3 of the Best Country One-Hit Wonders From the 1980s

These three songs are great examples of country one-hit wonders from the 1980s. The following tracks either didn’t get enough love when they were released, or the artist behind them moved on to other genres. Let’s take a look!

1. “Are You On The Road To Lovin’ Me Again” by Debby Boone

Country-pop artist Debby Boone was well-known for her 1970s pop hit “You Light Up My Life”. However, “Are You On The Road To Lovin’ Me Again” was released around the start of her foray into the world of country. 

Released in 1980, the track is a great one-hit wonder and showed how versatile Boone was when it came to switching up genres. Boone saw some success from the albums that followed. However, she eventually decided to switch to Christian music later on in the 1980s, where she also found significant success.

2. “You’re The Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had” by Ed Bruce

Country star Ed Bruce had quite the seasoned career before the 1980s rolled around. “You’re The Best Break This Old Heart Ever Had” deserves a spot on this country one-hit wonders list because it was Bruce’s first Top 10 song in 15 years, and it was also one of the last major hits of his career.

3. “Seven Spanish Angels” by Ray Charles/Willie Nelson

Obviously, Ray Charles is far from a one-hit wonder. However, outside of “Seven Spanish Angels”, the famed pianist and singer never really did much in the country genre again. Still, his impact was a big deal, according to his duet partner Willie Nelson. Nelson himself said that Charles “did more for country music” than any other artist at the time. 

“Seven Spanish Angels” was a huge hit in 1984, but Charles didn’t explore country music all that much beyond a few more songs in 1984 and 1986.

Photo by Hulton Archive

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