# What are your favority 80's one hit wonder songs? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 1, 2004, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032 "2004-10-01T15:26:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/81 "2004-10-02T07:03:05Z")
“Obsession” by Animotion “Unbelievable” by EMF “Never Say Never” by Romeo Void And **fishbicycle** , I absolutely LOVE “People Who Died” by the Jim Carroll Band! ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/82 "2004-10-02T07:04:39Z")
[Frida - I Know There’s Something Going On](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:bqf3zfjheh4k) [Eight Seconds - Kiss You When It’s Dangerous](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&searchlink=EIGHT%7CSECONDS&uid=SUB030410020306&sql=11:nq5a8qbtbtn4~T0) [Murray Head - One Night In Bangkok](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gcm1z88ajyv5) ---
**Author:** ![Flipstrip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f6c823/32.png) [@Flipstrip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipstrip)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/83 "2004-10-02T07:06:41Z")
One more: “Jukebox” by the Flirts ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/84 "2004-10-02T12:27:30Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > BTW, virtually every song mentioned in this thread is available in the _Living in Oblivion, The 80s Greatest Hits_ series. An absolute must for any car journey. And also, I’m alarmed to say, on my iPod. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/85 "2004-10-02T12:46:41Z")
> [@Sauron](#): > > Who did “Turning Japanese”? I don’t think they had any other hits. That would be The Vapors > [@](#): > > “Talking In Your Sleep” by The Romantics The Romantics are better known for _What I like about you_. ---
**Author:** ![BlackNGold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BlackNGold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackNGold)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/86 "2004-10-02T14:17:28Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder I, a few years ago, nominated this as the biggest song I would never hear again. Within a few days, it was in a car insurance commercial. Same with the _Dead or Alive_ song “You spin me right round”. I believe that one was a vacuum cleaner commercial. ---
**Author:** ![Complex\_Conjugate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Complex\_Conjugate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Complex_Conjugate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/87 "2004-10-02T14:40:44Z")
> [@Flipstrip](#): > > “Obsession” by Animotion > “Unbelievable” by EMF > “Never Say Never” by Romeo Void > And **fishbicycle** , I absolutely LOVE “People Who Died” by the Jim Carroll Band! Somone’s being playing GTA: Vice City! Though “Unbelievable” was actually released in the early nineties and EMF though formed in the last few months of the eighties were very much a nineties band. ---
**Author:** ![fessie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@fessie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fessie)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/88 "2004-10-02T15:40:28Z")
**Cars** (In Cars?) by Gary Neuman **Relax** by Frankie Goes to Hollywood (although I think most of Pleasuredome is pretty good) ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/89 "2004-10-02T17:55:33Z")
> [@TeaElle](#): > > Actually it was written and originally recorded by the late, great Kirsty MacColl who was a good friend of Tracey’s. Kirsty sang backup on Tracey’s version, and the “Baby!” you hear right after the guitar solo mid-song is actually Kirsty; Tracey couldn’t pull it off successfully (to her own satisfaction) and asked Kirsty to sing it for her. The video, with a cameo from Paul McCartney, is outrageously adorable and kitschy, much like Ullman herself. Kirsty also wrote **You Broke My Heart in 17 Places** , which Ullman recorded on the record of the same name which featured **They Don’t Know**. I have the album and I have the 45 of **They Don’t Know**. I really, really hope that the son of a bitch who killed Kirsty on the day before Christmas in 2000 is suffering terribly. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/90 "2004-10-02T18:02:33Z")
> [@foxymoron](#): > > “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me” by Naked Eyes is one of my verymost favorite 80’s songs, and as far as I know, Naked Eyes didn’t have any other hits. But they do have a Best of… album, so I’m probably wrong. “Promises Promises,” although I don’t know if or how high it charted. I’m getting all jonesy for “Crash” by The Primitives. The epitome of bubble gum 80s pop. nd I have about 90% of the previously mentioned songs in my iPod 80s playlist, plus about 100 more. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/91 "2004-10-02T18:21:08Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > “Promises Promises,” although I don’t know if or how high it charted. #11. ---
**Author:** ![maleinblack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e5b9ba/32.png) [@maleinblack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maleinblack)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/92 "2004-10-02T18:30:44Z")
I would humbly nominate **Never gonna give you up** by Rick Astley. I am sure he might have other hits but I think this is the song everyone identifies him with. And as someone mentioned earlier, **Always something to remind me** is a damn great song. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/93 "2004-10-02T20:38:06Z")
