The following singer-songwriter one-hit wonders from the 1980s deserved the fame they earned, but I can’t help but think that they deserved way more charting success than they got. You might just agree with me on a few of these.
Bobby McFerrin
To solely describe Bobby McFerrin as a singer-songwriter, or even as a one-hit wonder, would be a massive disservice to listeners who haven’t experienced his mind-blowing talent. McFerrin is an improvisational vocalist, a conductor, and an incredible artist among few. And yet, somehow, his only major career hit has been the 1988 reggae-pop song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy”. It’s an uplifting and lovely tune, of course, one that peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and scored three Grammy Awards. But the fact that McFerrin never had another song reach that chart again is a travesty.
Videos by American Songwriter
Stan Ridgway
Stan Ridgway might not be a super familiar name on our side of the pond, but many in the UK know his name well. He’s a singer-songwriter with a talent that touched multiple genres, from new wave to country and western to industrial rock. His voice is incredibly distinct. It’s quite surprising to me that Ridgway only had one Top 40 hit in the UK. That song was “Camouflage” from 1986, which peaked at No. 4 on the UK Singles chart. None of his songs made it to the US Hot 100, either. It’s all very strange to me; Ridgway really had the makings of international greatness.
Don Williams
Don Williams is a singer-songwriter that many a country fan would scoff at including on a list of one-hit wonders from the 1980s. He hit No. 1 on the country charts many times from the 1970s through the 1980s. However, even with a discography as massive as his, Williams only reached the Billboard Hot 100 one single time. His 1980 country smash hit “I Believe In You” was that very song, and it made it all the way to No. 24 on the Hot 100. He produced so much fantastic work, I’m surprised he didn’t reach the pop Top 40 at least a few more times in the 1980s. The charts just don’t make sense sometimes.
(Photo by Raymond Bonar/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)
Most Viewed
-
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 25: Musician Alan Jackson performs onstage during CMT Giants as they honor Hank Williams Jr. held at the Gibson Amphitheatre on October 25, 2007 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frank Micelotta/Getty Images for CMT) -
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Episode 8 — Pictured: Musical guest Bobby McFerrin performing on December 10, 1988 — Photo by: Raymond Bonar/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank -
NASHVILLE -August 16: Country Music Singer Songwriter Reba McEntire Performs on August 16, 1988 in Nashville, Tennessee (photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images) -
Singer Robert Plant of The New Yardbirds (soon to be re-named Led Zeppelin) performs live on stage at Gladsaxe Teen Club in Gladsaxe, Denmark on 7th September 1968. (Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns) -
Musicians Debbi Peterson, Vicki Peterson, Susanna Hoffs and Michael Steele of The Bangles, at the International Rock Awards, London, June 2nd 1989. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images) -
OAKLAND – APRIL 5: Rick Davies and Dougie Thomson perform with Supertramp at the Oakland Coliseum on April 5, 1979 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images) -
LONDON, UK – JUNE 1970: English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist Sir Elton John. (Photo by George Wilkes/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
