When you compose a song that becomes a one-hit wonder, you are free. There is no past sense of success that you have to live up to and there is no pressure to make something particular in the moment. Instead you can create art for art’s sake. And that means anything is game. So, why not focus on the idea of love?
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Well, that is exactly what these songwriters did here below. These are three one-hit wonder songs that are all about love. A trio of tracks that rose up the ranks and charts and while their composers never met the same success again, they still got it right (through the heart) with these originals. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders that are all about love—just in time for Valentine’s Day.
[RELATED: 3 Energetic One-Hit Wonders That Are Perfect To Dance Along To]
“Tainted Love” by Soft Cell from Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret (1981)
A cover of a 1965 song originally performed by Gloria Jones, the British-born band Soft Cell put their 1980s synth spin on the track for their LP Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. And as the album name indicates, the group had love on their minds. Soft Cell’s rendition hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the tune, lead vocalist Marc Almond sings about his full heart and how it was not given back to him. He wants love but now he only feels the poisoned or tainted kind. And it may push him to just run away. Indeed, with full emotion in his soul, Almond sings,
Sometimes I feel I’ve got to
Run away I’ve got to
Get away
From the pain you drive into the heart of me
The love we share
Seems to go nowhere
And I’ve lost my light
For I toss and turn, I can’t sleep at night
“Nothing Compares 2 U” by Sinéad O’Connor from I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
This song, which was originally written by Prince, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. And on it, the Irish-born singer Sinéad O’Connor sings about the pangs of heartache. She knows how many hours it’s been since she lost the object of affection. That person took their love away, she sings. And there is so much passion in her heart. But it’s not matched. Nothing in the world, she sings, can compare to the one she’s lost. Indeed, belts O’Connor,
It’s been seven hours and fifteen days
Since u took your love away
I go out every night and sleep all day
Since you took your love away
Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
‘Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you
“Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus from Some Gave All (1992)
On this song, country star Billy Ray Cyrus is not 100% willing to accept that his love is gone. He sings that everyone can know the news—everyone and everything, that is, except his heart. Don’t tell his heart because then he would be truly crushed and the truth would have to be swallowed like a shot of rot-gut whiskey. Indeed, while singing with a catchy flair, Cyrus offers with his signature twang,
You can tell the world you never was my girl
You can burn my clothes up when I’m gone
Or you can tell your friends just what a fool I’ve been
And laugh and joke about me on the phone
You can tell my arms go back to the farm
You can tell my feet to hit the floor
Or you can tell my lips to tell my fingertips
They won’t be reaching out for you no more
But don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart
I just don’t think he’d understand
And if you tell my heart, my achy breaky heart
He might blow up and kill this man
Photo by Getty Images
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