3 One-Hit Wonders From 1983 That 80s Kids Still Remember Today

One-hit wonders seemed to be everywhere in the 1980s. There’s something about that decade that produced so many good songs, each of which would be a solitary hit for the bands and musicians who produced them. I happen to love the following one-hit wonders from the year 1983. And I think any 80s kid probably loves them, too. Let’s take a look!

Videos by American Songwriter

“In A Big Country” by Big Country

Scottish rock outfit Big Country made it big in another country (or two… or a few, actually) outside of their native UK back in 1983. They did it with the song “In A Big Country”. This Celtic rock, new wave delight topped the charts globally. The music video for the song was also an enormous hit in the early days of MTV.

“In A Big Country” by Big Country hit No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US and No. 17 in the UK. The song also did even better in Canada and had success in Ireland and New Zealand as well. Despite enjoying lasting charting success in the home country well into the 1990s, Big Country never made it to the Top 40 on the Hot 100 again.

“Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo

It doesn’t get more new wave-y than this song. “Too Shy” by Kajagoogoo was released in early 1983. The song is a synth-heavy, disco-leaning bubblegum pop tune that has endured the test of time. The British band behind the song hit No. 1 with it in 1983. They even enjoyed ongoing success in the UK for a few years. However, after hitting No. 5 in the US, the band never made it to the US charts again.

“Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners

While this entry on our list of 80s one-hit wonders was originally released in the UK in mid-1982, “Come On Eileen” didn’t make it to American ears until early 1983. And once it made it stateside, this hit from Celtic folk band Dexys Midnight Runners became an enormous international hit.

This insanely catchy tune hit No. 1 across a number of countries, from the US to the UK to Ireland to a number of European countries. While the band continued to chart well in the UK and Ireland for several years, they never made it to the Top 40 in the US again.

Photo by Lorne Thomson/Redferns