3 One-Hit Wonders From 1981 We’d Travel Back in Time For

If you somehow entered a time portal, what would be your first thought? Would you go back millions of years ago to see what dinosaurs really looked like? Would you go meet George Washington? Or would you, like us, find the nearest off-ramp and get yourself to the early 80s to be there in the thick of the music landscape? Well, let’s at least pretend that we hopped into that time portal and got out in 1981. Three songs we’d seek out in that case would be these three one-hit wonders from the era. Three songs we just adore for being badass. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1981 that are worth time-traveling for.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club from ‘Tom Tom Club’ (1981)

The one-hit wonder born from a classic rock band, this disco tune by Tom Tom Club sprung out of the relationship between the Talking Heads rhythm section: drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth. It also helped that the two are married! Either way, this song is a romp. It name-drops famous artists like James Brown, and it provides a beat well worth dancing to. Indeed, this track alone is worth traveling back in time!

“Just The Two Of Us” by Grover Washington Jr. from ‘Winelight’ (1981)

While many music fans may think this is a Bill Withers, they’d be right! Well, kind of. Withers co-wrote the track (he is responsible for the lyrics) and is featured on the original recording, but that recording was done first by Grover Washington Jr., not Withers. No matter, the tune remains top-notch. Can you imagine being in a black box theater and hearing Washington Jr. singing this for the first time? Wow.

“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell from ‘Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret’ (1981)

If you want to know what 1981 felt like, sounded like, looked like, just put on this song and the accompanying music video. Thank goodness for recordings and records. It would seem you don’t even need a time machine to get back into the past. Not when you have Tainted Cell. Check out this tune and bask in the 1981-ness of it all!

Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns