3 One-Hit Wonders From the Year 1980 That I’m Almost Positive You’ve Never Heard Of

We bet you know a lot of songs. We bet if you sat down right now, you could list 100 of them. Maybe 200. Maybe even 1,000. You’re a music fan and you know your stuff. But then again, we wanted to see if we could impress you by showing you three songs we’re certain you’ve never heard of. And they aren’t just three obscure songs—no, they are true-blue one-hit wonders. Below, we wanted to share with you three one-hit wonders from 1980. A trio of tracks from the year the new decade began. Each of these songs rocketed up the charts (well) into the top-40. Yet, we’re willing to bet the farm that you don’t know them. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1980 we’re sure you’ve never heard of.

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“Who’ll Be The Fool Tonight” by Larsen-Feiten Band from ‘Larsen Feiten’ (1980)

A mix between a disco song and a lounge track, this tune, which hit No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100, somehow gets you ready to dance but then brings you do to hand you flowers and sing on one knee. Indeed, this tune had something for everyone. It’s also a relic, in many ways, of the prior decade, the 1970s. With an eye on the past, Larsen-Feiten Band sings about who will be a fool in love tonight. A fun, albeit unknown song today.

“Giving It Up For Your Love” by Delbert McClinton from ‘The Jealous Kind’ (1980)

A funky, guitar-driven tune, which hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, this is a track that you could hear the band playing in the green room late at night after the set. There are 20 people in a room, and most of them are strumming an acoustic or banging on some makeshift instrument, and they’re singing about giving it up for your love! It’s a great song, but not one anyone remembers today (sadly!).

“Take Your Time (Do It Right)” by The S.O.S. Band from ‘S.O.S.’ (1980)

A super funky song among one-hit wonders, it almost feels like tunes like this set the mood for the 1980s. You can see people walking into a room wearing track suits with nice new haircuts. Then this track comes on and they start bobbing their heads, thinking they’re the hippest people on the planet. This song gives you energy, pride, and confidence. Let’s bring it back!

Photo by Clint Herring / Courtesy Shore Fire Media