10 Top Songs | SONGS TO LIVE BY

BBC Radio One Live in Concert (Dexys Midnight Runners album) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

List compiled by Bear

I am sure we all remember these groups well, and find it hard to believe that they all had only one hit wonders. They sure bring back memories for me, seeing as my daughters were in their teens that decade. On with the show. The Top Ten 1 hit wonders for the eighties!

C’mon Eileen by Dexys Midnight Runners did this song in 1982. Such a great song to party to, and they never had another one this big. Kevin Rolland and Al Archer named the band after Dexedrine, brand of dextroamphetamine used as a popular recreation drug at the time. The ”midnight runners” referred to the energy it gave, enabling one to dance all night.
Take On Me by A-ha in 1985. This was a Norwegian pop band. This song took three releases to chart in United Kingdom, hitting #2, but hit #1 in America in October, 1985. It seems to me that they had a really good video for this song.
Tainted Love was done by popular vocal synth group Soft Cell in 1981. The song had been done in 1965 by Gloria Jones. It was done by Soft Cell in a slower tempo in key G instead of the original key C. The song finally reached #8 on the American Billboard Hits, but spent a record breaking 43 weeks on the charts.
The song 99 Luftballoons was out in 1983 by Nena, a German pop rock band. This is a German protest song recorded in 1984. This was later recorded in English as 99 red balloons.
Maniac by Michael Sembelo was from the movie Flashdance. It was inspired by the horror movie of 1980 named Maniac, about a serial killer who stalked his victims in New York City.
I Just Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew in 1985. This song was released on Virgin Records and it was Virgin Records top American hit. This band took this big hit to #1 in the United States and #1 in many smaller markets as well.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin in 1988. Bobby was a virtuoso American vocalist and conductor. The song was a pop hit and went #1 in America in 1988. It also won Song of the Year and Record of the year.
Cover of Taco

Video Killed the Radio Star by a group called The Buggles in 1980. The Buggles were a British new wave duo. This song went to #1 in 1980. Its video was the first seen on MTV in the United States at 12:01 on August 1, 1981.
The Futures So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades by Timbuk3. The song was recorded in 1986. It Made the top 20 in America and #21 in the United Kingdom.
Puttin On the Ritz by Taco. Taco Ockerse was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. In 1982 this single was released in The United States by RCA. By the summer of 1983 it peaked at #4.

Posted by Admin in Top 80s Songs. Tags: Bobby McFerrin, Buggles, Dexys Midnight Runners, Kevin Rolland, United States, Virgin Records

Cover of Edison Lighthouse

List compiled by Bear

As life progressed into the seventies, we eventually left the Vietnam War behind and found something else to protest about. Most of us were starting families and careers, and realized with the loss of the sixties, we were growing up and not necessarily liking it for some of us. That is still true today for many of us in our sixties. We are still listening to and loving those one hit wonders of the seventies.

1. As Years Go By by a group called Mashmakan. This group was first known as The Triangle. They were a Canadian group out of Montreal. This song came out in 1970, and as per the intro at the top of the page, we loved this song, because the years were truly going by. They did do some albums but this was their one big hit.

2. Love Grows by Edison Lighthouse in 1970. This was a British group and this song was #1 for five weeks. The song is about a girl named Rosemary.

3. Yellow River by Christie in 1970. Jeff Christie wrote this song and offered it to the group The Tremeloes. They never recorded it and gave it back to Jeff. The hit went #1 in Britain in June, 1970 and the hit went worldwide and was a #1 hit in 26 countries.

Cover of Hurricane Smith

4. Put Your Hand in the Hand by Ocean in 1971. Ocean was a gospel rock band formed in Toronto, Canada. This song was written by a famous Canadian songwriter, Gene McLellan. This song sold one million copies and was awarded a gold disc.

5. One Tin Soldier by Coven in 1971. Coven was an American rock band formed in the late sixties. This was a huge hit and the title was otherwise known as The Legend of Billy Jack. It was the theme song for movie Billy Jack.

6. Stay Awhile by The Bells in 1971. This Canadian rock group had a first hit in the sixties with a song called Moody Manitoba Morning, which I really liked. Stay Awhile became a hit worldwide, selling four million copies, and going to #1 in Canada April 10, 1971 for two weeks.

7. Oh Babe, What Would You Do? It was a catchy little tune by Hurricane Smith in 1972. Norman Smith was a sound engineer on all the EMI studio recordings for the Beatles until 1965. John Lennon bestowed the nickname Hurricane on him and the rest of the gang picked it up. He also worked with Pink Floyd. This song became a #1 hit in United Kingdom in 1972. This is personally one of my favorite all time songs. Makes me very happy.

Cover of Minnie Riperton

8. Daisy A Day by Jed Strunk in 1973. This big hit was a sentimental song about a boy and a girl as they fall in love and grow old together. The song is done in 3/4 time, and is a beautiful song.

9. I Can Help by Billy Swan done in 1974. This is a rockabilly song that topped both Billboard top 100 and the country charts. The organ he played so beautifully in this song was given to him by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge as a wedding gift.

10. Lovin’ You by Minnie Riperton in 1975. Minnie was an American singer/songwriter, with a vocal range of 5 and 1/2 octaves. She grew up in Chicago and was a backup singer for many well known artists, including the wonderful Etta James. Minnie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1976 and passed away in 1979 at the age of 31.

Posted by Admin in Top 70s Songs. Tags: Canada, Edison Lighthouse, Minnie Riperton, Norman Smith, Rita Coolidge, Toronto, United States, Vietnam War

10 Top Songs That Were One Hit Wonders of the 80s

10 Top Songs that Were One Hit Wonders of the 70s