The 10 Greatest: One-Hit Wonders of the 80s

The Greatest: One Hit Wonders of the 80s

There were a lot of one hit groups in the 80s who charted with quirky or experimental tunes.  Many of these artists moved on to other bands or solo careers in the 90s, but they cut their teeth on the dance pop and new wave of the 80s.  Some of their work refuses to die, and instead, has become iconic. 

Here are my picks for the Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.  Criteria I considered for inclusion were:

• 1.) The song has to have a unique sound. It should stand out from the crowd.
• 2.) The song had to break the Top 20 on the US charts.
• 3.) The artist or band could not have had any US hits of more or similar significance before or after the song.
• 4.) The "icon" factor, i.e. are you likely to hear the song on a retro station, is it a club classic, is it often included on movie soundtracks, does it often appear on compilation albums, etc.

Here they are in reverse order:

TEN 

99 Luftballoons - Nena

1984

German artist Nena could barely pronounce the English lyrics.  Perhaps her slurry rendition is part of the appeal because 99 Luftballoons is still played a lot, the English version having made its way into light rock play lists everywhere.  This was Nena's only hit outside Germany.  The German language version topped the US charts at No.2.

NINE 

Puttin' On the Ritz - Taco

1983

Indonesian Taco Ockerse took an old Irving Berlin song, changed some lyrics, juiced it up and turned it into a worldwide sensation.  When it debuted, Puttin' On the Ritz stood out from the rest of the pack like Taco's rhinestone encrusted spats.  Taco's version of Puttin' On the Ritz is still used in commercials and appears in many compilations.  Puttin On the Ritz hit No. 4 on the US charts.

EIGHT

Take On Me - A-Ha

1985

Norwegian band A-Ha blew away the MTV competition with their delightfully fresh hand rotoscoped video of the song.  This synth confection still stands as a perfect example of optimistic 80s pop. Because the video still looks great, the song continues to garner airplay on light rock and retro stations.  Take On Me hit No. 1 on the US charts.

SEVEN

Come On Eileen - Dexy's Midnight Runners

1983

Come on Eileen topped the charts at No 1. Its catchy, strings-backed arrangement gives this song a sort of good-natured urgency that's just fun.  Come On Eileen was a refreshing entry in a field of bland new wave.  Most recently, I heard it looping on the house tape at Chili's, of all places. Now that's just sad.

SIX

Funkytown - Lipps, Inc

1980

Recorded as disco was gasping its last breath, Funkytown is infused with 1970s self-absorption set to a flippant techno beat.  Although Funkytown was remade later in the 80s by Pseudo Echo, the original version by Lipps, Inc. is the better of the two arrangements and is the one that nearly always lands on soundtracks and dance compilations.  Funkytown topped the charts at No. 1.

FIVE 

Mickey - Toni Basil

1982

There are few songs as goofishly appealing as Mickey.  Toni Basil wasn't even a vocalist but a sometime actress and choreographer.  The simple, yet engaging video was wildly popular on MTV, helping to vault this single to No. 1.  Mickey continues to turn up on the occasional movie soundtrack.

FOUR 

She Blinded Me With Science - Thomas Dolby

1983

Thomas Dolby's paean from a lovesick geek is pure 80s...heavy on the synthesizers and smirky with the pathos.  The video, with a nod to Frankenstein, made MTV's list of top clips of the 80s.  Samples of the song regularly show up on TV shows, soundtracks, and compilations.  She Blinded Me With Science hit No. 5 in the US, but Dolby was never able to crack the top of the charts in his native Britain.

THREE

Axl F - Harold Faltermeyer

1985

Axl F became a No. 3 hit after it was included on the Beverly Hills Cop soundtrack. This instrumental piece is truly representative of the machine sound influence in 80s music.  The song was recorded using only electronic instruments, including the distinctive LinnDrum machine.  Axl F influenced so many later recordings that is certainly deserves a place on this list

TWO

Major Tom (Coming Home) - Peter Schilling

1983

Major Tom deserves a special place in the annals of 80s music. The song is the most rare of musical animals...a sequel to another artist's song, in this case David Bowie's Space Oddity.  Although it only made No. 14 on US charts, the hauntingly nihilist Major Tom is still played often on soft rock and retro stations and its one of the few songs that everyone knows the words to. 

ONE

Tainted Love - Soft Cell

1982

Soft Cell covered a song by soul artist Gloria Jones. What they added to it was pure 80s techno and a fantastic hook (the beep-ba-deep sound) that got sampled into too many other songs to name.  Tainted Love topped the charts at No. 8 but has stayed on retro play lists since 1982.

_____________________ 

Songs I wanted to include but couldn't:

Der Kommisar - After the Fire. Although After the Fire had a one-hit with Der Kommisar in 1983t, the original recording by Falco in 1981 (and in German) was much better.  I couldn't include the Falco version because he topped it with Rock Me Amadeus.

I Melt With You - Modern English. Definitely a one-hit and it's sometimes used for commercials but it doesn't sound significantly different from other songs.

Mexican Radio - Wall of Voodoo. Probably my favorite song of the 80s. "I wish I was in Tijuana, eating bar-b-cued iguana." But it almost never gets any airplay any more and rarely even appears on compilations.

I Know What Boys Like -  The Waitresses. So bad it's good but unfortunately this song never made the Top 20. Little tear. *sob

Etcetera

There's a quaint video of Taco's Puttin' On the Ritz featuring an old Disney cartoon with dancing skeletons at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4Mq0iAf95c

A-Ha's video is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUod3jGQt0U

Rotoscoping was the technique used to create the film A Scanner Darkly, and some commercials that have been popping up on TV lately.  Everything old is new again.

Here are the lyrics to Major Tom (Coming Home). See, you knew them.

Standing there alone
the ship is waiting
all systems are go
are you sure?
control is not convinced
but the computer
has the evidence
"no need to abort"
the countdown starts

watching in a trance
the crew is certain
nothing left to chance
all is working
trying to relax
up in the capsule
"send me up a drink"
jokes Major Tom
the count goes on

4 3 2 1
Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
calling calling home...

second stage is cut
we're now in orbit
stabilizers up
runnning perfect
starting to collect
requested data
what will it effect
when all is done
thinks Major Tom

back at ground control
there is a problem
go to rockets full
not responding
"hello Major Tom
are you receiving
turn the thrusters on
we're standing by"
there's no reply

4 3 2 1
Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
calling calling home...

across the stratosphere
a final message
"give my wife my love"
then nothing more

far beneath the ship
the world is mourning
they don't realize
he's alive
no one understands
but Major Tom sees
now the life commands
this is my home
I'm coming home

Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
coming home...
Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
coming home...
Earth below us
drifting falling
floating weightless
coming coming home...
home.....