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

My original intent for this was to list songs by bands who have absolutely zero cache today (and may have only existed long enough to release one album or two). Going back to the original 7 songs in the opening post is a good example.

Oingo Boingo or The Church or Kate Bush etc may technically qualify as one hit wonders on one country's metric vs. another's, but these are all bands or artist's which have an impressive body of work despite little Top 40 success.

I'm perfectly fine letting the thread/list develop organically as people visit and add suggestions, though.

Flesh for Lulu "I Go Crazy"?

imo that would count, even though they had 3 (or more?) albums and even another single from that album that was popular ("Postcards From Paradise"). But tbh Flesh For Lulu is a total relic, trapped in the amber of the 80s.

A lot of the ones I'm thinking of have already been mentioned. Can't believe I didn't see this until tonight. Boo!

My original intent for this was to list songs by bands who have absolutely zero cache today (and may have only existed long enough to release one album or two). Going back to the original 7 songs in the opening post is a good example.

Yeah, that's the spirit of this thread imo and the arbitration worries me a bit (including my own).

Sorry but I have to. "Now isn't that nice, like Miami Vice". lol

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ppLzUo9O3w

OK what about Wall of Voodoo “Mexican Radio”?

Fuck - n/m someone else suggested that. Gdammit.

The song so nice, it had to be mentioned twice.

On the I.R.S. tip, though...

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

(Though wiki is telling me that they released a shitload of records)

Did The Dream Academy have any other real hits besides Life in a Northern Town?

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hmmm. well...

http://www.youtube.com/embed/rdHOyrS72jg%22

Just paste the url from your browser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdHOyrS72jg

don't remember this song at all

One of the better Bowie clone vocals.

Aldo Nova - "Fantasy"

The Firm - "Radioactive"

bowie covered one of his songs according to allrovi so i guess that worked out xp

personal fave:

Mary Jane Girls - "In My House"

Yup -- "Criminal World," one of Let's Dance less onerous album tracks.

and "Switchin' to Glide" by the Kings as a monster regional hit 'round here that never made it out east. Man, I miss the days of regional hits ...

YES, "The Beat Goes On/Switchin' To Glide" could be heard every 10 minutes on WLS-AM in 1980-81. Probably my most enduring memory of that song is that it was the first non-Beatles/non-Lennon song WLS played after Lennon was killed (which is to say, about five days after Lennon was killed).

Modern English - "I Melt With You"

rational youth "i want to see the light"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJh11ngyIHQ

best lost synth pop song ever

The Timelords - "Doctorin' the Tardis"

You guys!!!

Electric Dreams: Phil Oakey & Giorgio Moroder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9foZ7KVSng

Both of those guys are responsible for numerous hits.

Rocky Burnette - Tired of Toein The Line

I hope I'm not the only person who liked this. The video is kinda crepey now

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

Anyway...hairbands

Vixen: Edge of a Broken Heart

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQOmDUnt8Hs

I like that Rocky Burnette song, but I'd never heard it before just now.

Speaking of Rocky...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTRBueh2j6w

LOL I forgot about that!!!

He looks like the saxophone-on-the-beach guy from the Lost Boys

I dunno if she had more hits in other places, but "Touch Me" is the only thing I remember Samantha Fox for in the US..

However, youtube just reminded me of "Naughty Girls Need Love Too". Oh well.

Murray Head - One Night in Bangkok.

Corey Hart - Sunglasses at Night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4O1A-mmBWw

Total Ceolo - I eat cannibals.

Not sure if this was a hit in the US but it got to No. 5 over here (also big across Europe apparently):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weMrzt6W8V8

Ryan Paris - Dolce Vita

Jimmy the Hoover - Tantalise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kr9h5xBQz3k

Aw I was going to open my posts today with "I Eat Cannibals"

Scritti Politti - Perfect Way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hs7Jy2y-33A

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

Has Spandau Ballet made an appearance yet?

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

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

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

Has Spandau Ballet made an appearance yet?

Let's hope not!

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

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

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

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

Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days

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

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 ;_;

Yeah, Fire in the Twilight is great.