# Best one-hit wonder song of the 80's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319 "2009-11-20T19:24:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/1 "2009-11-20T19:24:53Z")
I happened to catch VH1’s countdown of the top one-hit wonder songs of the 80’s. When I started watching it, I thought the answer was a no-brainer. VH1, however, chose **Come on, Eileen** , by Dexy’s Midnight Runners. A one-hit wonder, for sure. But the best? Not even close, IMO. The first song that popped into my head was \*\*867-5309/Jenny \*\*by Tommy Tutone. (I think it was #3 or #4) So, what say you, oh teeming millions? Your choice? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/2 "2009-11-20T19:26:48Z")
I HATE Come on Eileen. The phone number song is a nice choice. What about “She’s Like the Wind” from Dirty Dancing? That was 80’s, wasn’t it, and IIRC, Patrick Swayze’s sole contribution to popular music. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/3 "2009-11-20T19:28:17Z")
_Take On Me_ by a-ha. Greatest 80s song, not just greatest one-hit wonder. (got the #3 spot on VH1’s list. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/4 "2009-11-20T19:28:25Z")
Either **Come On, Eileen** or\*\* Rock Me, Amadeus\*\*. I fear this will devolve into what counts as a one-hit wonder or not. Nearly every artist who has one good hit will have another that at least charted. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/5 "2009-11-20T19:35:18Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > _Take On Me_ by a-ha. Greatest 80s song, not just greatest one-hit wonder. (got the #3 spot on VH1’s list. \*\*Take On Me \*\*is my #2. Not only a great song, but one of the coolest videos ever… (when MTV actually \*showed \*music videos). Man, I’m showing my age. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/6 "2009-11-20T19:38:32Z")
[Bitter Heart](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXhSqmfRTfY) by Seona Dancing (sung by a young Ricky Gervais!) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/7 "2009-11-20T19:38:47Z")
I’ll nominate the 81’ version of **Tainted Love** by _Soft Cell_ ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/8 "2009-11-20T19:48:18Z")
M/A/R/R/S’ “Pump Up The Volume”. The sampling, the beat, the randomness-it was just quintessential 80s. On top of that, there was no follow-up single that even touched the charts, they did two songs and that was it. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/9 "2009-11-20T19:49:17Z")
a-ha is far from a one hit wonder. Might as well put “Thriller” on that list. Falco had “Der Kommissar”, so “Amadeus” shouldn’t be on there. I don’t mind “867-5309”, but it doesn’t deserve the #1 spot. Sorry Tommy. Put on your overalls and sing too-ra-loo-rye-aye, “Come on Eileen” is deserving of the #1 spot. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/10 "2009-11-20T19:50:28Z")
“Tarzan Boy”, by Baltimora ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/11 "2009-11-20T19:51:40Z")
> [@kenner116](#): > > Put on your overalls and sing too-ra-loo-rye-aye, “Come on Eileen” is deserving of the #1 spot. I think I’d agree with this, just on the uniqueness of the song. It was like some kind of weird English country music; a total departure from the new-wave and synth pop which marked the musical atmosphere of that decade. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/12 "2009-11-20T19:53:03Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > M/A/R/R/S’ “Pump Up The Volume”. The sampling, the beat, the randomness-it was just quintessential 80s. On top of that, there was no follow-up single that even touched the charts, they did two songs and that was it. “Hey all you homeboys out in bronx, this one’s for you!” ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/13 "2009-11-20T19:56:02Z")
I was going to say **Sunglasses At Night** , but apparently Corey Hart did pretty throughout the 80’s in Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/14 "2009-11-20T19:56:46Z")
_I Melt With You_ by Modern English gets my vote. _Come On Eileen_ conjures up too many naughty images for me. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/15 "2009-11-20T19:57:22Z")
[Turning Japanese](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turning_Japanese) by The Vapors. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/16 "2009-11-20T20:01:05Z")
> [@kenner116](#): > > Falco had “Der Kommissar”, so “Amadeus” shouldn’t be on there. Falco’s [Der Kommisar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Kommissar_%28song%29)was not a hit in the US or UK. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/17 "2009-11-20T20:03:05Z")
I remember having an argument over the results of some similar poll with my ex-husband. We couldn’t come to any agreement, and I had to go somewhere, so as I walked out, he called after me, “As soon as you close that door, I’m going to BLAST Come On Eileen!” The unfortunate verb choice and word order of that sentence absolutely slew me, and I was rendered incapable of going anywhere for a while… There were really some good one hit wonders of the eighties and I can’t give a definitive answer, but I do have a soft spot for Heart and Soul, by T’Pau. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/18 "2009-11-20T20:03:13Z")
> [@bup](#): > > Falco’s [Der Kommisar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Der_Kommissar_%28song%29)was not a hit in the US or UK. “Vienna Calling” was, though. … Corey Hart had “Never Surrender” in the U.S., too, which was not far behind “Sunglass at Night” in popularity. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/19 "2009-11-20T20:06:47Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > I was going to say **Sunglasses At Night** , but apparently Corey Hart did pretty throughout the 80’s in Canada. I should have put some parameters on this. I believe (and someone please correct me if I’m wrong), VH1’s method was to look at US charts only (many of the bands/singers had multiple hits in the UK, for example). I also believe that each one of the songs had to be a big hit in the US (not sure if they required a #1 ranking, but close), and they had no other song that made a significant impact on the charts. Again, US only. a-ha, as mentioned, had some other songs, but nothing as successful as \*\*Take On Me \*\*in the US. I put \*\*Come On Eileen \*\*in the same category as **Safety Dance**. Horrid noise, and I could never understand the appeal. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2009, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/20 "2009-11-20T20:16:18Z")
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