100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s

"100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s" is an episode of VH1's The Greatest. It counts down the 100 greatest one-hit wonders of the 1980s. It is hosted by Judah Friedlander and originally aired from March 30 through April 3, 2009.

Commentators

 * Sherrod Small
 * Brad Sherwood
 * Jim Florentine
 * Clinton Kelly
 * Dave Holmes
 * Simmy Kaye
 * Alison Becker
 * Amanda Diva
 * Billy Vera
 * Michael Damian
 * Gerald V. Casale
 * Carter Roy
 * Judah Friedlander
 * Buckner & Garcia
 * Pretty Poison
 * Mark McGrath
 * Edwin McCain
 * Kim Wilson
 * Johnny Kemp
 * Jake Fogelnest
 * Peter Garrett
 * Ben Lee
 * Matt Pinfield
 * Baron Vaughn
 * Sean Patton
 * Michelle Williams
 * Jeremy Hassell
 * Valerie Watson
 * Carrie Keagan
 * Kelly Nickels
 * Frank Stallone
 * Keith Powell
 * Andrea Rosen
 * Chris Booker
 * Carl Anderson (archive footage)
 * Riki Rachtman
 * Animotion
 * Andy Pemberton
 * Nick Heyward
 * Rodney Dangerfield (archive footage)
 * Rob Sheffield
 * Steve Huey
 * Nik Kershaw
 * Alannah Myles
 * Jan Kuehnemund
 * Janet Gardner
 * Jorge Ramon
 * Dean Edwards
 * Godfrey
 * Paul Lekakis
 * Josie Cotton
 * The Donnas
 * Puddle of Mudd
 * Aldo Nova
 * Joe Levy
 * Ranking Roger
 * Prince Paul
 * J. J. Fad
 * Bertie Higgins
 * Kurt Harland
 * Chuck Nice
 * Paul Hardcastle (archive footage)
 * Jack Wagner
 * Rachael Quaintance
 * Chris Wylde
 * Carol Decker
 * Jeff Healey
 * Bob Geldof
 * Sir Mix-a-Lot
 * Oran "Juice" Jones
 * Chris Butler
 * Andy Partridge
 * XTC
 * Sugar Bear

