I was triggered to start a topic on this when I saw this YouTube video.

Top 10 Cheesiest One-Hit Wonders of the 1980s


The "10 cheesiest" part is debatable (at least on some), and despite some not being my cup of tea, they're still memorable one-hit wonders, and representative of the era.

2 of the 10 I actually thought were Hall & Oates songs, until I watched this!

One of my favorite one-hit wonders, a band that came out of nowhere and went to number one:

"My Sharona", by The Knack (1979)

I heard this song at least a year before I saw Rocky Horror:

"I Do Thee Rock", by Tim Curry(1979)



All the references to various crazy third-world dictators and celebrities... things have unfortunately changed but in many ways stayed the same in the world.

Another from 1979,

"Driver's Seat" by Sniff 'n The Tears

From a year later, 1980,

"Ah Leah" by Donny Iris



Sporting something of an Elvis Costello image.

From 1983, "99 Red Balloons" by the German band Nena:



In English...





.and German