “Hey Mickey” by Toni Basil (1982)
While Toni Basil may not be the most famous, “Hey Mickey” certainly is! Simply the beat and rhythm of the song makes you want to get up and dance to it. Used in so many dance routines, girls’ parties and school dances, even today’s young Gen Z’ers recognize the boastful beat.
Did you know that this song was originally titled “Kitty” and rumored to be changed by Basil because she had a crush on their drummer and lead vocalist, Micky Dolenz, whom she met on the set of their movie, Head?
It was also previously recorded by the pop group Racey and Mike Chapman and Nicky Chinn wrote the song. But Basil brought it to a whole new level, featuring guitar, synthesizers and cheerleading chants and moves. She also added the chant, “Oh Mickey, you’re so fine”.
4. “Take on Me” by A-ha (1985)
Known as one of the most iconic songs from the 80s, the music video went viral on MTV and has won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.
“Take On Me” was originally from Pål Waaktaar’s and Magne Furuholmen’s previous band, Bridges. They first thought it was too pop-oriented for their band, so they created a more “punky” version. But after Bridges disbanded, Waaktaar and Furuholmen met their school friend, singer Morten Harket, who heard the song and thought it had some universal potential with the keyboard. The group began working on a new version of the song, renaming it to “Lesson One” before evolving it into “Take On Me”.
5. “Relax” by Frankie Hoes to Hollywood (1983)
The keyboard and guitar parts alone to this song just makes you want to bob your head to the beat at least. Perhaps it was the reason why it entered the UK top 75 singles chart in November 1983 and even No. 1 on January 28, 1984. “Relax” was also considered to be one of the most successful and controversial songs of the decade, selling about two million copies in the UK alone.
One of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s singers, Holly Johnson reported that the words came to him as he was walking down Princess Avenue in Liverpool. He described the original version of it as “More a jingle than a song” but he said he preferred to work with songs that were not yet finished because he could “fix them up” in his own way.
6. “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder (1983)
This is such an upbeat song that I love to play this in the car when I just heard some good news or when I’m just in a good mood! “Break My Stride” was released in October 1983 as the lead single from Wilder’s debut album, I Don’t Speak the Language, before it became a major worldwide hit single in late 1983 and early 1984, reaching No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number No. 2 on the Cash Box Top 100.
Since its release, the song was covered by various artists, including Unique II in 1996, Blue Lagoon in 2004 (both of which have garnered success), and in interpolations, including Puff Daddy’s “Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down” in 1997, Aaron Carter with “Stride (Jump on the Fizzy)” in 2001 and Matisyahu with “Jerusalem” in 2009.
7. “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell (1981)
Played in countless grocery stores, radio stations, movies, TV shows…the list goes on. But it’s such a catchy song that it’s so easy to get stuck in your head! It’s even hard to listen to it just once.
“Tainted Love” was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964 and composed by Ed Cobb. But Soft Cell’s version became world famous in 1981, reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and was even known as the best-selling single of 1981 in the UK until the Official Charts Company recalculated the data in 2021, where it was overtaken by “Don’t You Want Me” by The Human League. Since then, it’s been reproduced by a number of artists.
8. “I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock of Seagulls (1982)
Also released as “I Ran”, this song was released as the second single from A Flock of Seagulls’ self-titled debut album. It first topped the charts in Australia, reached No. 7 in New Zealand and No. 9 in the United States as well as was certified silver by the BPI. But sadly, it didn’t make the top 40 in the UK.
The lead vocalist, Mike Score, said there were two main sources of inspiration for the song: they would regularly visit Eric’s Club in Liverpool, where one of the bands had a song called “I Ran”. He noted that because they would rehearse right after returning from Eric’s, the song title and chorus may have gotten stuck in his head. The other source was from a poster at a Zoo Records office. They had visited with the intent of securing a recording contract, and they wanted to use the poster, which featured a man and a woman running away from a flying saucer, to use as the cover for their first album, A Flock of Seagulls (1982).
9. “Maniac” by Michael Sembello (1983)
“Maniac” was actually written by Dennis Matkosky and its performer, Michael Sembello, for the film Flashdance. The original idea came to Matkosky while he was watching a new report on a serial killer, which inspired gruesome lyrics that he and Sembello used after finding a 1980 horror film with the same name. When the director of Flashdance, Adrian Lyne, grew attached to the demo of the song used during filming, his music supervisor Phil Ramone requested lyrics more appropriate for their story of a dancer and worked with Sembello to produce a new version for the soundtrack. This version was then used for the scene during Alexandra Owens rigorously trains at home.
