3 One-Hit Wonders That Made It to No. 1 in 1988

Where were you in 1988? Were you a grizzled music veteran? Maybe you were just starting to get your collection going? Were you in diapers or even just a twinkle in your mother’s eye? Well, wherever you were in 1988, just know that the musical landscape that year was pretty darn incredible. The late 80s were where it was at when it came to hits. That’s just what we wanted to explore below. We wanted to dive into three one-hit wonders from that very specific year of 1988 to showcase both the diversity and prowess of the chart-topping tunes. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin from ‘Simple Pleasures’ (1988)

The most positive song ever written, it’s no wonder this was a chart-topper in 1988. As the decade was coming to an end, music fans needed a little resurgence ahead of the 90s. And that’s what the sweet singing Bobby McFerrin offered fans. McFerrin knows life is hard, but, as he sings, worrying only makes things worse. Sometimes we get into our heads too much—when you find that happening, just put on this tune and you’ll be okay.

“Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley” by Will To Power from ‘Will To Power’ (1988)

Another song that puts you at ease, this medley track from Will To Power is both passionate and soft. It’s like a whisper in your ear that lets you know you’re loved. It can send chills down the back of your spine. That’s the power of love. And that’s the power of Will To Power singing about the emotion. Then, when the group brings in the lyrics from “Free Bird”, wow. Chef’s kiss! Maybe love is harder than we first thought… sometimes a bird just wants to fly away.

“Toy Soldiers” by Martika from ‘Martika’ (1988)

While the above songs have a knack of putting you at ease, this song does the opposite. It puts you on alert. Like an alarm bell, like your intuition. Danger can be just around the corner. It’s the paranoia embedded in the track that led rapper Eminem to sample it later in the 2000s. But even before the sharp-tongued rapper got his hands on it, the tune was a No. 1 single in the late 80s thanks to the depth of passion presented by California-born artist Martika.

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