Primitive Radio Gods - "Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in My Hand"

Primitive Radio Gods
"Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in My Hand" #10 (Airplay; September 14, 1996)

"Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Money in My Hand". That's a very long title, though they never actually say it on the song.

I like the song. Chris O'Connor's bluesy vocals fit the overall atmosphere of the track. And that B.B. King sample really works well.

Unfortunately, B.B. King trousered most of the royalties for the track, so Chris, an ex-air traffic controller, still had to save up while the song was rising high on the charts. (got this info from YouTube).

The song peaked at #10...on the Hot 100 Airplay chart. Chart rules prevented the track from reaching the actual Hot 100 chart, since no physical single was released. Though this rule was overturned in 1998 with the downfall of the physical single, this fate still befell many songs, the most famous being No Doubt's "Don't Speak".

Wayne Wonder - "No Letting Go"

Wayne Wonder
"No Letting Go"
#11 (May 31, 2003)

I've always had a guilty pleasure to listen to "No Letting Go". It usually just gets stuck in my head. I can remember listening to this to the radio, and having no idea what he was saying. I would just hum the chorus..."No letting go..." And I'd clap along to the beat.

Interesting to note, this song uses the same clapping beat (called the "Diwali Riddim") as both Sean Paul's "Get Busy" and one-hit wonder Lumidee's "Never Leave You".

Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers - "Swing the Mood"

Jive Bunny and the Mastermixers are one of those "mash-up" artists who join many songs together to make one big song altogether. They mixed recordings of popular 50s and 60s songs. And their only U.S. hit, "Swing the Mood", does just that.

"Swing the Mood" originally started out using the original recordings of the songs, and that version was brilliant (this version I've heard on YouTube, which has been removed for some reason). However, then copyright came in. The band was forced to use re-recorded versions of the original songs and release that as the final product to the public.

It was terrible.

It ruined the original "Swing the Mood", and in the process, ruined all original 12 songs. Neverthless, "Swing the Mood" still reached #11 in the U.S. and #1 in the UK, becoming the #2 biggest selling single of 1989 there (held back by Black Box's "Ride on Time").

Jive Bunny would repeat the same formula for their next release, "That's What I Like". However, it stalled at #69 on the Hot 100. I'm sure that's not quite the chart peformance they liked. However, it did reach #1 in the UK like the previous release and became a top 10 hit in many other countries.

Nowadays, music like this is doubtful to hit the charts. That goes the same with instrumental music. Though I'm pretty sure that Jive Bunny's band members are still living it up on their royalty checks.

The re-recorded version:

Roachford - "Cuddly Toy (Feel for Me)"

Roachford
"Cuddly Toy (Feel for Me)"
#25 (June 10, 1989)

A pure slice of cake straight from the 80s.

Apparently Roachford was Columbia Records' biggest selling artist in the UK in the 1990s. Strange, considering I haven't really heard of them.

From the look of Roachford's image, lead singer Andrew Roachford looks more like someone who would sing new jack swing or soft R&B music. The title makes it look that way too. But "Cuddly Toy (Feel for Me)" is full of electric guitars, synthesizers and loud drum hits. Not your typical new jack swing. In fact, almost nowhere near that.

It even made room for a keyboard solo, much like other 80s one-hit wonders like Saga's "On the Loose".

"Cuddly Toy" isn't really my type of music, and I have a mixed opinion it. Some of the lyrics are really campy, but the instruments really keep the song strong. Though I won't become a professional music reviewer, so I'll end here.

Sheriff - "When I'm with You"

Sheriff
"When I'm with You"
#1 (February 4, 1989)

Arena rock. It dominated the 80s. And it produced one particular #1 hit from a band that would never score another hit again.

Sheriff originally released "When I'm with You" in 1983 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. However, it stalled at #61 and disappointed with their lack of success, Sheriff broke up.

However, there was still one more light of hope for Sheriff. In 1988, a Las Vegas disc jockey started playing the song. Other stations followed, and the soon the song rose sky high to the top of the charts (see Benny Mardones's "Into the Night" for a similar phenomenon). However, band members Lanni and Wolf Hassell had since formed another band, and declined to reform the group. And without their permission, the idea of reforming Sheriff was destroyed, and "When I'm with You" was still their only hit.

However, band members Freddy Curci and Steve DeMarchi would then form Alias and peak #2 with yet arena rock song, "More Than Words Can Say".

"When I'm with You" is arena rock at its best, featuring the standard soft opening and the fact that the song gets louder as it progresses. Not to mention the high notes that Freddy hits at the end of the song. In fact, he's currently in the Guinness Book of World Records for "Longest Note in a Pop Song". Impressive.

Saga - "On the Loose"

Saga
"On the Loose"
#26 (February 26, 1983)

Saga is a prime example of a band that got way more success in other countries than it did in America. Saga got more popular in European countries and in their native countries, but only scored one Top 40 hit in the U.S. with "On the Loose".

Aside from the keyboard solo at the start of the song, there's really nothing much I can say about "On the Loose". So I suggest you go see Michael Waterman's review at toponehitwonders.com/:

http://toponehitwonders.com/rock/on-the-loose-saga/

Benny Mardones - "Into the Night"

Benny Mardones
"Into the Night"
#11 (September 6, 1980)

Benny Mardones is an interesting case of a one-hit wonder. He actually hit the top 40 twice - with the same song. So in this case, he's still a one-hit wonder, because he still only has one song.