> [@Dante](#): > > **The Timelords** - _Doctorin’ the Tardis_ During the 1990s the Timelords called themselves the KLF and had two his with **3am Eternal** and **Justified and Ancient** (with Tammy Wynette). > [@](#): > > There were other bands that had a couple of dance hits too, like **2 Unlimited** , **Black Box** , **Snap** & **Technotronic**. > > Boy, I have some downloa…, I mean, _buying_ to do. Yessssss, buying… All of those bands you listed, save Technotronic, were all in the 1990s. Technotronic had more than one hit. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/94 "2004-10-02T20:41:03Z")
> [@maleinblack](#): > > I would humbly nominate **Never gonna give you up** by Rick Astley. I am sure he might have other hits but I think this is the song everyone identifies him with. > > And as someone mentioned earlier, **Always something to remind me** is a damn great song. Rick Astley had multiple hits(which all sounded vaguely the same) and was from the Stock, Aikmann(sp?), Waterman group that did the hits **I Should Be So Lucky** and **the Locomotion** for Kylie Minogue, **This Time I Know It’s For Real** for Donna Summer, and a variety of songs by Bananarama. ---
**Author:** ![Complex\_Conjugate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Complex\_Conjugate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Complex_Conjugate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/95 "2004-10-02T20:42:22Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > During the 1990s the Timelords called themselves the KLF and had two his with **3am Eternal** and **Justified and Ancient** (with Tammy Wynette). Infact they’ve had many different names, The Justified Ancients of Mu (?) was another one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/96 "2004-10-02T20:44:43Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > “Harden My Heart” by Quarterflash (they hated that song for being so popular and ruining their career) Quarterflash also had a top 40 hit with **Find Another Fool** off the same album. They’re from Portland, OR(if memory serves) and their debut was the first album released on Geffen Records. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/97 "2004-10-02T20:46:03Z")
> [@Complex Conjugate](#): > > Infact they’ve had many different names, The Justified Ancients of Mu (?) was another one of them. Which is referenced in **Justified and Ancient**. ---
**Author:** ![Complex\_Conjugate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Complex\_Conjugate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Complex_Conjugate)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/98 "2004-10-02T20:46:52Z")
> [@Mockingbird](#): > > Rick Astley had multiple hits(which all sounded vaguely the same) and was from the Stock, Aikmann(sp?), Waterman group that did the hits **I Should Be So Lucky** and **the Locomotion** for Kylie Minogue, **This Time I Know It’s For Real** for Donna Summer, and a variety of songs by Bananarama. And don’t forget their first one, “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/99 "2004-10-02T22:07:13Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Was it re-released in '85? No, Norman Greenbaum’s version was released in 1970. Doctor and The Medics _cover_ was released in 1985. > [@](#): > > First time I saw his picture was today. I always pictured him as a 13 year old Jewish kid playing guitar in the basment. WAY TO GO NORMAN! 😃 I always wondered how Mama and Papa Greenbaum felt about their boy singing about his friend Jesus. I also love the tune “If I Was” by Midge Ure though it’s not really fair to consider him a one hit wonder because he had quite a few hits (if not in the U.S.) as lead singer of Ultravox. He was just a one hit wonder as a solo artist. 🙂 Rick Astley also charted with “Together Forever” and “It Would Take a Strong, Strong Man” so he’s also off the list. Dead or Alive had “Brand New Lover” which was Top 10 later in 1985. Matthew Wilder didn’t need a second hit; he was mainly a producer in the 80s, and is even moreso one today. He was responsible for the majority of production on No Doubt’s “Rock Steady” album and (IIRC) the remastering on their greatest hits package, just to name one job. But the album that “Break My Stride” came from was terrific outside of the kitschy singles. > [@Mockingbird](#): > > I really, really hope that the son of a bitch who killed Kirsty on the day before Christmas in 2000 is suffering terribly. I read a retrospective of Kirsty’s career in late 2001/early 2002 which mentioned that he was in an inpatient psychiatric facility. Seems like it really was a stupid accident (caused by negligence, but not intent) but it has apparently devastated him. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Vlad\_Igor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032/100 "2004-10-02T22:21:16Z")
> [@Rodd Hill](#): > > I’m not sure if Gary Numan’s “Cars” came out in '79 or '80…but another great tune. He also had “Are Friends Electric”, and I’m sure he’s had some airplay across the Pond with his newer music. Sausalito Summer nights? The Reflex? Oh, man, I didn’t think anyone else remembered them. What about “We are who we are” by The Other Ones? Many of the songs mentioned so far I have/had on compilation tapes I made during the 80s and 90s. “Take on me” is one of my favorite videos. _sniff_ I love you guys! Vlad/Igor [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-your-favority-80s-one-hit-wonder-songs/267032.md?page=6)