3 One-Hit Wonders From 1987 With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

The right melody can be like a time machine. When you hear it out of the blue, it can take you back to another time. Maybe to your childhood, maybe to an important event later in life. Whatever it is, the right melody can transport you. And that’s just what we wanted to dive into below. We wanted to explore three songs that move their audiences—a trio of tracks that take you to another time. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1987 with melodies that still echo decades later.

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“(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life” by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from ‘Dirty Dancing: Original Soundtrack (1987)

This is one of those songs you can hear playing in your mind just by reading the title. You can hear the breathy vocals, the dance-worthy beat. You remember the movie, too. Dirty Dancing was a phenomenon in the late 1980s. It was like an awakening for a generation. And this song encapsulated it all. It crescendos in the chorus. Hearing it again, we remember. We remember what it felt like to have the time of our lives. Music can take you back to those wonderful moments—that’s what this song does.

“Hot Hot Hot” by Buster Poindexter from ‘Buster Poindexter’ (1987)

Certainly, what stands out from this song is the boisterous chorus. Buster Poindexter (aka David Johansen, formerly of The New York Dolls) brings the party when he sings “Hot Hot Hot” over and over again during the refrain. Originally a song by Arrow released in 1982, Poindexter turned this into a festive celebration all his own. There are memorable horn riffs and drum beats. But what we remember most is that transportive vocal display from the star of the show.

“Fascinated” by Company B from ‘Company B’ (1987)

If you want to take a time machine back to the mid-80s, just put on this song. It oozes 80s vibes. From the synth riffs on the track to the big blonde wigs in the music video, this offering can’t help but take you away to a time some can only dream of. This offering is so 1980s it almost smells like hairspray. You will be taken by the quick melody from the keyboards, and you will bask in the glory of it all thanks to the urgency in the falsetto vocals. 1980s here we come!

Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage