This week, we spotlight one-hit wonders from the first half of the 1980s, a very odd time for me and an unusual time in the music world in general. I give you the song, you provide the artist.
For our purposes, a one-hit wonder is defined as an artist that had one, and only one, Top 40 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. I did not include one-off superstar duet pairings (Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder, Philip Bailey and Phil Collins) or duet pairings with one superstar and one person who never hit the charts again (KC and Teri DeSario). I have also not included solo one-hits by performers who have been part of successful groups (Frida, Roger Daltrey, Larry Graham). I also tried not to include intentional novelty hits, with a few exceptions.
1. "Romeo's Tune" (1980)
2. "Funkytown" (1980)
3. "Cars" (1980)
4. "Tired of Toein' the Line" (1980)
5. "Whip It" (1980)
6. "Together" (1981)
7. "Don't Stop the Music" (1981)
8. "Is It You" (1981)
9. "Pac-Man Fever" (1982)
10. "Let It Whip" (1982)
11. "Key Largo" (1982)
12. "Tainted Love" (1982)
13. "Personally" (1982)
14. "Come On Eileen" (1983)
15. "Puttin' On the Ritz" (1983)
16. "Let The Music Play" (1984)
17. "Breakin....There's No Stopping Us" (1984)
Bonus: Name the two German one-hit wonders from late 1983 and early 1984. One hit with a sequel to a David Bowie song; the other had a nuclear protest song.