3 One-Hit Wonders From 1989 With Melodies That Still Echo Decades Later

By the time the 1980s were winding down, music was changing. The art form had grown, shifted, and evolved throughout the decade. Audiences had learned to appreciate new sounds and even new genres. But as the 1990s were set to arrive, the 1980s had one last hurrah in store.

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That’s just what we wanted to explore here. We wanted to dive into three songs from the end of the era that have since stood the test of time. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1989 with melodies that still echo decades later.

“Toy Soldiers” by Martika from ‘Martika’ (1989)

Not only does the message of this song ring out decades later, but so does its melody. Those who grew up in the late 1980s and early 1990s may remember the tune from its heyday, but music lovers of a more recent vintage may also recognize the chorus from the hit Eminem song, “Like Toy Soldiers”, from the rapper’s 2004 album, Encore, which sampled the original Martika tune. Indeed, this rock song about addiction and its awful consequences is not one to forget.

“Bust A Move” by Young MC from ‘Stone Cold Rhymin” (1989)

While hip-hop music was invented in the early 1970s, the sonic style didn’t begin to hit its stride until the mid-to-late 1980s. Thanks to groups like Run-DMC and the Beastie Boys, rap music began to take over the world around the dawning of the 1990s. But along with big-name acts, there were one-hit wonders doing their thing to spread the style, as well. Enter: Young MC and his sublimely catchy rap offering, “Bust A Move”. Rap music back in the day had such a positive bent; it’s a pleasure to revisit these days. And Young MC is an excellent example of that.

“Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic from ‘Pump Up The Jam: The Album’ (1989)

Speaking of songs with big, catchy beats, this tune from Technotronic is impossible to forget. There is something both so entertaining and so urgent about “Pump Up The Jam”. It’s like a shot of adrenaline that you take through your ears. Once you hear it for the first time, you never let it go. If there was one song that could get the entire world on the dance floor, it would be this one. For that reason and many more, may we never forget its power.

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