One-hit wonders were all over the place back in the 1980s. And there is no shortage of songs that anyone who was a kid in that decade would remember. They were catchy, fun, and could be found across every genre from rock to pop to new wave. Let’s take a look at just a handful of pop and rock hits from that era, shall we? You might just feel a little bit nostalgic if you heard these tunes as a child in the 1980s.
“Mickey” by Toni Basil
Few songs from the early 1980s are as catchy as the 1982 bubblegum pop hit, “Mickey”. Toni Basil’s claim to fame was a huge hit at the time of its release. The song quickly climbed to the top of more than a few charts. It was a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and also did exceptionally well in the UK and Canada. Unfortunately, Basil never enjoyed a Top 40 hit again on the Hot 100.
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“Take On Me” by A-Ha
Even if you weren’t a kid in the 1980s, you probably know these one-hit wonders quite well. “Take On Me” was released by Norwegian group A-Ha back in 1984, and it quickly became the song of the decade. It’s a beautifully-produced little synth-pop gem, and its music video is almost more famous than the song itself. A-Ha were far from one-hit wonders in Europe, but when it came to the US charts, “Take On Me” (at No. 1) was their only big hit, with “The Sun Always Shines On T.V.” coming in kind of close at No. 20 later that year.
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister
This entry on our list of 1980s one-hit wonders was so outlandish and catchy, any kid from that era would like recognize it immediately. Twisted Sister released this heavy metal classic back in 1984, and it’s a humorous, aggressive, and heavy glam metal delight that has endured for quite some time. Though, you might have gotten in trouble for listening to “We’re Not Gonna Take It” back in the day. This song was included on the PMRC’s infamous “Filthy Fifteen” list in an attempt to ban it from airwaves and keep it away from children’s ears. Dee Snider famously fought back against it.
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