When a song rises up from the ether to become a hit, that’s a big moment. But sometimes that moment doesn’t have long-lasting ripple effects. Sometimes that moment can come and go in a flash. Other times, though, when a song rises to the top, it stays—both on the charts and in our hearts and minds.
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And it’s that phenomenon we wanted to look at below. We wanted to highlight three one-hit wonders that rose to the top of the charts and wowed fans. But these are also three songs that we don’t want to lose to history. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1980s to remember forever!
“I Ran (So Far Away)” by A Flock Of Seagulls from ‘A Flock Of Seagulls’ (1982)
Some choruses you just can’t forget. Not only are they memorable, and not only do you sing along to them, but they just actually never ever leave your brain. There must be some kind of magic code that locks them into your psyche. Well, whatever it is, A Flock Of Seagulls cracked it with this 1982 single about running… running so far away.
“Come On Eileen” by Dexys Midnight Runners from ‘Too-Rye-Ay’ (1982)
If you wanted to look up the word exultant, you don’t have to go to the dictionary; you can just put on this song and bask in the triumphant sounds and lyrics that honor a dream. It’s that emotion that made this 1982 track one of the most memorable one-hit wonders of all time. As a result, it’s sure to stay in the zeitgeist for ages. It’s definitional.
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister from ‘Stay Hungry’ (1984)
If the above track exudes an exultant vibe, then this track offers a courageous one. It takes guts to stand up to whatever it is that is trying to knock you down. Guts to dig your heels into the ground and say, “Enough is enough.” But that’s just what Twisted Sister does here with their fist-waving, snarling (and fun) 1984 rock track.
Photo by Fin Costello/Redferns
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