Shortly after the film was a surprise success, a music video was made using the scenes from the film and began rotating on MTV in May 1983, along with the release of the single. For two weeks, the song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and performed well in several countries. But because the video was in high rotation on MTV, Flashdance became the third highest-grossing film of 1983 in the US, where Hollywood began to see music videos as a profitable way to market films.
10. “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” by Dead or Alive (1985)
Perhaps what makes this song so popular is the immediate kickoff of the colorful keyboard part. It throws the audience into an energetic trance that makes it hard to sit still, apart from the beat being so catchy. Combine it with Pete Burns’ deep voice, and you’ve got a world famous hit.
Featured on their second album, Youthquake (1985), “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” was released as a single in November 1984 and reached No. 1 in the UK in March 1985. In the US, it peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 17, 1985.
In his autobiography, Pete Burns stated that he composed this song by using two existing songs by for creating something new: “I Wanted Your Love” by Luther Vandross and “See You Round Like a Record” by Little Nell. Burns also wanted it to be produced by Stock Aitken Watermen, despite commenting that there was a lot of tension between the band and the team. In fact, Burns had to take out a £2,500 loan to record it. The record company also said it was awful, so much that the band had to fund production of the song’s video themselves. I’m sure they felt silly once they realized the amount of traction it gained once it became famous!
11. “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell (1984)
Every time I hear this song it reminds me of the song “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, especially when I hear his voice in this song. But it has that creepy, monster vibe that makes it a great Halloween hit!
“Somebody’s Watching Me” was released as the lead single from his debut studio album of the same name. It also features guest vocals by Rockwell’s brothers Michael Jackson (in the chorus) and Jermaine Jackson (additional backing vocals).
Soon after the song was released, it gained international success, topping the charts in France, Spain, Belgium and the top 5 in Canada, West Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States. In the UK, it reached No. 6 and is Rockwell’s only top 40 hit on the UK Singles Chart.
12. “(I Just) Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew (1986)
Maybe I just love the guitar music from the 80s (I have always favored the 80s rock songs above all else), but this is definitely a song I listen to on a regular basis. It’s just an emotionally powerful song that can hit home no matter what you’re feeling.
“(I Just) Died in Your Arms” was the debut single for Cutting Crew from their debut studio album, Broadcast (1986). Even today, the song remains the band’s biggest hit, peaking at No. 1 in the United States, Finland, Norway and Canada and reaching the top 5 in the UK, Sweden, Switzerland and South Africa.
According to Van Eede, who wrote the song, the words “I just died in your arms tonight” just came to him while he was having sex with his girlfriend. After writing it down, he used it as the opening line to the song and also used it as the chorus.
13. “All Night Long (All Night” by Lionel Richie (1983)
As much as I’m afraid to admit that this song isn’t in as heavy rotation on my playlist as others, it really is a fantastic song, especially with its reggae, dance-pop twist.
“All Night Long (All Night) was taken from Lionel Richie’s second solo album, Can’t Slow Down (1983), which combined his soulful Commodores style with influences from the Caribbean. It also reached No. 1 on three Billboard charts for pop, R&B and adult contemporary. It also peaked at No. 2 on the UK singles chart.
While the lyrics were written (mostly) in English , Richie admitted that “African” lyrics in the song, such as “Tom bo li de say de moi ya” and “Jambo jumbo”, were his sui generis dialects. He described the portions of the song as a “wonderful joke”, written when he found out that he didn’t have the time to hire a translator to contribute the foreign language lyrics he wished to include in the song.
14. “Maneater” by Daryl Hall & John Oates (1982)
This song, in my opinion, doesn’t get good until it hits the chorus. It may not even be recognizable to most until it reaches this part, but it certainly is a catchy song!
“Maneater” was featured on Daryl Hall & John Oates’ eleventh studio album, H2O (1982), where it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on December 18, 1982. Remaining there for four weeks, it outlasted any of the duo’s five other No. 1 hits, including “Kiss on My List”, which remained there for three weeks.
While in production, John had written the prototype of “Maneater” as a reggae song first, until it turned into a Motown kind of groove. Performing it first for Sara Allen with the lyrics, “She’s a maneater…and a…” she cut him off saying, “drop that shit at the end and go, ‘She’s a maneater,’ and stop!” At first, he didn’t believe her, until he thought about it and realized it made all the difference in the song.
