3 One-Hit Wonders From 1981 That Every 80s Kid Can Still Sing Today

The early 1980s had plenty of great songs. But not all of them led to lengthy careers. These are three of the best songs that came out in 1981, which all happen to be one-hit wonders.

“Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington Jr.

Grover Washington Jr. spent more than two decades releasing music, having moderate success with several of his songs. Still, only one of his songs, “Just The Two Of Us”, became a Top 5 single.

On Washington’s Winelight record, “Just The Two Of Us” was written by Bill Withers, William Salter, and Ralph MacDonald. The sweet love song says, “Just the two of us / We can make it if we try / Just the two of us / Just the two of us / Building castles in the sky / Just the two of us / You and I.”

“Just The Two Of Us” earned the three songwriters a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song. Interestingly, although the song is credited to Washington, Withers sings vocals on this song. Washington plays the saxophone.

“Believe It Or Not” by Joey Scarbury

Joey Scarbury sent four singles to radio in his short-lived career as an artist. Only one of them, “Believe It Or Not”, became a Top 5 single. The other three did not even reach the Top 40.

Still, “Believe It Or Not” was a pretty big hit for Scarbury. The song is on America’s Greatest Hero, his only album. “Believe It Or Not” is the theme song for The Greatest American Hero, a TV show that ran from 1981 to 1983.

Written by Mike Post and Stephen Geyer, the chorus of “Believe It Or Not” says, “Believe it or not, I’m walkin’ on air / I never thought I could feel so free / Flyin’ away on a wing and a prayer / Who could it be? / Believe it or not, it’s just me.”

“Say What” by Jesse Winchester

Jesse Winchester’s only Top 40 single is “Say What”, at least in the United States. Winchester is from Canada, where he admittedly had several more successful songs on the radio, including “Yankee Lady”. His first single, which he released in 1970, “Yankee Lady” became a Top 10 Canadian hit.

But in the United States, Winchester’s success was much more limited. “Say What”, on his Talk Memphis album, is Winchester’s only Top 40 song, peaking at No. 32.

The feel-good song says, “The daily grind is getting me frantic / ‘Cause I see myself as a laid-back romantic / So hey what you say if we let it slide for a day girl / Oh what you say.”

Winchester’s success as an artist might have been limited, but he did have some success as a songwriter. Winchester is the sole writer of “I’m Gonna Miss You, Girl”, a 1987 Top 5 single for Michael Martin Murphey.

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