If you were a teen in the 1980s, you got to experience some of the best and most innovative evolutions of rock and pop music, both from still-touring musicians and one-hit wonders alike. Honestly, I’m a little jealous. Let’s take a look at just a handful of long-loved one-hit wonders from the 1980s that anyone who was a teen at the time would remember.
“Whip It” by Devo (1980)
It’s still wild to me that this beloved band that spearheaded new wave music in North America is technically a one-hit wonder outfit. Devo saw some significant success in 1980 with their synth-pop classic, “Whip It”. That song made it all the way to No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the Top 20 on a number of other charts. And yet, for some reason, the group never quite broke through, despite being such a big part of music history today. A handful of other songs chart decently on other charts. However, “Whip It” was the band’s only Top 40 hit on the Hot 100.
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“It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls (1982)
Believe it or not, this song almost didn’t land in the hands of the very underrated musical duo The Weather Girls. In fact, the catchy-as-heck pop classic “It’s Raining Men” was initially pitched to Donna Summer, Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, and Cher. All of those famous divas rejected it, and The Weather Girls decided to take it on. I’m glad they did, because this song was definitely one of the most memorable pop hits to come out of 1982.
“It’s Raining Men” peaked at No. 46 on the Hot 100 and topped the Dance Club Songs chart. It also charted well internationally. Unfortunately, The Weather Girls never made it to the Hot 100 again.
“I Melt With You” by Modern English (1982)
When I think of classic post-punk music, I think of “I Melt With You” by Modern English. It’s so memorable, so 80s, and so enduring. Teens today even love it. And if you were an angsty teen in the 1980s, this was probably one of your most-played one-hit wonders back in the day.
Modern English wouldn’t be considered one-hit wonders in their native UK. They hit the Top 40 across the pond on numerous occasions. However, “I Melt With You” was their only Top 40 hit on the US rock charts.
Photo by Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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