Top 5: ’80s One-Hit Wonders

This blog series is inspired by Rob Fleming, the protagonist of Nick Hornby’s novel “High Fidelity,” originally published in 1995, and the film, Broadway, and TV adaptations that followed. Rob, and his trusty employees Dick and Barry, are known for creating Top 5 lists for almost anything, but especially music. We encourage you to play along by commenting on your own Top 5 or sharing a Top 5 subject matter you would like to see in a future post. 

Love it or loathe it, there’s no denying that music from the 1980s continues to have its nostalgic pull. This is the music of my generation, Generation X, forging our fierce independence and echoing the apathy we feel toward our parents’ institutions and societal norms.

Thanks to the fourth season of the Netflix show ‘Stranger Things,” Gen Z is suddenly discovering the soundtrack of our teenage years. Look at the current success of Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill,” which recently peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Kate’s music may not have been mainstream, but she still had her share of modest hits. In contrast, there’s a veritable army of ’80s artists whose fame was short-lived. The luckiest of these created one enduring anthem that would– rightly or wrongly – earn them the title of one-hit wonders. 

If you don’t know the following bands by name, you will undoubtedly recognize these earworms ­– our Top 5: ’80s One-Hit Wonders.

No. 5: “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors

The British new wave and power pop band created the most unlikely of ’80s rock anthems by adding an Asian-inspired guitar riff to the rambunctious undercurrent of Steve Smith’s bass playing. 

“Turning Japanese” was released in 1980 as the second single from their debut album, “New Clear Days.” It was an international hit, charting in the Top 10 in the UK, Australia, and Canada, and No. 36 in the U.S.

Songwriter David Fenton said the lyrics reference the angst of a romantic breakup and “turning into something you didn’t expect to.” 

No. 4: “The Safety Dance” by Men Without Hats

Canadian new wave/synthpop band Men Without Hats released “The Safety Dance” in 1982 as the second single from their album “Rhythm of Youth.” 

The song, and the band’s music in general, is anchored by an elaborate use of synthesizers and electronic processing behind the baritone voice of lead singer Ivan Doroschuk. Doroschuk penned the song after being kicked out of a club for pogo dancing.

“The Safety Dance” became a worldwide Top 10 hit, peaking at No. 3 in the U.S.

No. 3: “I Melt With You” by Modern English

British new wave/post-punk band Modern English released “I Melt with You” as the second single from their 1982 album “After the Snow.”

The song, produced by Hugh Jones, became the band’s most successful single, mainly in the U.S., after being in the film “Valley Girl “and MTV. It reached No. 7 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart in 1983.

While it is known as a love song, vocalist Robbie Grey, said his fears of a nuclear war inspired the song. “I Melt with You” depicts a couple making love while an atomic bomb drops.

No. 2: “Take On Me” by a-ha

Alan Tarney produced the 1985 international hit by Norwegian synthpop band a-ha for the group’s debut studio album, “Hunting High and Low.”

The synthpop anthem showcasing lead singer Morten Harket’s vocal range topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The success of “Take On Me” was bolstered by director Steve Barron’s innovative music video featuring the band in a live-action pencil-sketch animation sequence. The video won six awards and was nominated for two others at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards.

No. 1: “Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners

English pop-rock band Dexys Midnight Runners released “Come On Eileen” in 1982 as a single from their second studio album “Too-Rye-Ay.”

The song was a major commercial success reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart and the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with extensive airplay on MTV.

The Celtic fiddle-solo intro is based on Thomas Moore’s Irish folk song “Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms.” The song’s main section features a Celtic-style fiddle played over a drumbeat, with numerous tempo and key changes.

Singer and songwriter Kevin Rowland said that the song isn’t based on a single person and that Eileen is a composite character used to make a point about Catholic guilt.

If you have any of these original 7-inch singles on vinyl you may want to pick up some 45 RPM Record Sleeves and 45 RPM Record Polypropylene Sleeves to protect, store and display them. Find these and other music-related items at bcwsupplies.com.