| jploveparade |
10
99 Luftballons
Nena
German singer Gabriele “Nena” Kerner recorded “99 Luftballons” as a protest against nuclear war. The canny electronic arrangement and singsong melody obscured its serious message and it became a worldwide hit in 1984.
9
Rico Suave
Gerardo
Ecuador-born rapper Gerardo performed in Spanglish, a mixture of Spanish and English, but everyone understood the smooth delivery of “Rico Suave.” He scored no more hits after that 1991 No. 7, so Gerardo became a record executive.
8
Take On Me
a-ha
In 1985, with synth pop at its peak, "Take On Me" became one of the genre's most memorable successes. The song went to No. 1 on an insidious hook and a video that deftly merged animation and live action.
7
Ice Ice Baby
Vanilla Ice
Utilizing a clever sample of the bass line to Queen’s “Under Pressure,” “Ice Ice Baby” zipped to No. 1 in 1990. But Ice’s strutting ego and unwarranted boasting about an imaginary gangster past led to a fall that was as quick as his unexpected rise.
6
Who Let The Dogs Out
Baha Men
The Baha Men had already enjoyed a degree of success on the world music circuit with their take on "junkanoo", a Caribbean fusion of pop and Latin rhythms. "Who Let the Dogs Out" became a monster smash in 2000 and proved very popular at sporting events.
5
Mickey
Toni Basil
Toni Basil already had quite a career before topping the charts with "Mickey" in 1982. She danced in the '60s concert film 'The T.A.M.I. Show' and acted opposite Jack Nicholson in the 'Five Easy Pieces'. She also choreographed the Gap's swing-music ad.
4
I'm Too Sexy
Right Said Fred
Brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass ran a gym in London when they first teamed up with guitarist Rob Manzoli to form Right Said Fred. Their cheeky 1992 poke at the model culture shot the muscle-bound siblings up to No. 1.
3
Come On Eileen
Dexys Midnight Runners
Kevin Rowland and his British musical group mingled genres like rock and Celtic soul, but nobody expected this single - whose sing-along chorus overwhelmed the dour lyrical perspective - to knock Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" off the #1 spot in 1983.
2
Tainted Love
Soft Cell
The British synth duo of Marc Almond and Dave Ball were inspired to cover Gloria Jones' 1964 classic as a tribute to the discos of their youth. Almond's camp delivery of the lyrics, however, gave the song a contemporary twist and it flew to No. 8 in 1982.
1
Macarena
Los Del Rio
Antonio Romeo Monge and Rafael Ruiz were just another Spanish flamenco-pop duo when they were inspired to record "Macarena" after seeing a Venezuelan dancer. Once the Bayside Boys remixed the track, it became an American smash, selling 4 million copies.
view the full top 100 |
|
|
