5 Flop Songs From The '80s We Can't Help But Love

For as many memorable songs as the '80s produced, some of the most cherished of all were utter flops. In this instance, the idea of a flop refers to a lack of mainstream chart success, with poor sales and low radio airplay. At the time, these were the greatest metrics for a single to be considered a hit, though the advent of MTV would introduce video airplay as an additional aspect. If you could get your video spinning when you released a single, you could almost guarantee lofty sales and steady rotation on radio stations.

But sometimes, you could do any or all of those things and still not make a dent. Sometimes an '80s song just didn't have the right exposure to reach an audience that could take it somewhere spectacular. Songs like "I Melt With You" by Modern English and "Holiday Road" by Lindsey Buckingham were even featured in soundtracks of popular movies and still didn't become top-40 tunes. The alchemy of getting a song to not flop during those days might have even been trickier than getting a song to be a hit, especially if a band was making its big debut.

Putting aside commercial triumph as an indicator of quality, a great number of flops from the decade turned out to be songs with lasting power. Scanning our own personal airwaves for some of the most treasured works that never quite met with measured success, we found five outstanding '80s songs that have never left our hearts.

It's hard to believe the existential new-wave earworm "Once in a Lifetime" didn't catch fire when it was first released on the album "Remain in Light" in 1980. Then again, this was the part of Talking Heads' history where the band was less a mainstream act and more of a post-punk anomaly. Releasing a jittery ode to finding oneself probably wasn't the surest move, but it was a risk that eventually paid off.

The mainstream music scene hadn't yet fully embraced world music influences in the early '80s, but that didn't stop Byrne and crew from introducing Afro-Cuban percussion and syncopated rhythms as the textural cues. The percolating intro has become one of the most recognizable riffs ever, kicking off what seems like a spoken poem about someone who can't recognize their own reality. David Byrne's quavering voice makes the verses sound like an art-rock sermon. Then, the catchy chorus kicks in, and you're hooked.

Despite the creative approach, the tune didn't even chart on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. when released, though it was successful overseas. A live version released in 1986 stalled out at No. 91. Even the now-iconic video of Byrne in his oversized suit making that strange chopping gesture on his forearm couldn't help. "Once in a Lifetime" only gradually grew its wings to become a beloved oddity that helped establish the band as an adventuresome creative force. You'll never again hear the phrase "Same as it ever was" without recalling the song's lovably goofy refrain.

Not long before they were "shootin' at the walls of heartache" with their massive hit "The Warrior," Patty Smyth and her pop-rock unit Scandal were bidding a neglectful lover "Goodbye to You" to a bouncy, synth-driven beat. The tune was about as peppy as a new wave-adjacent bop could be, with Smyth gleefully giving her paramour the kiss-off after being forgotten about for weeks. She didn't sound too broken up about it either, despite the lyrics describing her ongoing pain.

The 1982 song from Scandal's debut EP was the world's introduction to this sharp quartet, a band for which Jon Bon Jovi was an early guitarist. Though it didn't chart higher than No. 65 with Billboard, it did gather a little more steam on MTV, which was still finding its audience when it gave the up-and-coming band a break. Smyth's telegenic persona propelled the visual version and made audiences take notice, even if radio couldn't help the cause.

Of course, the rebranded Scandal featuring Patty Smyth went on to much bigger success in 1984 when its first full-length album arrived, and Smyth had a hot solo career for a while afterward. But nowadays, "Goodbye to You" is a standout single, full of bubbly '80 energy and a zippy joy that sounds as fresh and frothy as ever ... even if it is used in ads for asthma medication these days.

The hook-ready humming of "hmmm-HMMM-hmmm" that comes toward the end of "I Melt With You" by British new wave band Modern English is one of the most easily-recognized riffs in '80s music. It echoes the twangy guitar motifs throughout the song, turning a three-note passage into a modern masterpiece. Try calling it out to a Gen X-er and see how quickly they respond with the "hmmm-HMMMmmm-hmmm" that finishes the riff. It's like Pavlov's bell to the '80s generation.

The jangly love song with the jump-around-the-dance-floor beat went practically unnoticed when it was released in the U.S., going essentially unnoticed when originally released in 1982. The song ended up being featured in the film "Valley Girl," which gave "I Melt With You" another chance to be embraced by an audience that was waiting for an upbeat love anthem. This time, it reached No. 78, but the movie became a teen favorite, as did the film's songs. 

The tune has since become one of the most representative songs of the era for those who lived through it. A re-release in 1990 saw it climb to No. 76, not much higher than before. That didn't stop it from becoming a favorite at dances and weddings, where the darker undertones in the lyrics are lost in the heady frenzy of the major-chord guitars and romantic swell of the chorus. This is one '80s flop we just can't seem to live without.

While Lindsey Buckingham was in between Fleetwood Mac projects, he conjured up the boppy little ditty "Holiday Road," which gave the Griswolds a theme song for their first "National Lampoon's Vacation" outing. The cheerful chugging of Buckingham's backing tracks paired with the spiky, breathy vocals was a fantastic foil for the family's rickety road trip.

Too bad the song couldn't find its wheels when it came to radio play or chart appearances. The unfortunate truth is that "Holiday Road" only made it as far as No. 82 before disappearing from the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1983. However, the popularity of the movie helped turn it into a de facto theme song for fans who could relate to the film. A kicky re-do by Kesha later carried it up the dance charts in 2024, which was a sweet surprise for an '80s favorite.

We're not talking about a masterwork here. The song has hardly any lyrics and sounds nothing like any of the striking compositions created before Buckingham was either fired from or left Fleetwood Mac (depending on which side of the story you adhere to). But the bouncy bebop rhythm and sing-along chorus will lighten your spirit every time. You'll most likely recall either the movie or your own road trip experience as you sing, proving that even a flop can find a place in your heart.

It's sad that the upbeat, jangly tune "Closer to Fine" never made it past the 50s on Billboard's Hot Singles chart. At least the world got one of the most upbeat philosophical anthems of the 20th century out of the deal. Still, The Indigo Girls found one of their few moments of mainstream attention with "Closer to Fine," a song with a deeper meaning than most pop songs can muster.

The song was an introduction to folksters Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, and it came at a time when acoustic folk music had snuck back into the public consciousness. Bands like Edie Brickell and New Bohemians and Cowboy Junkies were enjoying a little attention, and Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" was showing the world a softer side of pop music it had forgotten in favor of blooping synthesizer and crunching electric guitars. Those of us seeking a more throwback feel to the tunes we heard found "Closer to Fine" to be a balm. Here was a literate, philosophical exploration that didn't celebrate partying or getting rich as a path to fulfillment, but chose a more reflective direction instead; a description that probably explains why it wasn't a hit. 

Nonetheless, it's a crowd favorite with the band's devoted following, and it's even made its way into movies like "The Hollars" and "Barbie" (covered by Brandi Carlile and her wife, Catherine) as a sweet singalong revival tune, reassuring the characters — and everyone watching — that we're all on the right road.