15. “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles (1981)
While The Buggles may not have been the most iconic band of the 80s, they had the HUGE honor of having their music video featured on MTV, airing at 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981. It was also the first video shown on MTV Classic in the UK on March 1, 2010. Finally, it received a few critical accolades, such as reaching No. 40 on VH1’s 100 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the ‘80s. Since then, it’s been covered by many recoding artists.
Despite the success in the 80s, “Video Killed the Radio Star” was actually written in 1979 and recorded concurrently by Bruce Woolley and the Camera Club for their album English Garden and by the Buggles.
The song is about mixed attitudes towards the 20th century inventions and machines for the media arts. Since its release, the song has gained a ton of positive feedback as Downes and writer Timothy described it as musically complicated due to the use of suspended and minor ninth chords, which gave the song a “slightly different feel”.
16. “St. Elmos Fire (Man in Motion)” by John Parr (1985)
Another amazing song produced from a Hollywood hit, “St. Elmos Fire (Man in Motion)” was created for the 1985 film St. Elmo’s Fire, which hit No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on September 7, 1985 and remained there for two weeks. It was used as the main theme for the film and first single for the soundtrack. But what I find personally impressive is the fact that it was created within 24 hours.
While David Foster and John Parr were contracted to write the song for the film, Parr struggled with inspiration for the lyrics. But when Foster showed Parr a news clip about the Canadian athlete Rick Hansen, who at the time was going around the world in his wheelchair to raise awareness for spinal cord injuries. His journey was called the “Man in Motion Tour”, which Parr decided to help the campaign by writing words that would vaguely fit the film, but actually directly referenced Hansen’s efforts.
17. “Forget Me Nots” by Patrice Rushen (1982)
While most people recognize this song from Men In Black, this one always reminds me of the scene in Big when Josh (Tom Hanks) and Susan (Elizabeth Perkins) were in Josh’s apartment where Susan thought she was going to get some, when they actually went to play games and jump on his trampoline.
“Forget Me Nots” appeared on Patrice Rushen’s seventh album, Straight from the Heart and was originally deemed by record label executives as a “flop” until it debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 90 on May 1, 1982. It peaked at No. 23 on July 3, 1982. While Rushen had a number of songs on the R&B and Dance charts, “Forget Me Nots” was her only top 40 hit in the US. It also gained much international success in the UK and New Zealand.
The lyrics are from the point of view of one professing her longing to rekindle a love with her ex-lover. In one part of the music video, the girlfriend of the ex turns her attention to another man and the singer then reunites with the ex, vacate the premises and leave the now-ex-girlfriend forlorn.
18. “Oh Yeah” by Yello (1985)
Tell me you don’t think of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off the moment this song comes on, especially when the defeated, tattered Edward Rooney gets on the bus full of kids to sit next to the nerdy big-glasses girl with the warm red gummy bear in her pocket. Oh (yeah), the memories.
While this song was featured on Yello’s album, Stella, it didn’t become popular until it was featured in the movies Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and The Secret of My Success, among others. Nevertheless, it has never left the pop culture mainstream.
Upon writing the song, Boris Blank said, “First I did the music and then I invited Dieter to sing along, and he came up with some lines which I thought, ‘no Dieter, it’s too complicated, we don’t need that many lyrics’. I had the idea of just this guy, a fat little monster sits there very relaxed and says, “Oh yeah, oh yeah”. So I told him, ‘Why don’t you try just to sing on and on ‘oh yeah’? Dieter was very angry when I told him this and he said, ‘Are you crazy, all the time “Oh yeah”? Are you crazy?! I can’t do this, no no, come on, come on.’ And then he said, ‘some lyrics, like “the moon… beautiful”, is this too much?!’ and I said, ‘no, it’s OK’, and then he did this ‘oh yeah’ and at the end he thought, ‘yeah it’s nice’, he loved it himself also. And also I wanted to install lots of human noises, all kind of phonetic rhythms with my mouth; you hear lots of noises in the background which are done with my mouth.”
What is Your Favorite One Hit Wonder Song?
Surely there are way too many one hit wonder songs to list them all out. One could even write a book about them, but all of the songs in the list above are my personal favorites.
But what do you think? What other one hit wonder songs are you into that didn’t make this list? I’d love to hear them in the comments below!