You probably may be wondering: why it did reach the Top 40 twice anyway? Well, this is how it happened.

In 1989, KZZP, a radio station in Arizona, ran a segment titled "Where Are They Now?" (a question most people are asking about even 90s one hit wonders right now) The most popular question was "Whatever happened to the guy who sang 'Into the Night'?" Scott Shannon, then program director for Pirate Radio in Los Angeles, added "Into the Night" to its playlist. Radio stations across the country followed suit and "Into the Night" was once again a hit.

So now let's go to what I think of the song.

"Into the Night" is definitely in my top 5 of the best one-hit wonder of the 80s. Mardones's bluesy vocals match the mood of the song, and the chorus lifts me up. It's always a pleasure to scan through stations and find "Into the Night".

Apparently Usher did a version of the song. I won't say he butchered it, but I definitely prefer the Benny Mardones version.

Rebbie Jackson - "Centipede"

Rebbie Jackson
"Centipede"
#24 (December 22, 1984)

From 1984 comes the only Top 40 hit by Michael Jackson's lesser known older sister, Rebbie Jackson. Rebbie really never got that much attention from the public, and ended up becoming a one-hit wonder, in stark contrast to her younger brother Michael.

"Centipede" is powered by drum hits, bass riffs and keyboard effects typical for an 80s song. But "Centipede" somehow stands out in a special way. Michael produced and wrote the song for Rebbie, and even screams "Centipede!" in the background of the song. In fact, "Centipede" sounds like it could be done by Michael himself with some reworked lyrics.

"Today, Rebbie is generally considered the “most normal” of all the Jacksons. That’s a pretty significant achievement right there. You can even argue it’s perhaps the greatest achievement of all." - David Waterman at toponehitwonders.com

Tom Tom Club - "Genius of Love"

Tom Tom Club
"Genius of Love"
#31 (April 24, 1982)

Tom Tom Club scored their only Top 40 hit "Genius of Love", a funky, new wavish number from their self-titled debut album. Tom Tom Club themselves featured Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, better known as drummer and bassist of the Talking Heads, who I'm a fan of. And I must say, "Genius of Love" is a number that is not typical of the Talking Heads' style.

However, I still enjoy "Genius of Love" for some reason. I just love some of those random lyrics (ex.: "James Brown...James Brown!"). Also worth watching is the psychedelic animated music video for the song. Just click the embed below:

Greg Guidry - "Goin' Down"

Greg Guidry
"Goin' Down"
#17 (May 1, 1982)

"Goin' Down" is, along with Eye to Eye's "Nice Girls", one of the best one-hit wonders of the 80s.

Featuring a nice chorus and a typical 80s vibe, it is one of the most underrated songs of the 80s. It even has a room for a short electric guitar solo.

Sadly, on, July 28, 2003, Greg Guidry was found dead, his charred body found in a car parked in his garage. His death was ruled a suicide.

Eye to Eye - "Nice Girls"

Eye to Eye
"Nice Girls"
#37 (July 24, 1982)

Eye to Eye's "Nice Girls" easily stands out as one of my favorite one-hit wonders of the 80s. Reminiscent of artists like Steely Dan, it's a nice upbeat track. I like the beat, and keyboards work well too.

Anyway, time for the more geeky info.

Composed of American singer Deborah Berg and English pianist Julian Marshall, Eye to Eye formed in 1980 after meeting at a dance ensemble performance. A recording contract followed, and Eye to Eye released their self-titled debut album in 1981. They would release one more album, then broke up in 1984, later reuniting in 2001.

Steve Forbert - "Romeo's Tune"

Steve Forbert
"Romeo's Tune"
#11 (February 23, 1980)

Forbert reached #11 in 1980 with "Romeo's Tune", a 70ish love song aided by the piano. Compared as the "new Bob Dylan", he released 14 studio albums and still performs to this day.

(Sorry for the short post, words can't say what I feel about this song...for all of you who like Steve, enjoy the embed below.)

Tom Johnston - "Savannah Nights"

Tom Johnston
"Savannah Nights"
#34 (January 12, 1980)

In 1977, Tom Johnston left the Doobie Brothers to pursue a solo career of his own. He went on to release his first solo album, 1979's Everything You've Heard Is True. It was this album that spawned a trumpet-filled, upbeat 80s number, "Savannah Nights", that would go on to reach #34 on the Hot 100 in 1980.

Later, in 1982, Doobie Brothers member Patrick Simmons would score his own solo Top 40 hit "So Wrong". In both cases, it would be their only one.

After one more solo album, Still Feels Good (1981), Johnston eventually returned to the Doobies in 1987. And "Savannah Nights" remains his only solo Top 40 hit.

Sugarhill Gang - "Rapper's Delight"

                  

The Sugarhill Gang
"Rapper's Delight"
#36 (January 12, 1980)

Composed of Wonder Mike, Master Gee, and Big Bank Hank, the Sugarhill Gang scored their only Top 40 hit with the hip hop classic "Rapper's Delight". Using a sample of Chic's "Good Times" as the basis for the track, it hit #36 in 1980 and eventually marked them up as one of the first one hit wonders of the year.

However, the track, groundbreaking as it is, never faded into obscurity like a lot of other one hit wonders and has been sampled countless times by many artist ranging from 50 Cent to future one hit wonder Big Audio Dynamite (I'll tackle them later...). It was later marked #248 in Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".