3 One-Hit Wonders From 1989 That Break Down the End of a Decade

When you think of the end of the 1980s, likely two genres of music spring to mind—rock and rap. For rock, it was a changing of the guard, a shift from glam to grunge. And for rap, it was more that the style was stepping into the limelight for the first time in a major way. Here below, we wanted to see how those changes were reflected in three tracks at the end of the 1980s. Just as the 1990s were dawning, these songs raced up the charts. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from 1989 that explain the end of a decade.

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“Bust A Move” by Young MC from ‘Stone Cold Rhymin” (1989)

Not only did this 1989 song help to put rap music on the mainstream map by winning a 1990 Grammy for Best Rap Performance, but it also helped prove that hip-hop was a genre that could appeal to the masses. Award-winning, popular—what else did rap need to prove? Nothing. And that’s why this song and others like it were so crucial to the end of the decade and the dawning of the next.

“Toy Soldiers” by Martika from ‘Martika’ (1989)

While this song is neither glam or grunge, you could say it is a combination of both. In that sense, Martika understood the moment she was in. Part shimmering, part gloomy. But more than anything, this tune sums up the 1980s by highlighting the drug crisis of the time period. So many people in both everyday life and celebrity culture were falling—like toy soldiers—due to addiction and substance abuse. For that and the other reasons listed above, this track explains the end of the 1980s aptly.

“Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic from ‘Pump Up The Jam: The Album’ (1989)

Here we head back to the world of hip-hop. “Pump Up The Jam” by Technotronic takes advantage of the new music craze to bolster its dance song. And it worked. How many booties swayed to this tune, how many toes tapped, how many hips swayed? The answer? Roughly a bajillion. And that led to even more copycats.

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