'80's song poll: One Hit Wonders

[Woops]

A-Ha also had "The Sun Always Shines On TV", which was a Top 40 hit

[Out of the Blue]

I don't remember that one.  I definately remember their other one though.

[Woops]

"Whole of the Moon" by The Waterboys


"10, 9, 8" by Face to Face

song starts at 1:00, actually appeared on an '80's compilation CD several years ago titled "Another  Lost Decade: The 80's Hard to Find Hits", where I first discovered it 

[Woops]

List of One Hit Wonders from the 1980's in the US

Criteria:

This is a list of musical artists whose one hit came out in the 1980s.

The list contains recording artists who reached the Top 40 of the U.S. pop chart (the Billboard Hot 100) with just one single. Those in italics are artists with only one Top 40 hit, but either

had other songs chart on genre-specific charts

have had success and influence within their genre or the annals of popular music and/or
a long-lasting and devoted cult following and/or wider success in other fields of the music industry

are a non-American act who have had wider success in their homeland

are a supergroup made up of artists who were successful and influential in other bands or as solo artists.

Interesting though there's actually a handful of popular songs that never topped the charts, but gained popularity from MTV and/or film such as Bow Wow Wow "I Want Candy" &  Modern English "I Melt With You".

Appears  mostly accurate, though might not be complete.

The only questionable band listed is Rush and the "New World Man" is listed (a song I never heard of/of have, but never bothered to look it up). Not a fan, but I'm aware of "Tom Sawyer", which is a staple on classic rock stations and sure they had several more.

It's interesting that "Heartbreak Beat" was The Psychedelic Furs only US Top 40 hit despite that their most popular song might be "Pretty In Pink".

"Pretty In Pink" peaked at #41, which is it almost made it to the Top 40.

[Out of the Blue]

When I was in high school I remember some people being really into the Psychedelic Furs but I just didn't get all the hype with them.

[Woops]

Come to think of it, many of my favorite '80's songs weren't exactly top 40 hits. Mainly hard rock/hair metal & new wave/alternative.

During my early teens, I actually thought Depeche Mode, The Cure, & Oingo Boingo were as popular as Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, etc. since they were constantly played on my local radio stations.  (good thing for the internet, which I realized they weren't)

[Out of the Blue]

I can only remember one video from Depeche Mode back in 1987 that MTV used to play.  That was the only song of their's that I knew.  I just really have never been into alternative or college rock.

[Woops]

Top 25 '80's One Hit Wonders

Majority taken from the list from Wiki

Besides being only their only Top 40 US hit, I'm just listing those that have other songs I'm not aware of or have songs I'm aware of, but the "one hit" is the only song I actually like.

The #1 song is widely popular, used for countless movies, commercials, and '80's compilations despite that it was never peaked on the Top 40 in the US.

Honorable mentions:

Sugarhill Gang "Rapper's Delight" (1980, technically '79), historically the first rap song to be on the Top 40
Frank Zappa "Valley Girl" (1982)
Nena "99 Red Balloons" (1984)
Timex Social Club "Rumors" (1986)
T'Pau "Heart & Soul" (1987)

Though in no particular order...

25. Rockwell "Somebody's Watching Me" (1983)
24. After The Fire "Der Kommissar" (1983)
23. Icicle Works "Whisper To A Scream (Birds Fly)" (1984)
22. Pretty Poison "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" (1987)
21. Living In A Box "Living In A Box" (1987)
20. Tracey Ullman "They Don't Know" (1984)
19. Oran "Juice" Jones "The Rain" (1986)
18. Frankie Goes To Hollywood "Relax" (1985)
17. Re-Flex "The Politics of Dancing" (1984)
16. Breakfast Club "Right On Track" (1987)
15. JJ Fad "Supersonic" (1988)
14. Regina "Baby Love" (1986)
13. E.U. "Da Butt" (1988)
12. Peter Schilling "Major Tom (Coming Home)" (1983)
11. Times Two "Strange But True" (1988)
10. Scritti Politti "Perfect Way" (1985)
9. Pseudo Echo "Funkytown" (1987)
8. Ollie & Jerry "Breakin'...There's No Stopping Us" (1984)
7. Autograph "Turn Up The Radio" (1984)
6. Thomas Dolby "She Blinded Me With Science" (1983)
5. Young MC "Bust A Move" (1989)
4. Tom Tom Club "Genius Of Love" (1982)
3. Soft Cell "Tainted Love" (1981)
2. Toni Basil "Mickey" (1982)
1. Modern English "I Melt With You" (1983)

[Woops]

Models "Out Of Mind, Out Of Sight"

Obscure one hit wonder, which reached #37 on the US Billboard Top 40 in 1986. Discovered it on the compilation CD "Another Lost Decade: '80's Lost Hits" from several years ago.