3 Gen X-Loved Songs From the 1980s You Didn’t Know Were One-Hit Wonders

From glam metal to new wave to pop-rock, tons of songs graced the ears of Gen X listeners in the 1980s, and you might not have known that some of those songs were one-hit wonders. Let’s take a look at a few solitary hits that still hit so good after all these years.

“I Wanna Be A Cowboy” by Boys Don’t Cry from ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ (1985)

I could have sworn that the new wave group Boys Don’t Cry had more than one hit. Apparently, that wasn’t the case, at least in the US. “I Wanna Be A Cowboy” by Boys Don’t Cry made it all the way to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and did similarly well in Australia and Canada. Unfortunately for the band, none of their singles broke back into the US charts. They would later break up in 1988, but have since reunited.

“Just Got Paid” by Johnny Kemp from ‘Secrets Of Flying’ (1988)

Considering how big new jack swing was in the 1980s, I thought Johnny Kemp had at least a few more Top 10 hits. It looks like the upbeat Grammy-nominated “Just Got Paid” from 1988 was his only song to reach the Top 30 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It’s kind of a bummer, as songs like “Birthday Suit” and “One Thing Led To Another” are solid tracks. You can’t please them all, I suppose.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister from ‘Stay Hungry’ (1984)

When I first found out that Twisted Sister did not have a second or third massive hit like “We’re Not Gonna Take It”, I was really surprised. The band itself is iconic in glam metal history. I guess that sometimes, it only takes one song to really make a band into a legendary outfit.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” by Twisted Sister peaked at No. 21 on the Hot 100 chart in 1964. The anthem remains the band’s highest-selling single to date in the US. They never made it to the Top 40 on that chart again, but a few of their follow-ups (“I Wanna Rock” and “Leader Of The Pack”) did make it to the Hot 100.

(Photo By Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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