3 One-Hit Wonders From the 1980s I Remember Desperately Searching for at My Local Record Store

When a certain song gets in your head, you know you have to buy it. There’s a strange quality to music—sometimes you can’t let go of a track. And sometimes the track just can’t let go of you.

That’s just what we wanted to dive into here below. We wanted to explore three songs we had to get in our collections. Indeed, these are three one-hit wonders from the 1980s I remember hunting for rabidly in my local record store.

“867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone from ‘Tommy Tutone 2’ (1981)

When a song is so catchy that it becomes a global sensation, you should probably go to your local record store and purchase a copy of it for yourself. You never know when you might need to put it on at a party. You never know when someone you’re hanging out with might request it giddily. Then when you pull out the cassette or CD, you’ll look like a hero! But even more than pleasing others, sometimes it’s just great to own the hit tracks of the day. And in 1981, few songs were as popular as the seven-digit-based rock track “867-5309/Jenny” by Tommy Tutone.

“Genius Of Love” by Tom Tom Club from ‘Tom Tom Club’ (1981)

In the 1980s, music fans loved the rock group Talking Heads. Well, little did they know that their favorite band was going to lead to their favorite spin-off. Indeed, in 1981, husband-and-wife duo Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads released their own musical project, Tom Tom Club. That new band even produced a hit single—the indelible disco hit “Genius Of Love” from their self-titled LP. That’s right, if you were a true-blue Talking Heads fan, you just had to go to your local shop and pick up Tom Tom Club.

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

There is just something undeniable about the 1989 tune “Toy Soldiers” by Martika. The track has depth, perspective, drama, and talent. It oozes with magnetism. In some ways, it’s strange—the song is about rather depressing subject matter. And yet, it was hard to get enough of its melodies, rhythms, and performer Martika’s singing style. If you heard this song once, you just had to go out and make it yours.

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