The list

 * 100 - "You're a Friend Of Mine" by Clarence Clemons and Jackson Browne
 * 99 - "Rock On" by Michael Damian
 * 98 - "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia
 * 97 - "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley" by Will to Power
 * 96 - "Tuff Enuff" by The Fabulous Thunderbirds
 * 95 - "Beds Are Burning" by Midnight Oil
 * 94 - "Lean on Me" by Club Nouveau
 * 93 - "The Ballad of Jayne" by L.A. Guns
 * 92 - "Far From Over" by Frank Stallone
 * 91 - "Friends and Lovers" by Gloria Loring and Carl Anderson
 * 90 - "Love Plus One" by Haircut 100
 * 89 - "Rappin' Rodney" by Rodney Dangerfield
 * 88 - "Wouldn't It Be Good" by Nik Kershaw
 * 87 - "Edge of a Broken Heart" by Vixen
 * 86 - "Forget Me Nots" by Patrice Rushen
 * 85 - "Tomorrow People" by Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers
 * 84 - "Under the Milky Way" by The Church
 * 83 - "Boom Boom (Let's Go Back to My Room)" by Paul Lekakis
 * 82 - "Lunatic Fringe" by Red Rider
 * 81 - "Johnny Are You Queer?" by Josie Cotton
 * 80 - "Party All the Time" by Eddie Murphy
 * 79 - "Black Velvet" by Alannah Myles
 * 78 - "Fantasy" by Aldo Nova
 * 77 - "Tenderness" by General Public
 * 76 - "Supersonic" by J.J. Fad
 * 75 - "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins
 * 74 - "What's on Your Mind (Pure Energy)" by Information Society
 * 73 - "19" by Paul Hardcastle
 * 72 - "Breakout" by Swing Out Sister
 * 71 - "All I Need" by Jack Wagner
 * 70 - "Axel F" by Harold Faltermeyer
 * 69 - "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau
 * 68 - "Major Tom (Coming Home)" by Peter Schilling
 * 67 - "Toy Soldiers" by Martika
 * 66 - "Angel Eyes" by Jeff Healey
 * 65 - "I Don't Like Mondays" by The Boomtown Rats
 * 64 - "Steal Away" by Robbie Dupree
 * 63 - "The Rain" by Oran "Juice" Jones
 * 62 - "Dear God" by XTC
 * 61 - "Da Butt" by E.U.
 * 60 - "I Can't Wait" by Nu Shooz
 * 59 - "Your Love" by The Outfield
 * 58 - "Heartbeat" by Don Johnson
 * 57 - "We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off" by Jermaine Stewart
 * 56 - "Voices Carry" by 'Til Tuesday
 * 55 - "Just Got Paid" by Johnny Kemp
 * 54 - "The Lady in Red" by Chris de Burgh
 * 53 - "Puttin' on the Ritz" by Taco
 * 52 - "In My House" by Mary Jane Girls
 * 51 - "Der Kommissar" by After the Fire
 * 50 - "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry
 * 49 - "Easy Lover" by Philip Bailey and Phil Collins
 * 48 - "Oh Yeah" by Yello
 * 47 - "Catch Me (I'm Falling)" by Pretty Poison
 * 46 - "Keep Your Hands to Yourself" by The Georgia Satellites
 * 45 - "C'est La Vie" by Robbie Nevil
 * 44 - "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo
 * 43 - "Let the Music Play" by Shannon
 * 42 - "The Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades" by Timbuk 3
 * 41 - "At This Moment" by Billy Vera
 * 40 - "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles
 * 39 - "Break My Stride" by Matthew Wilder
 * 38 - "Respect Yourself" by Bruce Willis
 * 37 - "Funkytown" by Lipps, Inc.
 * 36 - "It's Raining Men" by Weather Girls
 * 35 - "Genius of Love" by Tom Tom Club
 * 34 - "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses
 * 33 - "Missing You" by John Waite
 * 32 - "Harden My Heart" by Quarterflash
 * 31 - "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin
 * 30 - "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors
 * 29 - "Our House" by Madness
 * 28 - "St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" by John Parr
 * 27 - "Two of Hearts" by Stacey Q
 * 26 - "I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight" by Cutting Crew
 * 25 - "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth
 * 24 - "What I Am" by Edie Brickell and New Bohemians
 * 23 - "Electric Avenue" by Eddy Grant
 * 22 - "Maniac" by Michael Sembello
 * 21 - "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister
 * 20 - "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell
 * 19 - "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive
 * 18 - "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock
 * 17 - "The Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats
 * 16 - "99 Luftballons" by Nena
 * 15 - "Whip It" by Devo
 * 14 - "In a Big Country" by Big Country
 * 13 - "She Blinded Me with Science" by Thomas Dolby
 * 12 - "Obsession" by Animotion
 * 11 - "Cars" by Gary Numan
 * 10 - "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
 * 9 - "Too Shy" by Kajagoogoo
 * 8 - "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow
 * 7 - "I Melt with You" by Modern English
 * 6 - "Mickey" by Toni Basil
 * 5 - "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell
 * 4 - "867-5309/Jenny" by Tommy Tutone
 * 3 - "Take on Me" by a-ha
 * 2 - "I Ran (So Far Away)" by A Flock of Seagulls
 * 1 - "Come on Eileen" by Dexys Midnight Runners

Criticisms
The list includes many artists who do not fit the most widely accepted criteria for a one-hit wonder which is scoring a Billboard Top 40 hit only once. Some artists such as Quarterflash, Neneh Cherry and Cutting Crew scored more than one Top 40 hit (some are so-called "two hit wonders"). The Outfield's and Martika's selection may be the most questionable of this group as they scored five and four Top 40 hits respectively. On the flip side, some of the artists while having songs which gained novelty or "cult classic" status never cracked the top 40. Examples include Yello, XTC, Josie Cotton, and Wall of Voodoo. Finally the inclusion of celebrities such as Eddie Murphy, Don Johnson, Rodney Dangerfield, and Bruce Willis are questionable as the typical one-hit wonder is remembered primarily for their lone Top 40 hit. These individuals have an extensive body of work in other entertainment fields which would make their one hit a mere footnote to their distinguished careers.