Although he was one of the movie world’s most popular and acclaimed composers—known for his work on films such as Blade Runner, 1492: Conquest of Paradise, and the 2004 historical epic Alexander—Vangelis’s biggest success came in 1982, when the theme from his Oscar-winning score to Chariots of Fire was released as a single. The track quickly became a Number 1 hit in the US, making its composer an unlikely one-hit wonder on the Billboard charts.
But Vangelis was by no means in achieving just a single chart hit in his career, and in the 1980s alone dozens of artists achieved considerable success with just one track.
“CARS” // GARY NUMAN
Although he has racked up a string of hits across a career now covering six decades in his native UK, new wave and electronic music pioneer Gary Numan remains a one-hit wonder in the US, with his seminal ‘80s electronic track “Cars” reaching #9 on the Billboard charts in 1980.
“COME ON EILEEN” // DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
Formed in the late 1970s—and recently reformed, and touring once again—Dexys Midnight Runners had already had another UK Number 1, “Geno,” when their global smash hit “Come On Eileen” topped the charts in the UK, US, Ireland and Australia, and sold more than a million copies in 1982 (1983 in the US).
Although the band have continued to release music ever since, this song remains their defining anthem and their only major chart in the United States.
“DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY” // BOBBY MCFERRIN
Labelling the legendary American singer, songwriter, composer, and jazz star Bobby McFerrin as a one-hit wonder might seem misleading given the sheer number of credits to his name (and not to mention the 10 competitive Grammy Awards, plus a 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award).
But based on chart statistics alone, incredibly his Grammy-winning a cappella track “Don’t Worry Be Happy” is McFerrin’s only chart hit to date, having spent two weeks at Number 1 on the Hot 100 in 1988. It remains the only a cappella recording ever to top the Billboard charts.
“FUNKYTOWN” // LIPPS INC.
Minneapolis-based disco funk group Lipps Inc. scored a worldwide hit in 1980 with their debut single “Funkytown,” which reached Number 1 in the US, Canada, and Australia (and another 25 countries besides).
Although the band reached #4 on the Billboard Dance Club charts with follow-up single “How Long,” recreating the astonishing success of their debut proved difficult. The band went their separate ways in 1985, and remain a one-hit wonder.
“I DON’T LIKE MONDAYS” // THE BOOMTOWN RATS
Live Aid founder Bob Geldof’s legendary Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats scored their biggest and to date only US chart hit in 1980 when “I Don’t Like Mondays” charted at a relatively lowly #73.
Despite not making much of a mark on the top of the charts (thanks to its controversial subject matter, and a skittish release by Columbia), the song became the band’s signature tune and was a Number 1 hit in the UK, Ireland, and Australia.
“I KNOW WHAT BOYS LIKE” // THE WAITRESSES
Ohio new wave group The Waitresses, fronted by lead singer Patty Donahue, only charted once in the US with their endlessly popular 1980 hit, I Know What Boys Like. Across in the UK, the group likewise only had just the one chart hit—but to Brits the band are likely best known for their 1981 follow-up hit, Christmas Wrapping. Thanks to festive compilations and streaming figures, the track was awarded platinum status in the UK in 2024.
“LIVING IN A BOX” // LIVING IN A BOX
British pop band Living in a Box had a global hit with their self-titled 1985 debut single, which reached the top 20 in the US and the top 5 in the UK. Although they followed it up with a string of minor hits in their native UK (most notably 1989’s “Room in Your Heart”), none truly matched the chart success of their debut.
“MICKEY” // TONI BASIL
Antonia Basilotta, better known by the stage name Toni Basil, had a global hit on her hands in 1982 when Mickey topped the charts in the US, reached the Top 10 all over the world, and shifted more than two million copies. Although Basil herself has gone on to have a long career in music, acting, dance and art, the track remains by far her biggest hit and is her only Top 40 hit in the US.
“THE NEVERENDING STORY” // LIMAHL
Co-written by movie composer and song writer Giorgio Moroder (who is perhaps better known for another song on this list), the theme tune to the 1984 Wolfgang Petersen fantasy movie The NeverEnding Story was a top 10 hit in more than a dozen countries worldwide, and a top 20 hit in the US.
The track was performed by and remains the best-known solo hit for British pop singer-songwriter Limahl—who began his pop career as the lead singer of ‘70s and ‘80s pop group Kajagoogoo, who are likewise best known for their 1983 worldwide hit, “Too Shy.”
“PAC-MAN FEVER” // BUCKNER & GARCIA
Featuring lines like, “I’ve got a callus on my finger, and my shoulder’s hurting too,” novelty gaming song “Pac-Man Fever” was released by Ohio duo Buckner & Garcia at the height of the game’s success in 1981 (and was the lead track on an album dedicated to similar arcade classics including Frogger and Donkey Kong).
“PASS THE DUTCHIE” // MUSICAL YOUTH
British reggae band Musical Youth have chalked up a string of chart hits in their native UK since the 1980s, but worldwide they will doubtless forever be known for their breakout hit “Pass the Dutchie.” Selling over five million copies worldwide, the track topped the charts in more than 10 countries, and reached #10 in the US in 1982.
