VH1 Top 100 One-Hit Wonders of the 80s Part 5: 20-1

God, if they're going to be dense and call Flock of Seagulls one-hit wonders, then pick their BEST song (and a top 40 hit): "Wishing (If I Had a Photograph Of You)."

"Tainted Love"

"It Takes Two."

Impossible.

In A Big Country

It Takes Two, easy

I prefer 21-40

20-way tie. These are all unequivocally great songs.

kind of mind-boggling that "867-5309" is my least-favorite song here

I love "Take On Me" and "It Takes Two" and "I Melt With You" and "Tainted Love," but really I gotta go with "Come On Eileen," I was relieved to see it at #1 when I first watched the special.

Only one here that doesn't seem like obvious top 20 material is "Obsession."

I dunno, that's the one I'm most tempted to vote for!

Can't believe "It Takes Two" is getting such attention here. I mean, yeah, I remember summer of `89 too, but against "Tainted Love"? Not a chance.

Most of these songs I never want to hear again, as they're eighties-radio and Adam Sandler movie staples.

20-way tie. These are all unequivocally great songs.

Maybe "You Spin Me Roun (Like A Record)".

animotion

One of these four:

5 Soft Cell: “Tainted Love”
9 Kajagoogoo: “Too Shy”
11 Gary Numan: “Cars”
18 Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock: “It Takes Two”

Also, "Relax" still slays virtually all in its path.

if I really wanted to wreck this thread i'd just start filling it with YouTubes of Flo Rida's "Right Round" (or Save Ferris's "Come On Eileen," the "Melt With You" Burger King ad, Slim Thug's "I Run," the "Whip It" Swiffer ad, the Zoolander scene with "Relax" in it, etc.)

ALL OF THEM ARE WINNERS

Can't believe "It Takes Two" is getting such attention here. I mean, yeah, I remember summer of `89 too, but against "Tainted Love"? Not a chance.

That's stupid. I mean outrageous.

And let's not skip "In A Big Country."

it takes two

I'm sure it goes without saying, but "Pop Goes the World" >>> "The Safety Dance." I voted for "In a Big Country."

I might as well pick one out of a hat. Solid top twenty. "Obsession" is the only one of these I've bought from iTunes, so I'll use that as the decider.

I'm sure it goes without saying, but "Pop Goes the World" >>> "The Safety Dance."

This says nothing about the quality of "The Safety Dance".

Most of these songs I never want to hear again, as they're eighties-radio and Adam Sandler movie staples.

^^^ Yeah, this is like attack of the overplayed 80's songs or something. For that reason, it's hard to get excited about this list. I'm surprising myself and going with Devo here.

"99 Luftballons," easy -- in fact, even though I like almost every song up there, this was probably the easiest one of these polls for me to vote in. Which must mean I like Nena a LOT. (Maybe has something to do with living in Bad Kreuznach and Mainz at the time. I WAS THERE!)

Could live without Animotion, I guess. Always seemed kind of so-what to me.

Would take the retarded rap song that currently samples "I Ran" (Slim Thug) over the retarded rap song that currently samples "You Spin Me Round" (see above) any day (though I like both originals about equally -- A Flock Of Seagulls is more beautiful, Dead Or Alive discoer. Neither is a one-hit wonder of course.)

okay I had no idea WAYNE HUSSEY was in Dead Or Alive

Yep, but he left circa Sophisticated Boom Boom

"Space Age Love Song" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "I Ran"

the retarded rap song that currently samples "I Ran" (Slim Thug)

Must hear this.

Favorite Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock single, btw: "Get On The Dance Floor." (Thought it was better then, still do.)

no way, "Joy and Pain" pwns

sing it now god's children

"Space Age Love Song" >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "I Ran"

REAL TALK

"Wishing" >>> "The More You Live, The More You Love" >>>> "Space Age Love Song" >>>> "I Ran"

(not that it matters...I voted a-ha)

"Wishing" >>> "The More You Live, The More You Love" >>>> "Space Age Love Song"

You're high.

"Too Shy?" Really? Is in the top 20? Wld rather Limahl's elegant ode to Falkor and Atreyu chart.

I forgot that song had a sitar in it!

kind of mind-boggling that "867-5309" is my least-favorite song here

Dude how is that mind-boggling?

Chuck is right re: Animotion. Never could see the appeal of that one.

come on eileen

I hate the SYNTH sound of "Obsession."

That's my favorite thing about the song!

My favorite is that it is a completely ridiculous duet, and then the synth sounds. I will rep for 'Obsession' any day.

I can't believe people are voting for It Takes Two over tracks like Relax and Safety Dance.

Definitely lots of good ones on here. I'm going with Big Country. I'm kind of surprised that they never were able to hit again, it seemed like they were pretty solid musicians and songwriters.

I can't believe people are voting for It Takes Two over tracks like Relax and Safety Dance.

Right there with ya. Must be a generational thing.

"It Takes Two" is a good record. But I've had a sort of knee-jerk grudge against it ever since the grandstanding nincompoops at Spin named it the greatest single of all time in 1987 or whatever year it came out (when really it was maybe one of the 100 best rap singles in the world up to that point, if you were really really generous. But probably not.)

Oops, it was 1988 -- Just looked it up. (The whole point, though, was "we're not like those stodgy old geezers at Rolling Stone with their outdated hippie music. What we love best is what's current. In fact it's playing in the office right now!" Or maybe they really liked it that much, who knows.)

They certainly did that when I interned there, back in the ice age.

Easier to identify my least favorites, Mickey & Jenny. Those 2 can have each other as long as they stay behind an indestructible barrier never to be heard from again lest they burrow into one's brain and block out all thought. C'Mon Eileen is nearly as dangerous especially when coupled with the silly dancing in the video.

Voting Tainted Love.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

God the 80s were so great.

Again, pathetic.

I knew it! "Oh, it's the hip hop one, yeah I'll vote for that one." What a crock.

God the 80s were so great.

― Mr. Snrub, Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:04 PM (36 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

Again, pathetic.

― Alex in NYC, Thursday, April 30, 2009

God, ILM is so great.

crybabies.

I like "It Takes Two" but compared to the rest it's def overrated. On any given day I'd normally rather listen to any of the 3 songs that received zero votes..

who'd've thought that splitting the fey new wave vote 13 ways would benefit the outlier