3 One-Hit Wonders From 1985 With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

Songs are like magic. When you put them on the stereo, you change. Your body responds to the music, and your brain lights up at the lyrics. But there are also songs you can hear without even putting them on the speakers. Some songs live in your mind. Here below, we wanted to highlight three great examples of just that. We wanted to showcase three songs you can hear without the aid of a radio. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1985 with melodies that still echo decades later.

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“We Are The World” by USA For Africa from ‘We Are The World’ (1985)

Netflix called it “the greatest night in pop,” and the streaming service may be correct. Never before or since has there been such a collection of big names and famous faces who came together to record a track. But that’s what happens when you get Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Quincy Jones in a room with the same goal. The rest of the world pays attention. And while this song isn’t exactly the greatest tune ever written, it sure is one we all know and can hear in our minds right now.

“Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush from ‘Hounds Of Love’ (1985)

As soon as you think about the artist Kate Bush and her song “Running Up That Hill”, you can hear those popping synths. You can hear those moaning vocals. You can hear her you-hoo! Then you think about making a deal with God, about swapping places with the deity, about running up an incline toward something—anything. Indeed, Bush puts so much emotion into this timeless track that we can’t help but succumb to its hopes and dreams. We believe in it so much that we can hear it even when the volume is off.

“Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco from ‘Falco 3’ (1985)

Some songs boast unbridled passion, others are more novelty acts. And “Rock Me Amadeus” by Falco certainly falls in the latter category. Sung in German, the synth-driven tune about the famed composer can’t help but find a place in your brain. Its repetitive chorus and staccato rhythms are as memorable as anything. And if you grew up in the 1980s or early 1990s, this song was everywhere. Something about its chant-like, repetitive chorus got audiences going mad. Count us among those ranks.

Photo by Pete Still/Redferns