# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Imasquare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Imasquare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Imasquare)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/81 "2009-11-22T12:23:05Z")
I rather like C’est La Vie by Robbie Neville. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/82 "2009-11-22T13:41:56Z")
I nominate **It’s My Life** by Talk Talk. As a young metalhead, a lot of 80’s pop songs didn’t appeal to me, but I allowed for a few exceptions such as this one. Also add **Lunatic Fringe** by Red Rider to the list. I’d also include hits by the Fixx, but they had more than one significant hit. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/83 "2009-11-22T16:03:38Z")
Vote in for _I Melt With You_ (oh, memories!) and _She Blinded Me with Science_ and adding to the playlist: Obsession - Animotion Too Shy - Kajagoogoo Love Plus One - Haircut 100 Electric Avenue - Eddy Grant Puttin’ On the Ritz - Taco As for Talk Talk, I was a big fan of _[Talk Talk](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuTYOB53xE0)_ as well (All you do to me is talk, talk…) ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/84 "2009-11-22T16:06:34Z")
“Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. Now some folks argue that Berlin isn’t a one-hit wonder band, but looking at their best of album, I don’t recognize any of the other songs. So I stand by my statement. > **[Amazon.com: The Best Of Berlin: 20th Century Masters - Millennium Collection:...](https://www.amazon.com/Best-Berlin-Century-Millennium-Collection/dp/B000000OQU)** > > Product Description By the time Top Gun introduced this LA electro-pop band to the masses, they'd been scoring Geffen hits for three years. Here are 12 of their best: that soundtrack smash, Take My Breath Away ; the hits Sex (I'm A); the... ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/85 "2009-11-22T16:11:14Z")
But Thomas Dolby has several other, better songs - _Hyperactive, I Scare Myself_, and _Close But No Cigar_ were hits, and _Pulp Culture_’s really good though lesser known. Gary Newman’s _Cars_ was my first thought. Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s _Relax_ probably also qualifies (can’t quite believe we were all singing THOSE lyrics once upon a time). ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/86 "2009-11-22T16:17:09Z")
Pachelbel’s Canon – written in the 80s (1680s), tremendously popular today and in the last century, and about the only thing by Pachelbel that is still played in popular culture (weddings, movies). ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/87 "2009-11-22T16:23:28Z")
> [@PunditLisa](#): > > “Take My Breath Away” by Berlin. > > Now some folks argue that Berlin isn’t a one-hit wonder band, but looking at their best of album, I don’t recognize any of the other songs. So I stand by my statement. > > [Amazon.com: The Best Of Berlin: 20th Century Masters - Millennium Collection: CDs & Vinyl](http://www.amazon.com/Best-Berlin-Century-Millennium-Collection/dp/B000000OQU/ref=sr_1_1/182-9105923-9590851?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1258905925&sr=8-1) “[The Metro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVLRPSEVaE&feature=related)” is the first song I think of when I think of Berlin, not “Take My Breath Away”. You may also have heard their song “[Sex](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raq8maAutAE)” depending on how old you are and what kind of music you listened to back in those days. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/88 "2009-11-22T16:33:51Z")
_Things will only get better_ by Howard Jones ca. 1985. It was on the radio constantly, had one best of the best hooks of the 80s and really nailed that “Dire Straits”-type sound. I could never remember who sang it. Howard Jones could have done with a stage name. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/89 "2009-11-22T16:41:17Z")
> [@ShibbOleth](#): > > “[The Metro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNVLRPSEVaE&feature=related)” is the first song I think of when I think of Berlin, not “Take My Breath Away”. > > You may also have heard their song “[Sex](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raq8maAutAE)” depending on how old you are and what kind of music you listened to back in those days. I graduated from high school in '84. I’ve never heard “Metro” before. ---
**Author:** ![LC\_Strawhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@LC\_Strawhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LC_Strawhouse)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/90 "2009-11-22T16:41:37Z")
And what about The Terminator theme music by Brad Fiedel. Kids loved playing that on their Casio keyboards back in the day. I don’t think Brad F has done any other music that got noticed. ---
**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 22, 2009, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/91 "2009-11-22T17:03:22Z")
These probably won’t be considered the “best” by anyone, but might fit in on the playlist: Scandal - _Goodbye To You_ Icicle Works - _Whisper To A Scream_ Yaz - _Don’t Go_ ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/92 "2009-11-22T18:35:16Z")
I used to love Leslie Pearl’s, _If The Love Fits_ which hit #28 (Hot 100) #7 on the A/C. Mathew Wilder’s, _Break My Stride_ #5 (Hot 100) Charlie Dore’s _Pilot Of The Airways_ (this might have been 1979 Taco’s #3 song, _Puttin’ On The Ritz_ There were quite a lot in the early 80s. Of course it depends on your defintion of a one hit wonder. To me a one hit wonder has only 1 hit in the top 40. This would make Charlene qualify for “I’ve Never Been To Me,” though she had a few more hits, like “Used To Be,” which reached 43 and the original “I’ve Never Been To Me,” hit the low 90s in 1977 Interestingly enough some groups fade out but go on in other countries. For instance, someone mentioned Katrina and The Waves who had “Walking On Sunshine,” but they went on in the 90s to win the Eurovision contest with “Love Shine a Light” in 1997. Sheena Easton faded out in the early 90s but still remained huge in Japan, making a couple more albums there. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/93 "2009-11-22T19:25:36Z")
