80s "omg I loved that one" one hit wonders mix tape thread

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Madness that in the US, er, Madness was a one hit wonder. But what a wonderful hit!

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 11:49 (twelve years ago) link

Has Spandau Ballet made an appearance yet?

Josh in Chicago, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 11:52 (twelve years ago) link

I have that Rocky Burnette song on a 45 at home, amazingly enough.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAGI7zRqj8

SteakNique (®2011 Ulillillia) (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 12:44 (twelve years ago) link

Has Spandau Ballet made an appearance yet?

Let's hope not!

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 12:51 (twelve years ago) link

P. sure this was Rainbow's only Top 40 in the US. (It peaked at 40 lol.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WukfC-6Gpc

SteakNique (®2011 Ulillillia) (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 12:53 (twelve years ago) link

I know Deep Purple is hardly a one-hit wonder but it blows my mind that this nearly made the Top Ten in the year of Bruce, Madonna and Prince.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZ_kez7WVUU

SteakNique (®2011 Ulillillia) (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 13:02 (twelve years ago) link

Ollie & Jerry - "There's No Stoppin' Us (Theme from 'Breakin')"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8x5JqZNYpRQ

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 13:23 (twelve years ago) link

Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days

(actually they had another hit or two... this was the only one to make it to ·1 tho...)

Moka, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 13:56 (twelve years ago) link

I would have sworn "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" was a bigger hit.

Yeah, in the US anyway "Dance Hall Days" hit 16 and "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" hit 2 and "Let's Go" hit 9.

Their best song, "Fire In The Twilight" from "The Breakfast Club" soundtrack, wasn't a hit at all ;_;

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 13:59 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, Fire in the Twilight is great.

VegemiteGrrl, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 14:09 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, in the US anyway "Dance Hall Days" hit 16 and "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" hit 2 and "Let's Go" hit 9.

To Live and Die in L.A. peaked at #41 and still gets loads recurring airplay despite Everybody Have Fun Tonight being more popular.

Leopard on the Cheetos Bag (MintIce), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:43 (twelve years ago) link

I'd include Benjamin Orr's 'Stay The Night' here but I don't know if that technically counts as a One Hit Wonder because of Orr's vocals on The Cars 'Drive'. Two hit wonder then? Sure.

Leopard on the Cheetos Bag (MintIce), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:46 (twelve years ago) link

I would count it.

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:47 (twelve years ago) link

I would too, and it's a better song than "Drive."

There I said it.

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:49 (twelve years ago) link

Orr-sung Cars singles that hit the Top 40: "Just What I Needed, "Let's Go," "Why Can't I Have You," "You Are The Girl."

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:50 (twelve years ago) link

huh

I don't think I realized until just now that he sang all of my favorite Cars songs

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:51 (twelve years ago) link

Ric Ocasek's a one hit wonder too! "Emotion in Motion," remember.

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:52 (twelve years ago) link

Oh how come noone has mentioned this one:

Don Henley - Boys of Summer

Moka, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:53 (twelve years ago) link

Because Henley had a lot more hit singles?

Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 20:59 (twelve years ago) link

Orange Juice - Rip it Up

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESy-Z8vqMrE

Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 21:03 (twelve years ago) link

They did release several albums and still have some present-day cache, though.

Johnny Fever, Tuesday, 3 May 2011 21:04 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psT7pKuayYc

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Tuesday, 3 May 2011 22:35 (twelve years ago) link

xxpost I had never that Orange Juice track and it immediately reminded me of Annie's "Me Plus One".

daavid, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:19 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6zBjYIyz-0

daavid, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:21 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJou-XIUywQ

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:29 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRnNpLOhn1Q

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:30 (twelve years ago) link

Love love love this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-kfmuGHtxo

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:30 (twelve years ago) link

at what point did we wander away from posting hits

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:43 (twelve years ago) link

because I have a shitload of things I would post but they are not hits at all

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:43 (twelve years ago) link

except for this, this was a hit:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzwstJmxbuY&feature=related

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:44 (twelve years ago) link

Oh man, Joboxers, had forgotten about that song! (Although I remembered the Trouser Press review starting "Responsible for a brief Dead End Kids fashion fad in Great Britain...")

Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:47 (twelve years ago) link

Daryl Hall's "Dreamtime" is a good choice.

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:50 (twelve years ago) link

Eurogliders went to #21 on the Billboard US Mainstream Rock tracks chart, Cock Robin went to #35, and Joboxers went to #36.

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 18:59 (twelve years ago) link

"I don't remember this son" != "not a hit"

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:00 (twelve years ago) link

I was under the impression we were using high placement on the Hot 100 as criteria, not every ancillary Billboard chart that contains songs we like

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:01 (twelve years ago) link

I am not trying to be Judgy McDouchebag, I just didn't think those charts were in play

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:04 (twelve years ago) link

The very first song you posted on this thread went all the way to #37 on the Hot 100, so uhhhh . . . xp

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:06 (twelve years ago) link

I consider Top 40 to be high placement, mostly because that's where the countdown starts.

This is basically jumping up and down upon and mooning the "please don't be a pedant" request but the whole conversation/thread started because we were reminiscing about quirky mid-80s Top 40 songs; I was surprised you were posting stuff that never hit the top 40 and mostly asking if the floodgates were open for me to be a pathetic goth.

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:09 (twelve years ago) link

(although Gene Loves Jezebel didn't chart as high as I thought they did ;_l)

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:11 (twelve years ago) link

Is that an emoticon of, like, Ace Frehley crying?

Captain Hyrax (Phil D.), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:12 (twelve years ago) link

it is now!

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:12 (twelve years ago) link

Yeah, the original spirit of the thread was to include stuff I actually heard on normal Top 40 radio between the ages of 10 and 14 or so, which is basically how it started out. Now if someone wants to post Joboxers because he or she heard it on the radio as a kid, it's not my place to piss in the punchbowl. It really doesn't have any resonance for me, though.

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:13 (twelve years ago) link

Wiki for JoBoxers just says it made the American Top 40. I never heard it on the radio, but I saw the video a ton at my local danceteria as a young adult.

Hardcore Bangage (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:18 (twelve years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sq8VDXlWQk

Had more semi-hits in the UK, but this was the only Top 40 for the US.

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:24 (twelve years ago) link

oh my God YES

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:29 (twelve years ago) link

LOVE that song.

ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:30 (twelve years ago) link

I'm going to sully this thread with something that really doesn't qualify, because it was no more a hit than any other song he released in the US in the 80s (though it was big in Canada). I just remember loving it whenever it would play on the radio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zD77kyQYifc

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:32 (twelve years ago) link

okay now you are REALLY making me want to post Mel & Kim

Dreaded Burrito Gang (DJP), Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:37 (twelve years ago) link

Which single? I looked at Wikipedia and tbh I can't recall any of them by title alone.

Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 4 May 2011 19:52 (twelve years ago) link


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