3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1980s We’re Sure You’ve Memorized

If there was ever an era to celebrate when it comes to one-hit wonder songs, it’s the 1980s. That time period boasts as many or more one-hit wonders as any in history… certainly more than we have today in the 2020s. The decade seems to be the perfect Venn diagram connecting disposable income and a number of artists working to make names for themselves.

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That’s why the 1980s also offer a number of one-hit wonders that many today know by heart. Even if you weren’t alive in that 10-year period, it’s likely you know many of these songs word-for-word, beat-for-beat today, too. Here below, we wanted to explore three such offerings. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1980s we’re sure you’ve memorized.

[RELATED: 3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1980s I’d Be Fine With Never Hearing Again]

“I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock Of Seagulls from ‘A Flock Of Seagulls’ (1982)

If you looked up 1980s music in the Encyclopedia, you could easily find a picture of A Flock Of Seagulls. The band looked like the decade. Sounded like the decade. And released one of the biggest hits of the decade with their song about distance, running, and escape. It’s a song so of the time, that we can all hear in our heads today. We have the lyrics memorized—the chorus, at least. The tone, the feeling, the vibe. It’s as if they’re all in our bones.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister from ‘Stay Hungry’ (1984)

A quintessential classic rock song of rebellion by Dee Snider and his rock rapscallions, Twisted Sister, this track has been used in countless arenas to project a sense of stalwart self-belief. It’s even been used at political rallies—some of which Snider and his band have themselves railed against when they did not give permission or when they did not fall in line with a particular candidate. Even now, when it comes to the use of their iconic track, the band is standing up for themselves. Considering it, you can just hear the direct refrain.

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

A charitable song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, this track raised millions of dollars to alleviate famine in Ethiopia. It’s easy to hear the lyrics in your head. The chorus of gigantic, mega-watt superstars singing about interconnected humanity. From Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan, from Jackson to Stevie Wonder, this song represents the best of what celebrities can do to help change the world. As a result, it’s lasted decades past its recording. Today, it is still the eighth-best-selling single of all time.

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