The track had a brief resurgence in popularity in 2022, thanks to Netflix’s Stranger Things.
“RUSH HOUR” // JANE WIEDLIN
Jane Wiedlin achieved considerable chart success (and an entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) as one of the founder members and guitarists of legendary ‘80s pop-rock super group the Go-Gos.
But after the band initially split in 1985, she went solo and had a top 10 hit in several countries around the world with “Rush Hour,” which peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988. Other songs didn’t quite reach the same chart success, but Wiedlin has continued to write and perform ever since (her latest solo album ¡I Protest! is due for release next month), and has worked consistently as an actress too. (That was her playing Joan of Arc in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and she’s the singing telegram in Clue too.)
“THE SAFETY DANCE” // MEN WITHOUT HATS
Canadian rock band Men Without Hats have more than half a dozen albums to their name and scores of singles, but it’s their second single “The Safety Dance” by which they’re best known. The track was a smash hit all around the world, reaching #3 on the Hot 100 in 1982.
“SET ME FREE” // UTOPIA
Founded in the mid 1970s by frontman and guitarist Todd Rundgren, New York prog and new wave rock band Utopia scored their biggest hit in 1980 when their song “Set Me Free” reached #28 on the Billboard charts. Although Rundgren went on to achieve considerable success as a solo artist, later hits by Utopia never quite matched the success of their first chart hit.
“ST. ELMO’S FIRE (MAN IN MOTION)” // JOHN PARR
English singer-songwriter John Parr had been steadily working in the music business for several years—and had had a minor his with his debut single Naughty Naughty in 1984—before he secured a global smash hit in 1985 with the title track to that classic ‘80s coming-of-age movie St. Elmo’s Fire.
After Naughty Naughty caught the attention of the film’s composer, David Foster, Parr was invited to contribute to the soundtrack, and both he and Foster wrote the title track in only a couple of hours one Friday afternoon. The track earned a Grammy nomination, and led to Parr performing a string of ‘80s movie title tracks, including the themes for Three Men and a Baby and Arnold Scwarzenegger’s The Running Man.
Despite still writing, performing and touring today, Parr’s endlessly popular breakout hit remains by far his biggest chart success in the US and has understandably defined his career ever since.
“TAINTED LOVE” // SOFT CELL
Another band who have remained active on home turf but are perhaps best known elsewhere for just one song, English synth-pop duo Soft Cell had a global hit with their cover of Tainted Love in 1981. The band—who released their sixth and final album in 2026—have remained active ever since, but could not match the global success of Tainted Love, which remains their only US Billboard chart hit.
“TAKE MY BREATH AWAY” // BERLIN
Another track that became a smash hit alongside a blockbusting ‘80s movie, Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away” sold half a million copies in the US alone and picked up the Academy Award for Best Original Song back in 1987.
Co-written by Italian disco and electronic music legend Giorgio Moroder (who likewise co-wrote the theme tune to The NeverEnding Story), the track was the love theme from Tony Scott’s 1986 blockbuster Top Gun. (Moroder also co-wrote the movie’s main action theme, Kenny Loggins’s “Danger Zone.”)
“Take My Breath Away” was a global smash hit, reaching the top of the charts in the US, the UK, and Canada, and giving Los Angeles new wave band Berlin—who had previously worked with Moroder on their 1984 hit “No More Words”—by far the biggest song of their career.
“TURNING JAPANESE” // THE VAPORS
Opening with a classic spaghetti Western-style guitar riff so well used that it has become a trope, The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese” was a global smash hit in 1980, reaching the top 40 in the US, the top 10 in the UK and Canada, and Number 1 in Australia. Despite its somewhat cliched sound, and even more cliched music video, the song was actually inspired by teenage relationship problems.
Unfortunately the band never matched the success of this, their second single, and remain a one-hit wonder.
“VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR” // THE BUGGLES
Initially released in the autumn of 1979, The Buggles’ debut single “Video Killed the Radio” sold five million copies worldwide and topped the charts in more than a dozen countries worldwide including the UK, Japan, and Australia (where it remained the biggest selling single of all time for the next 27 years).
Although only a minor hit in the US, peaking at #40 on the Billboard charts, the song reached an entirely new audience two years later when, at 12:01 AM on August 1, 1981, its music video became the first song ever played on MTV.
The band went their separate ways the following year, but have continued to reunite and record new music sporadically ever since. None of their later releases, however, matched the global scale of their first.
“99 LUFTBALLONS” // NENA
West German pop-rock band Nena scored an unlikely worldwide hit in 1983 when their German-language track 99 Luftballons became a Number 1 smash in more than a dozen countries (and reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100). An English translation, “99 Red Balloons,” followed in 1984 and went to Number 1 in the UK and Canada too).
Later tracks couldn’t match the band’s early success, and as they went their separate ways in 1987, this track remains their near singular hit outside Europe.