3 Beloved Songs From the Early 1980s You Didn’t Know Were One-Hit Wonders

The 1960s and 1970s were definitely the core eras for baby boomer-beloved music. However, the early 1980s also boasts a few hit songs that many a baby boomer loved. And if any of the following three tracks are among your favorites, you might be surprised to learn that they are technically one-hit wonders. Let’s take a look!

“Wondering Where The Lions Are” by Bruce Cockburn from ‘Dancing In The Dragon’s Jaws’ (1980)

This song was so good, I’m honestly surprised that Bruce Cockburn never had another Top 40 hit in the US afterward. Low-key inspired by Cockburn’s fears about the Cold War, “Wondering Where The Lions Are” ended up resonating with a ton of listeners at the time of its release as a single in 1980. The song peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And while tons of singles from Cockburn would grace the Canadian charts for decades, “Wondering Where The Lions Are” remains his only Top 40 hit in the US.

“Don’t Stop The Music” by Yarbrough And Peoples from ‘The Two Of Us’ (1980)

I could have sworn that Yarbrough And Peoples had a handful of hits in their discography. Shockingly, it looks like “Don’t Stop The Music” was their only hit to make it to the US Top 40. That feel-good R&B boogie jam peaked at No. 19 on the Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B Singles chart. But after that, this duo never quite made it to the Top 40 on the US pop charts again. What a shame!

“Seven Year Ache” by Rosanne Cash from ‘Seven Year Ache’ (1981)

This entry on our list of boomer-loved early 1980s one-hit wonder songs always surprises me. Rosanne Cash, daughter of famed country icon Johnny Cash, was far from a one-hit wonder on the country charts. But in terms of crossover pop success, only one of her tunes made it to the Hot 100 chart. That’s quite surprising, considering how good Cash’s early 1980s era was. Her sole pop hit remains “Seven Year Ache” from 1981, a country-pop effort that made it to No. 22 on the Hot 100 chart.

(Photo by Anthony Pidgeon/Redferns)

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