The Second Biggest Hit by So-Called “One-Hit Wonders” From 1980s Rock

The 1980s were quite the time for one-hit wonders. Quite a few musicians and bands in the rock genre hit the charts, only to fade into obscurity shortly after. However, a few “one-hit wonders” actually released pretty popular follow-ups to their biggest hit. Whether or not they deserve to still be called “one-hit wonders” is up to you. Let’s dive into the second biggest hit by five so-called one-hit wonders of the 1980s era of rock!

1. “Ain’t So Easy” by David + David

David + David made it big with “Welcome To The Boomtown” in 1986. It hit no. 37 on the Hot 100, and also did even better on the US Album Rock Tracks chart. The duo has since gone on to focus on songwriting and producing endeavors, but they did have a second hit that did fairly well. That track would be “Ain’t So Easy” from that same year. It reached no. 17 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

2. “Hippy Hippy Shake” by Georgia Satellites

Another big hit in 1986 was “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” by Georgia Satellites. This Southern rock outfit had their big breakthrough with this song about the horrors of premarital sex, which hit no. 2 on the Hot 100 at the time.

While Georgia Satellites never reached that level of fame again, they did pretty well with “Hippy Hippy Shake” in 1988. It’s a cover that’s been covered for decades, but Georgia Satellites’ version was pretty darn good. It was even used on the soundtrack for the movie Cocktail.

3. “Cold Blood” by Kix

“Don’t Close Your Eyes” played everywhere with a speaker in 1989. It’s a pretty iconic power ballad that marked the end of the 1980s. However, Kix also charted pretty well with “Cold Blood” from the same album as “Don’t Close Your Eyes”. It wasn’t quite as successful and didn’t really chart, but it’s a Spotify streaming favorite today.

4. “Blood On The Bricks” by Aldo Nova

Aldo Nova was Canada’s premier rock music producer in the 1980s, and he was very successful at the start of his career. “Fantasy” was his claim to fame in 1982 that hit no. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart.

Aldo Nova never quite hit that level of fame again, but he did continue to make music for years. “Blood On The Bricks” was his second-biggest hit and was released in 1991. The whole of the album of the same name is excellent work that deserves more love.

5. “What Love Can Be” by Kingdom Come

If you were around in 1988, you definitely know about “Get It On”. It’s one of the biggest one-hit wonders of that year, but Kingdom Come’s second hit song also did pretty well, too. Where “Get It On” created conversations about Kingdom Come sounding like Led Zeppelin, “What Love Can Be” generated buzz over its influence in the years that followed. It wasn’t radio fodder and didn’t even chart all that well, but it’s the band’s most-streamed song on Spotify today.

Photo by David Redfern

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