4 One-Hit Wonders That Could Only Exist in the 1980s

One-hit wonders were a dime a dozen in the 1980s; it just came with the territory of the decade’s quickly changing musical tides. These four songs, however, probably wouldn’t have been as legendary if they weren’t released in the 1980s. Let’s take a walk through time and revisit a few killer one-hit wonders from the 1980s!

1. “Turning Japanese” by The Vapors

Well, this song hasn’t exactly aged well in the years since it was released in 1980. It was an unfortunate product of the time, but one can’t deny the pop culture influence this song had in the 1980s. It was The Vapor’s claim to fame in the new wave movement, hitting no. 36 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Unfortunately for The Vapors, the power pop outfit never had as big of an international hit again. “News At Ten” and “Jimmie Jones” did well in the UK, but that was about it for them.

2. “99 Luftballons” by Nena

One-hit wonders from the 1980s came in all genres and forms. “99 Luftballons” by Nena, however, is one of the most recognizable examples of the 1980s New German Wave movement. Released in 1983, this smash hit made it to no. 1 on numerous charts and no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Though Nena would be considered one-hit wonders in the States, they did enjoy a pretty successful career for a few years in Europe.

3. “Video Killed The Radio Star” by The Buggles

This one-hit wonder technically came out at the end of the 1970s, but it’s so deeply connected to the 1980s. In fact, the music video for this hit was the very first one to air on MTV in 1981. You’d be hard-pressed to miss this song on any list of the best one-hit wonders of the 20th century, or the 1980s, for that matter.

4. “I Melt With You” by Modern English

This new wave hit is another genre classic on our list of one-hit wonders that defined the 1980s. “I Melt With You” by Modern English topped the charts in 1982, making it to no. 7 on the Mainstream Rock chart. So many musicians through the years have covered this classic tune, and it was prominently featured in an episode of Stranger Things. It doesn’t get more 80s than that!

Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.