> [@fessie](#): > > But Thomas Dolby has several other, better songs - _Hyperactive, I Scare Myself_, and _Close But No Cigar_ were hits, and _Pulp Culture_’s really good though lesser known. That’s the difference between U.S. and U.K. perceptions of Dolby. Stateside, “She Blinded Me with Science” was a huge hit, while it was only a modest hit in the U.K. “Hyperactive” (a lousy song, IMO) got a lot of MTV play but charted poorly (#62) here, while in the U.K. it was his biggest hit. None of the other songs you mention bothered the U.S. charts at all. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/94 "2009-11-22T22:02:35Z")
At the risk of killing this thread, as is my nature, I submit: Starry Eyes is perhaps the quintessential power pop tune. I had that album. All Messed Up and Ready to Go is another huge number. Teen-O-Rama too. I can’t think of that song without thinking of this one too. Loved loved loved this when it came out. Bram Tchaikovsky- Girl of my Dreams [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JbcABkQsLB8/hqdefault.jpg "Bram Tchaikovsky - Girl Of My Dreams") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbcABkQsLB8) Quinna power pop from LA. Pretty sure this qualifies for one hit wonder status. The Plimsolls- A Million Miles Away [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qei8FeFcjMk) Last one. Matthew Sweet- Girlfriend. Never heard of him before or since but this is a great number. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14t1UsNei0) ---
**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 22, 2009, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/95 "2009-11-22T22:05:04Z")
If you can find a copy of the Valley Girl soundtrack album, it’s got lots of great tunes from this era (Plimsouls, Gary Numan, Josie Cotten, etc.)…TRM ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/96 "2009-11-22T22:50:05Z")
“Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Taco? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2009, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/97 "2009-11-22T22:55:39Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > At the risk of killing this thread, as is my nature, I submit: > > Starry Eyes is perhaps the quintessential power pop tune. I had that album. All Messed Up and Ready to Go is another huge number. Teen-O-Rama too. > > I can’t think of that song without thinking of this one too. Loved loved loved this when it came out. > > Bram Tchaikovsky- Girl of my Dreams > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbcABkQsLB8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbcABkQsLB8) > > Quinna power pop from LA. Pretty sure this qualifies for one hit wonder status. > > The Plimsolls- A Million Miles Away > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qei8FeFcjMk&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qei8FeFcjMk&feature=related) > > Last one. Matthew Sweet- Girlfriend. Never heard of him before or since but this is a great number. > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14t1UsNei0](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I14t1UsNei0) I’m assuming these are British references, or you are listening to non-mainstream music, because most of these songs – or even groups – were obscure in the U.S. For example, Starry Eyes by the Records only got to #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and I wasn’t sure if Teen-O-Rama was the name of a group or a song. The Plimsouls peaked at #82, Matthew Sweet’s only U.S. hit (Sick of Myself) stalled at #58, and so on. Bram Tchaikovsky’s Girl of my Dreams did get all the way to #37 however. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/98 "2009-11-23T00:39:27Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > These probably won’t be considered the “best” by anyone, but might fit in on the playlist: > > Scandal - _Goodbye To You_ > Icicle Works - _Whisper To A Scream_ > Yaz - _Don’t Go_ I would think that _The Warrior_ is Scandal’s better known hit. Good call on _Whisper to a Scream_, though. I didn’t even know who that was and I really like that song! Do you remember [_Situation_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPiMbg4yVWk) by Yaz? I always thought it was called Move Out. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/99 "2009-11-23T01:29:46Z")
> [@whitetho](#): > > I’m assuming these are British references, or you are listening to non-mainstream music, because most of these songs – or even groups – were obscure in the U.S. For example, Starry Eyes by the Records only got to #56 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and I wasn’t sure if Teen-O-Rama was the name of a group or a song. The Plimsouls peaked at #82, Matthew Sweet’s only U.S. hit (Sick of Myself) stalled at #58, and so on. Bram Tchaikovsky’s Girl of my Dreams did get all the way to #37 however. Those songs were all big on college radio. (Which is to say they were “alternative” back when that word really meant something.) And Plimsouls and Matthew Sweet are American acts. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319/100 "2009-11-23T01:49:03Z")
> [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > _Things will only get better_ by Howard Jones ca. 1985. I think Jones’ **No One is to Blame** is a terrific song. That one makes it onto my main iPod playlist frequently. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-one-hit-wonder-song-of-the-80s/518319.md?page=6)